Music credits identify every person who contributed to a recording. Accurate credits ensure proper attribution, enable royalty tracking, and maintain professional standards across platforms.
Common Credit Roles
Producer
The person who oversees and guides the creation of the recording. A producer may shape the arrangement, direct the recording session, make creative decisions about sound, and manage the overall production process.
Composer
The person who wrote the musical composition: the melody, chord progression, and musical structure. In many cases, the composer and lyricist are the same person, but they should be credited separately if different.
Lyricist
The person who wrote the words/lyrics of the song. If the song is instrumental, this credit does not apply.
Arranger
The person who adapted or arranged the composition for recording, deciding which instruments play what parts, creating harmonies, structuring the arrangement for the specific recording.
Featured Artist
An artist who appears on the track alongside the primary artist, typically credited as "feat." on the release. This is both a performance credit and a metadata field.
Mixing Engineer
The person who balanced and processed the individual recorded tracks into a cohesive stereo (or surround) mix. Mixing involves adjusting levels, panning, equalization, compression, and effects.
Mastering Engineer
The person who prepared the final mix for distribution, optimizing overall loudness, frequency balance, and ensuring the audio translates well across different playback systems.
Instrumentalist
A musician who performed on the recording, typically specified with their instrument (e.g., "Guitar", "Piano", "Drums").
Why Credits Matter
- Royalty tracking: Publishing and performance royalties are distributed based on credited roles
- Professional recognition: Contributors deserve acknowledgment for their work
- Platform display: Services like Apple Music and Tidal display songwriter and producer credits
- Rights management: Credits establish who has ownership claims
- Industry credibility: Complete credits demonstrate professional standards
Best Practices
- List every contributor. Do not leave anyone out
- Use correct full names as they appear in official records
- Assign specific roles rather than generic "contributor" credits
- Verify credits with all parties before submission
- Be consistent across multiple tracks on the same release
Ready to Release Your Music?
Apply what you've learned. Start your release with professional distribution.