TuneCore wants to make sure your releases go live as fast as possible. It is very important that you follow these formatting rules, as failing to do so can result in a store blocking your release until the issue is fixed, and we would hate to see that happen!
Please note: iTunes has the right to make adjustments to a release so it meets their formatting requirements. This is out of TuneCore's control.
Capitalization
We have set auto-caps formatting in our system for album and track titles. This is to make sure releases comply with formatting rules set by iTunes and other stores.
For English language releases, all of the following words must be lowercase unless they are the first or last word of the title or artist name:
a
an
and
as
at
but
by
for
from
in
into
nor
of
off
on
onto
or
out
over
so
the
to
up
with
yet
Abbreviations
The following abbreviations are acceptable. These are all case-sensitive:
- a.k.a. (This can only be used in titles and is NOT allowed in artist names)
- #
- &
- DJ
- feat.
- No.
- Pt.
- Pts.
- TV
- vs.
- Vol. (Albums that have 'Vol.' in the title must not be written as 'Volume')
Common Formatting Requirements for Release and Track Titles
EPs
You cannot add "EP" to the title of your release when uploading. Stores use their own requirements to determine if a release is an EP or not.
For example, using Apple's requirements, an album will automatically be identified as an "EP" and " - EP" will be added to the release title on iTunes if it meets one of the two following criteria:
- The release has a total of one to three (1-3) tracks, one or more of the tracks is 10 minutes or longer, and the entire release is less than 30 minutes
- The release has a total of four to six (4-6) tracks and the entire release is less than 30 minutes
Releases that do not meet the above criteria will not be identified as an EP. For more information on how some stores classify EPs, please read this article.
Cover Songs
Cover songs cannot include the original performing artist in the track title or artist field.
INCORRECT:
My Way (Originally Performed by Frank Sinatra)
My Way (Cover of Frank Sinatra)
My Way (Tribute to Frank Sinatra)
CORRECT:
My Way
My Way (Acoustic Cover)
For more important information on cover songs, please read this article.
Karaoke and Tribute Albums
Karaoke and Tribute albums must follow these requirements:
- Original performing artists should never be credited in the artist name field of your release
- The only artist that can be listed in the artist field is the karaoke or tribute band that's actually performing the song
- "Karaoke" cannot be the sole name of an artist. However, you can incorporate the word "Karaoke" into the artist name, such as, "The All Star Karaoke Group"
- There must be no leading vocals in the song
- Track titles must indicate that the release is a karaoke song. Acceptable formatting would be:
“Title (Karaoke Version)”
“Title (Instrumental Version)” - You can include the original performing artist in the track title. Acceptable formatting would be:
“Title (Originally Performed By…) [Karaoke Version]”
“Title (In the Style of…) [Instrumental Version]"
Use of Parenthesis and Brackets for Multiple References
For albums that are deluxe versions, live versions, remastered versions, re-releases, radio edits, volumes, etc., if you are referencing this in the title, the first reference must always be in (parenthesis) and anything referenced after the parenthesis must be in [brackets]. Acceptable formatting would be:
INCORRECT:
Colorful [Deluxe Version]
Love Letter (Live Version) (Radio Edit)
CORRECT:
Colorful (Deluxe Version)
Love Letter (Live Version) [Radio Edit]
"Live Version" Releases
When you distribute a release through TuneCore that has one or more tracks recorded live, please make sure you follow these guidelines or iTunes will flag your release and it will not go live until it's fixed.
- If you have a track that is a live recording, you must add the following at the end of the track title: "(Live)"
- If live recording tracks make up the majority of your album, the album title should include that, with text such as "live," "in concert," "an evening with," "unplugged," etc..
Common Formatting Requirements for Artist Names
Multiple Artists and References
IMPORTANT: Your artist name formatting must be exactly the same across every release you distribute. Artist names are case-sensitive.
Each separate artist name appearing on your release must be entered in a separate artist name field on the album level or the track level. You can do this in our system simply by clicking "Add Artists" after you enter the first artist name.
Only the artist name can appear in the field. This means you cannot add extra information.
Below are some examples of unacceptable artist names with extra information:
| Incorrect Formatting | Issue | Correct Formatting |
|---|---|---|
| John Doe (Guitarist) | Shows instrument | John Doe |
| Cunningham, John | First name must precede last name | John Cunningham |
| Slash (of Guns N' Roses) | Includes band name | Slash |
| Elvis Presley (1935-1977) | Includes birth and death dates | Elvis Presley |