Songwriter Credits and Why They Are Important

1. What exactly are songwriter credits?
   
   
2. The link between Music Royalties and Songwriter Credits
   
   
3. What happens when credits go missing?
   
   
4. How to make sure your credits (and your cash) are right?
   
   
5. The Bottom Line
   
   

What exactly are songwriter credits?

They’re the hidden details inside your track, who wrote the lyrics, who composed the melody, who built that unforgettable riff or produced the beat. These credits are stored in the song’s metadata, which streaming platforms use to track ownership and distribute royalties.

These aren’t just names on a screen; they’re your creative fingerprint, the invisible thread that connects your name to all your work and ensures your royalties in music actually reach you.

Skip them, and your song could disappear in the system - no data trail, no ownership proof, and often also, no paycheck.

That’s why in this blog, we’re breaking down exactly what happens when song credits go wrong, how you can protect your music royalties, and how to use our free Songwriter Credits Checklist to make sure every beat, lyric, and chord you create gets the recognition (and payment) it deserves. 

Without this data, your music might exist - but your music royalties won’t.

Here’s a detailed video of what Metadata is and how to add it to your tracks.

The Link between Music Royalties and Songwriter Credits

Songwriter Credits can make or break your music royalties.

Every play, every sync, every live performance generates music royalties. But those royalties in music only get to the right people if the credits are right.

If your name isn’t listed correctly in the music credits, performance rights organizations like ASCAP, BMI, or PRS have no way to link that money to you.

Here’s what’s at stake:

• Streaming Royalties: Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon distribute billions annually.
• Performance Royalties: Paid when your music is performed live or broadcast.
• Sync Royalties: Earned when your track is used in film, ads, or games.

Too many independent artists make this mistake; they pour their soul into the art and skip the “boring business stuff.” But in the modern music economy, your song credits are your business. They protect your creative ownership, your earnings, and your legacy.

What happens when credits go missing?

It’s not pretty. Lost music royalties, delayed payments, copyright disputes, sometimes even legal battles. Worse, you lose the recognition you’ve earned. Someone else might show up in the song credits instead of you.

And fixing metadata after release? It’s like trying to correct the spelling on a tattoo, painful, slow, and expensive. That’s why distributors like CD Baby and Matchfy make song credits mandatory during the upload process. They know the system only works when the data does.

How to make sure your credits (and your cash) are right?

1. Talk early. Before you leave the studio, agree on who wrote what and how you’ll split music royalties.
2. Join a PRO. Organizations like ASCAP or PRS collect and distribute your royalties in music, but only if you’re registered.
3. Double-check your metadata. When you upload, verify all music credits, names, roles, and ownership shares.
4. Keep receipts. Literally. Keep written or digital agreements between co-writers.

Here’s a comprehensive Songwriter checklist to go through before releasing your next song:

Download the Full Checklist Here!

The Bottom Line

Your song is more than just sound; it’s intellectual property. Proper song credits make sure that the property stays yours and that every play adds to your music royalties. You didn’t spend all those hours writing, recording, and mixing just to let your royalties in music disappear into the void. So double-check your music credits, because a few lines of text today could mean thousands in music royalties tomorrow.