What Is a Compilation?
A compilation is a single release that brings together tracks from several different main artists under one project, for example a label sampler, a "Best of the Year" collection, a charity album, or a mixtape featuring many acts. It is different from a normal album, where every track shares the same main artist.
Compilations need to be set up in a specific way. If you simply type "Various Artists" into the artist field, your release will be rejected. This guide walks you through the correct method.
Before You Start
- Make sure you hold the rights to distribute every track on the compilation. If other artists appear, you need their permission or a distribution agreement in place.
- Have final, correctly formatted audio for each track ready. See Audio File Requirements.
- Prepare artwork that meets our Artwork Requirements.
Step by Step
- Create a new release from your dashboard as you normally would.
- On the release information page, set the release type to Compilation (or tick the "This is a compilation" option). This tells the stores that the tracks have different artists.
- For the release-level artist, stores will automatically display the compilation under "Various Artists". You do not type "Various Artists" yourself; marking the release as a compilation handles this.
- Add each track one by one. On every track, enter the real main artist for that specific song in the track-level artist field. Do not leave them blank and do not reuse one artist for all tracks.
- Add featured artists, producers, and songwriters at track level using the correct roles. See Participant Roles.
- Fill in genre, language, and explicit flags per track, then submit for Quality Control.
Common Mistakes That Cause Rejection
- Typing "Various Artists" as an artist name. This is never allowed as a literal name. Mark the release as a compilation instead. See Why Is My Release Showing as "Various Artists"?
- Using one main artist for every track. If all tracks genuinely share one artist, it is an album, not a compilation.
- Missing per-track artists. Every track must carry its own correct main artist so streams and royalties are attributed properly.
- No rights for third-party tracks. Only include songs you are authorised to distribute.
How Royalties Work on a Compilation
Royalties are earned by the compilation release as a whole and paid to your account. If you need to share earnings with the featured artists or rights holders on the compilation, use Royalty Splits to divide the income automatically.
Still Need Help?
If you are coordinating a large compilation or a label sampler and want a hand setting it up, contact our support team and we will guide you through it.