Updated October 21, 2026. Includes a fictional correction example and a release-day checklist.
When a payment or credit looks wrong, start with the information attached to the music. A title, identifier, ownership claim, or writer detail can be incomplete even when the recording is already available to listeners. These five checks help you investigate without assuming that every missing payment has the same cause.
1. Titles and artist credits do not match
Keep an approved title, version name, and artist credit in your own release record. Enter featured performers in the fields your distributor requests; do not force every detail into the title. Different services may display information differently, so compare the underlying delivery and registration records before deciding that a punctuation difference caused a payment problem.
Fictional example: your release sheet says “Porchlight — Radio Edit,” but a collaborator registers only “Porchlight,” and the distributor lists the original recording's identifier. Before asking anyone to correct it, establish whether you are looking at a title variation of one work or a genuinely different recording.
| What you found | What to verify and record |
|---|---|
| Version missing from delivery | Compare the approved audio file and version name with the distributor's record. |
| Identifier appears on two different recordings | Ask the distributor or code issuer which identifier belongs to each recording; save the response. |
| Writer uses a stage name | Confirm the legal name and society identifier privately with that writer. |
| Correction submitted | Record the service, ticket number, responsible person, date, and accepted result. |
2. An ISRC is missing or attached to the wrong recording
An ISRC identifies a recording, not ownership of the composition. Keep it beside the exact audio version. The same unchanged recording normally retains its identifier when re-released; a creatively different recording, such as a new remix, calls for a different identifier under the applicable rules. Follow the U.S. ISRC Agency's guidance and ask the assigning party when you are uncertain.
Do not generate a replacement code merely because you are changing distributors or correcting a title. First establish whether the sound recording itself changed. Save the distributor's original confirmation so the next person working on the release can trace the decision.
3. Ownership shares and registration percentages are confused
Your underlying composition ownership should account for the whole work. For a fictional two-writer agreement, 60% plus 40% accounts for 100%. That does not mean every society's registration screen asks you to enter those two numbers unchanged.
Some forms distinguish writer and publisher shares or use a 200% convention. BMI's registration terms explain its share conventions. Follow the relevant form, keep master ownership separate, and resolve disagreements with the parties rather than guessing a percentage that makes the form submit.
4. Writer identities and administration details are incomplete
Ask each writer how their legal name and society identifier should appear. Confirm who administers their share and for which territory. A performer credit, a songwriter credit, and a recording-owner claim represent different roles; being listed in one place does not establish every other role.
Keep identity and payment information private. A shared release sheet should help collaborators verify credits without exposing account passwords or sensitive documents.
5. Older releases have never been checked
Build a list of your back catalog and compare it with the registrations handled by you or your representative. Start with music still being used or promoted. Look for missing versions, changed administrators, alternate titles, and unresolved claims. Ask the relevant service about correction procedures and applicable claim periods; do not assume every historical use is recoverable.
A release-day and correction checklist
- Approve the final audio version and delivery metadata.
- Confirm writers, ownership, administration, and existing identifiers.
- Save delivery and registration confirmations in a rights ledger.
- Assign each correction to a named person and service.
- Check the accepted record after the correction, rather than closing the task when the request is sent.
Clean records help you investigate; they cannot guarantee royalties or prove that a service owes a particular amount. Our registration checklist explains the different organizations to consider. This is general educational information, not a determination of your rights or legal advice.