Clean vs. Explicit

Explicit and Clean – two different terms that often get confused.

Explicit and Clean are not two opposite values of one setting. They are two different recordings – the original with explicit content and its cleaned-up version. Each of them has its own flag in the metadata.

In the distribution system, you choose one of three content flags for every recording: Not Explicit, Explicit or Clean. While the first two are fairly intuitive, the Clean option works differently from what you might expect. Clean does not simply mean “no objectionable content” – it indicates a cleaned-up version of an otherwise explicit recording. (If there is no explicit version, it logically makes no sense for a clean version to exist – such a recording is simply Not Explicit.)

Three flags in the metadata

An overview of how the individual options relate to each other and what each one means:

Option	What it means	How it shows
Not Explicit	The recording contains no profanity, violence, drugs or sexual content – and has never contained them in any form.	The usual state of most recordings. No label of any kind on the platforms.
Explicit	The recording does contain objectionable content – in its original, unedited form.	On the platforms, the letter E is shown next to the song title.
Clean	A cleaned-up version of an otherwise explicit recording – a separate recording that exists alongside the original.	No E label; some platforms (e.g. Apple Music) may show a C.

Exactly when to use which option is covered in the article When to mark content as explicit. Here we focus on the difference between the explicit and the clean version itself.

Explicit vs. Clean – the basic difference

Explicit

The original version of a recording that contains explicit content – profanity, violent descriptions, sexual content, drug references and the like. In the metadata it carries the Explicit flag, and on the platforms it shows the letter E.

Clean

An edited version of the same song in which the explicit content has been removed, replaced or modified. It is a separate recording with its own Clean flag in the metadata – not merely a variant of the original.

Clean is not the same as Not Explicit. The Not Explicit option belongs to a recording that has never contained any objectionable content. The Clean option, on the other hand, says: This is a cleaned-up version of an otherwise explicit recording. That is why you submit a clean version for distribution as a completely separate recording – with an adjusted title, its own ISRC code and the correct flag.

What a clean version actually means

A clean version is not just a recording in which the swear words are bleeped or muted. The edit can take different forms:

Bleeping or muting – the objectionable word is replaced with silence or a bleep.
Replacing it with another word – the objectionable word is cut out and replaced with a different, “harmless” one. Example: Marilyn Manson released This Is The New Shit – the clean version was titled This Is The New Hit. Same rhythm, different word, different meaning.
Re-singing or re-recording – the performer records the whole section again with modified lyrics.

In every case, one thing applies: The result is a new, separate audio recording – and it must be submitted for distribution as such, with the Clean flag in the metadata.

How to title a clean version

Because a clean version is a separate recording, it must also be distinguished from the original by its title – the metadata flag is not visible anywhere in the title itself. The standard convention the platforms expect looks like this:

original (explicit)

Song Title Metadata flag: Explicit

clean version

Song Title (Clean Version) Metadata flag: Clean

The word “Explicit” never belongs in the title. Explicitness is flagged in the metadata – not with text in the title of the recording or release. The Clean Version label in the title, on the other hand, does make sense: Otherwise both versions would have identical titles and you could not tell them apart at first glance.

How it looks on the platforms

Spotify, Apple Music and other platforms show the flag right next to the song title. A correctly flagged recording gets the appropriate label automatically – all you need to do is choose the right option in the Explicit section of the recording form.

Why does this matter in practice? Explicit recordings are automatically excluded from family profiles, kids’ modes and many editorial playlists. If a clean version exists and is flagged correctly, the platforms can offer it as an alternative – and your music reaches a wider audience.

Related articles

→ How to release a clean version of a recording – a practical step-by-step guide.
→ Parental Advisory: Everything you need to know – when and how to use the logo on the cover art.
→ When to mark content as explicit – detailed rules for all three options.
→ What belongs in a recording title – why Explicit does not belong in the title of the original.