When to mark content as explicit

You must flag explicit content correctly – the platforms will not check it for you.

One wrongly chosen option can mean your recording being deleted from the platforms. And conversely – needlessly flagging non-explicit content can cause you trouble too.

Every recording submitted for distribution must have the explicit content information filled in – in the recording form, in the Explicit section, you choose one of three options: Not Explicit, Explicit or Clean. This is not an optional extra; it is a mandatory part of the metadata that we pass on to the platforms. This information affects how and where your music is shown. The flag can also be changed after distribution by editing the recording – but the change only reaches the platforms once the release is sent to distribution again.

Three options – and when to choose which

Platforms such as Spotify, Apple Music or YouTube Music have their own rules, but in general the following breakdown applies:

Explicit

profanity and swearing in the lyrics,
violent or aggressive descriptions,
sexual content or innuendo,
explicit references to drugs or self-harm.

Not Explicit

instrumental recordings,
lyrics without the content listed above,
recordings that have never contained objectionable content in any form.

Clean

cleaned-up versions of otherwise explicit recordings,
the objectionable parts are bleeped, muted or replaced,
always a separate recording alongside the explicit original.

Incorrect flagging has real consequences. If a recording contains explicit content and is not flagged as such, the platforms may remove or reject it. Conversely, flagging a non-explicit recording as Explicit needlessly limits its reach (explicit content tends to be excluded from family profiles, recommendation algorithms and many playlists).

Where the flag is set – the recording, not the release

In Artists Bez Labelu, explicit content is set only on individual recordings. There is no such field in the release form – the platforms derive the flag for the release as a whole from its recordings.

Level	What it means	When to use it
Album / release	There is no separate field for the release. If the release contains at least one explicit recording, the platforms will usually flag the release as a whole as explicit too.	You do not fill in anything separately – it is enough to flag each recording correctly.
Individual recording	For each recording, you choose one of three options (Not Explicit, Explicit, Clean). The information goes with each recording separately, and the platforms show it right next to it.	For each recording separately. Even an otherwise “clean” album can have one explicit recording.

Consistency matters. If a recording on a single was flagged as Explicit and you are including the same recording (with the same ISRC) on an album, the flag must be kept there too. How to do this is described in the article Combining separately released singles into an album or compilation. Distribution systems and platforms compare metadata automatically – a mismatch can cause complications.

Explicit vs. Clean – they are not synonyms

Explicit and clean are two different states, neither opposites nor synonyms. We explain this in detail in the article Clean vs. Explicit – here is just a brief summary:

A clean version is a separate recording. If you release an edited version of a song without the objectionable content (with bleeped or replaced parts), it is a completely different recording – with its own ISRC code, a title typically in the format Song Title (Clean Version) and the Clean option in the metadata. The Clean flag also signals that an explicit original exists – so never confuse it with the Not Explicit option, which belongs to recordings without any objectionable content. You will find the practical procedure in the article How to release a clean version of a recording.

Neither “Explicit” nor “Clean” belongs in the title of the explicit version. The words Explicit or Clean must not be part of the title of a regular recording – explicitness is flagged with the relevant field in the form, not with the title. The exception is the clean version itself, where the Clean Version label in the title serves to distinguish it from the original.

Watch out for the cover art too

You may only use the “Parental Advisory” logo on the cover art in its unmodified form and only if at least one recording on the release is flagged as Explicit. This logo does not belong on the cover art of a release without an explicit recording. More in the article Parental Advisory: Everything you need to know.

Related articles

→ Clean vs. Explicit – a detailed explanation of the difference between the two terms.
→ How to release a clean version of a recording – the procedure from editing the audio to the metadata.
→ What belongs in a recording title – what does not belong in the title, including the words Explicit and Clean.
→ What belongs in a release title – the same rules for an album or a single.
→ Rules for Parental Advisory – when this logo may be used.