Release genres – Primary, secondary and Beatport genre
Every release has a primary genre that platforms use to categorise it. You can add one secondary genre and, if your account has Beatport access, a Beatport genre as well.
You set the genres in the release form in the Genres | Metadata language section – both when creating the release (Music releases → New album) and later via Edit album details. The genre belongs to the whole release: Individual recordings do not have a genre of their own.
Three genre fields
| Field | Required | What to choose |
|---|---|---|
| Primary genre | Yes | The main, predominant genre of the release. When you create a release, rap is preselected – if you do not make rap, change it. |
| Secondary genre | No | One other distinct genre, only if the release really has one. If you do not choose anything, it stays empty (a dash). |
| Beatport genre | Only for Beatport | Only shown for accounts with Beatport access. Beatport has its own list of genres and will not accept a release without one. |
You choose genres from a fixed list – you cannot type in a genre of your own. The genre names in the list are in English. You can see what you have filled in in the release detail, in the Primary genre, Secondary genre and, where applicable, Beatport genre rows. When you create a music video for a recording, the genre is pre-filled.
How to choose a genre
By how the recording sounds
Choose based on where the music belongs on the platforms – not on where you would like to end up. Rap filed under pop will not bring you pop listeners.
Who you would sound good next to
Think of artists your music would make sense alongside in a single playlist. Their genre is usually the best guide – Apple Music, for example, shows it right next to the album.
Be precise
If the list offers a more specific genre that fits (such as a particular offshoot of rock or electronic music), choose that one.
An album with several styles
Set the genre that dominates the release as primary. The second most prominent one can be secondary – you cannot set any more than that.
The secondary genre is not required. Do not choose one “just in case” or to reach more people – if the release is built on a single genre, leave it empty.
What the genre affects
Platforms use the genre to categorise and sort releases. On some of them, the genre is displayed right next to the release. How much recommendation algorithms and playlist editors work with it is up to each platform, and they do not publish the details. The right genre will not bring you listeners on its own – but the wrong one can send your music to people it does not suit.
- For Spotify's editors, you describe the genre, mood and style of the recording separately in your pitch in Spotify for Artists.
- Both the primary and secondary genre can be used as filters in the Bez Labelu public releases list, which shows releases with a published album link.
When the genre does not fit
If the genre clearly does not match the content, platforms may send the release back for correction. In that case, we will get in touch by email or assign you a Task. You then correct the genre in Edit album details and send the release again following the steps below. Do the same if you notice the mistake yourself.
Changing the genre after sending the release for distribution
Until you send the release, you can change the genres as you like. You can change them after sending it too, but saving alone will not be reflected on the platforms – you have to send the release again (saving is not republishing). The platforms then take several days to process it. Every change should be an exception, so think the genre through before you send the release for the first time.
Change the genre. In the release detail, click Edit album details, choose the new genre and click Save album.
Confirm the declaration and select the platforms. In the release detail, tick all five items of the Declaration before distribution and select the platforms in the Distribution table.
Send it again. Click Distribute Selected. What else can and cannot be changed after distribution is summed up in the article What can still be changed after distribution and what cannot.
Beatport genre
Beatport is a store for DJs selling electronic and dance music. It is switched off for accounts by default – you can unlock it in the Requests section with a Beatport access request, and only for electronic and dance music, with no AI-generated music and no beats from the internet. You will find the details in the article Beatport – Who it is for and how to get access.
Once access is granted, a Beatport genre field appears in the release form. Beatport has its own, more finely divided list of electronic genres – choose the one that fits best. You still fill in the primary genre; the Beatport genre applies to Beatport only.
If the Beatport genre is missing, sending to Beatport ends with the message “The release cannot be sent to Beatport without a Beatport genre. Add it when editing the release.” In the release detail, you will find an Add a Beatport genre link that takes you straight to editing the release. Other platforms are not blocked.
Frequently asked questions
Can each recording have a different genre?
No. The genre is set for the release and applies to all its recordings. For an album, choose the genre that dominates.
Why is rap preselected for my new release?
It is just the form's default value. Always check it before saving and change it if needed.
The genre I make is missing from the list.
You cannot add a genre of your own. Choose the closest genre from the list and, if needed, add a secondary one.
Do I have to fill in the secondary genre?
No. Fill it in only if the release really is built on two genres.