A compilation puts tracks by several artists into one release: a label sampler, a scene collection, a charity record, a set of songs for Novruz. It sounds simple, but a various-artists release touches more rights, more names and more profiles than any single. Most of the trouble comes from skipping the paperwork or filling in the artist fields the wrong way.
What counts as a compilation
A compilation is one release with its own barcode, made of tracks whose main artists are different people. There are a few common types:
- New tracks. A label or collective gathers unreleased songs, often around a theme or a city scene.
- Previously released tracks. Songs that are already out, collected again: a label's best of the year, a themed collection.
- Mixed. A few new exclusives next to known tracks that pull listeners in.
It is worth comparing this with a playlist. A playlist only points to tracks that already exist and needs no permissions or codes. If your goal is simply to show off songs you like, a playlist is the easier tool. A compilation makes sense when you want a release of your own: something that carries your label's name, that you can promote as a project and that earns money for the people on it.
Get permission from every artist
You are releasing other people's recordings, so you need written permission from whoever owns each master. For an independent artist that is usually the artist. If a track is signed to a label, the permission has to come from the label.
The agreement can be short, but it should cover:
- which track, in which exact version
- where and for how long the compilation may be available
- how income is shared and how often reports are passed on
- whether you may use the artist's name and photo to promote it
- who handles takedowns or changes later
The songwriting side matters too. The compilation does not change who wrote each song, and the credits must stay correct. If a track contains samples, the artist should confirm they were cleared. Any distributor, CULT included, will ask you to confirm that you own or have permission for all the audio and artwork you submit. For a compilation, that means a permission from every artist on it, even if they are your friends.
"Various Artists" and how stores show compilations
On most platforms a compilation with several different main artists is shown at release level as "Various Artists", while each track keeps its own artist. That is how stores keep the release from landing on one person's profile.
A few practical rules follow from this:
- Do not put every artist as a main artist on the release. A release with eight main artists becomes a mess on every profile.
- Do not put your label name in the artist field to make it visible. The label name belongs in the label field.
- Never use "Various Artists" as a track artist. Each track has a real person or act.
- Mark the release as a compilation where the form offers it.
Exact rules differ between platforms and change over time, so follow your distributor's current guidelines. Also note that platforms are increasingly strict with releases that only repackage songs already available, such as generic hits-of-the-year collections, and may refuse them as duplicates. A compilation with a clear idea and real permissions has a much easier path.
Codes and previously released tracks
The compilation gets its own UPC, like any release. Track codes depend on the audio:
- A track that is already out, used in exactly the same version, keeps its existing ISRC. Ask each artist for it.
- A new recording, or a different version such as an edit or a remaster, needs a new ISRC.
Do not quietly change audio you received. If you want a shorter edit for the compilation, agree it with the artist and treat it as a new version with its own code. And coordinate timing for new exclusive tracks: if an artist also plans to release the same song as a single, decide which comes first and make sure both use the same ISRC for the same recording.
Keep each track on the right profile
The most common mistake with compilations is a track ending up on the wrong artist page. Every artist name must be spelled exactly as on that artist's existing profiles, with the same letters, spacing and script. If two artists share a name with someone else on a platform, collect their profile links and pass them on with the submission.
Imagine Night Tram Records gathers eight electronic producers from Baku for a winter compilation. One producer writes his name in Latin letters on Spotify but in Cyrillic on his old releases. Before submitting, the label asks every producer for their profile links and the exact spelling. After release day, someone checks all eight profiles to see that each track sits where it should.
Splitting the money and sharing reports
Streaming reports come per track, by ISRC, so splitting income per track is straightforward: each artist receives the earnings of their own song, minus whatever share the label keeps under your agreement. Some collectives prefer equal shares to keep it simple. Both work if they are written down before release.
Decide how often you will pass reports on and in what form, and keep a record of every payment. In the CULT dashboard streams appear by platform and country for each reporting period, which makes it easier to show each artist their numbers. Clear reports are what make artists say yes to your next compilation.