We’ve composed an article for you to help you with your artist roles.

The composer role can be used to credit whoever’s written the music you’re uploading. Stores have some specific rules about when you can use it, when you must use it, and when you can’t use it.

• Classical, opera, and jazz releases – yes!
  If you’ve selected any of these genres, you must include a composer artist on your tracks and at album level. If it’s a performance of music written by someone else, put their name in under the ‘composer’ role. If it’s an original piece being performed by whoever wrote it, credit them as a performing artist and the composer.

Title: Bubs’ Original Jazz Tune
Primary Artist: The Bubs Big Band
Composer: The Bubs Big Band
Correct formatting for an original jazz composition.

Title: I Get A Kick Out Of You
Primary Artist: Randy’s Hot Five
Composer: Cole Porter
Correct formatting for a non-original jazz composition.

For composer artists in classical releases, please see this article.

• Self-composed music – if you want!
  If you’re uploading something you’ve written yourself, you don’t need to credit yourself in the composer role (the C line is probably the best place to do that), but you can if you want.
  
  Primary Artist: Lil’ Bubs
  Composer: Lil’ Bubs
  You don’t need to format tracks you’ve written like this yourself, but you can if you want.
  
  Primary Artist: Lil’ Bubs
  Composer: Ernest Bubbington
  For self written tracks, if you want, you can credit your stage name as the primary artist, and your real name as the composer. You don’t need to format tracks you’ve written like this yourself, but you can if you want.
  
• Covers – no!
  If you’re uploading a cover that isn’t a jazz track, you shouldn’t credit the original composer in the composer role. Only credit them in the C line.

Title: Baby Got Back
Primary Artist: Lil’ Bubs
Incorrect composer: Sir Mix-a-Lot
Incorrect formatting for a cover of Baby Got Back by Sir Mix-a-Lot. The original artist should only be credited in the C line.

For more information about cover songs and how to format them, please see our cover songs article.

See also:
How do I add a composer?
Should I credit the composer in the C line of a classical release?