Why was my artist name rejected for being generic?

Your artist name should be unique and specific—it’s how fans identify your music, find you again, and share your work. CD Baby’s distribution partners reject generic names to avoid confusion among the millions of artists and releases on their platforms. For the full rules on naming artists and assigning artist roles, see How do I credit artists correctly on my release?.

Quick summary:

• Your artist name needs to identify you—not a genre, activity, or general category of music
• Generic names include genres or descriptors, descriptions of your music, situations or occasions, non-performing entities (labels, studios, venues, organizations), and famous names—even slightly altered ones
• If your project is built around a theme (like yoga or workout), keep the theme out of the artist name itself—save it for your bio, album title, or track titles instead
• If a name is rejected, update it to something specific and resubmit. Approval is at our review team’s discretion and can change over time, so a name approved in the past isn’t guaranteed approval on a future release

Why can't I use a generic artist name?

Generic names make it hard for fans and platforms to distinguish your music from everyone else’s. Partners may reject, hide, or make your music unavailable if your artist name is considered generic—each streaming partner enforces its own content guidelines, and generic names go against many of them.

If your submission uses a generic name, you’ll be asked to update it before your release can go live. Approval is up to the discretion of our review team, based on our current guidelines and our partners’ requirements—so even if a generic name was approved on a past release, that doesn’t guarantee approval going forward.

Examples of generic artist names

Below are common categories of generic names, along with examples of what to avoid.

• Genres or Descriptors
  • Tango
  • Smooth Jazz
  • MC Hip-Hop
  • The Classics
• Descriptions of Your Music
  • Rain Sounds
  • Sad Love Songs
  • Acoustic Piano Man
  • Lo-Fi Relaxing Coffeehouse Vibes
  • Study Music
• Situations or Occasions
  • Music for Relaxing
  • Merry Christmas
  • Party Songs
  • Workout
  • Yoga
  • Meditation
• Non-Performing Entities
  • A record label, studio, or production company name
  • An organization or business name
  • A venue or event name (e.g., a festival or tour name)
  • An album, genre, or general description of the music itself
• Famous Artist Names (Even Slightly Altered)
  • Be Y Once
  • Ade$e
  • Smiles Davis

Making a generic name specific

If your project is built around one of these themes, that’s fine—just keep the theme out of the artist name itself.

• ✗ Incorrect: Iron Pulse Workout Mix as the artist name
• ✓ Correct: Iron Pulse as the artist name, with Workout Mixes as the album title
• ✗ Incorrect: Baby Lullaby Music
• ✓ Correct: Baby Lullaby Academy

Frequently asked questions

Can I name my project after a genre or theme, like “Meditation” or “Workout”?

Not as the artist name itself. Generic and genre names aren’t accepted—make the artist name specific and creative instead of descriptive. For example, use “Iron Pulse” as the artist name and “Workout Mixes” as the album title, rather than combining them into the artist name.

My generic artist name was approved on a past release—why is a new release with the same name getting rejected?

Approval is up to the discretion of our review team, based on our current guidelines and our partners’ requirements. Those requirements evolve over time, and our guidelines are reviewed and updated to stay in alignment—so a name that was approved before isn’t guaranteed to be approved on a future release.

Can I use a record label, studio, or venue name as my artist name?

No. Non-performing entities—including record labels, studios, organizations, businesses, venues, and events—aren’t accepted as artist names.

What should I do if my artist name gets rejected for being generic?

Update the name to something specific and distinct, then resubmit your release. If you’re unsure whether a name will be accepted, avoid genres, moods, activities, and descriptive phrases, and aim for something that uniquely identifies you as an artist.