How to Release Music Under Your Own Label Name

Releasing music under your own label name is one of the quickest ways to make a catalogue look like a body of work instead of a pile of uploads. It is also surprisingly easy to get wrong, because “label name” shows up in several different places, and each one has its own rules. On WBBT, some of them depend on your plan.

This guide explains where a label name appears, how to choose and check a name, the steps to set it up with a distributor, what each WBBT plan lets you customise and the mistakes that cause trouble later. It covers the practical side. It is not legal advice, and a label name does not change who owns your music.

Where a label name appears

When people say they want to release “on their own label”, they usually mean one or more of these four things:

Where	What it is	In WBBT
“Provided to YouTube by”	The label name YouTube shows on the auto-generated videos for your tracks	My Labels and the release form. Custom names are part of a Label plan
© line	The owner of the composition and artwork, shown in store credits	Release form. A custom name starts on the Pro plan
℗ line	The owner of the sound recording, shown in store credits	Release form. A custom name starts on the Pro plan
Brand and artwork	Your logo, catalogue numbers, social accounts and website	Your own design work. Follow the artwork rules

Stores usually show the © and ℗ lines at the bottom of the album page, and YouTube shows the label name in the description of the auto-generated video. Until your plan lets you set them, releases go out under “WBBT Music Group”.

What a label name is, and what it is not

A label name is a brand. It tells listeners, playlist editors and stores who is behind a set of releases. It is useful for consistency, for building a catalogue and for presenting several artists under one identity.

It is not a company, a licence or a transfer of rights. Registering a name in a store form does not register a business, protect the name as a trademark or make you a party to any other label’s deals. The distributor is still the distributor. You still own your recordings and compositions unless you have signed an agreement that says otherwise.

You also need the right to use the name. Do not use another label’s name, or one so close to it that listeners would assume a connection. If you plan to build a real business under the name, check trademark registers in the countries that matter to you.

Steps to put your own label name on a release

1. Choose a name and check it. Search Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, Beatport and Discogs for labels with the same or similar name. Check the handle on the social platforms you will use, and look at your national company and trademark registers. In the UK that means Companies House for company names and the Intellectual Property Office for trade marks. A short, distinctive, easy-to-spell name works best.
2. Decide how the label is owned. A label can be you as a sole trader, a partnership or a limited company. If other artists will sign to it, you need written agreements about who owns what, so settle the structure before you sign anyone.
3. Pick a plan that supports the name you want. See the table in the next section.
4. Create the label name in WBBT. On a Label plan, open My Labels and use Add Label. Your plan includes the first custom name, further names are a paid extra, and the price is shown before you confirm. Names you have already created can be renamed or archived by support.
5. Set the © and ℗ lines. On the Pro plan or above, choose or type the owner names in the Metadata stage of the Release Wizard. Enter the owner’s name only. The wizard has separate fields for the year, so do not type the symbol or the year into the name.
6. Choose the label in the release. In the same stage, pick your label name in the “Provided to YouTube by” field. Check it again on the review screen before you send the release.
7. Check the result. After the release is live, look at the album credits in each store and at the YouTube Music video description. If a name is wrong, contact support with the release link and the name you expected.

What each WBBT plan lets you customise

Plan	© and ℗ lines	“Provided to YouTube by”
Free	Default	Default
Basic	Default	Default
Pro	Custom copyright name	Default
Label	Custom copyright name where the plan includes it	Custom label name, first one included

Plans and entitlements change, so check the pricing page and your account before you plan a launch. Label Software, which gives a label its own management panel without distribution, and the early-access White-Label service are described in the next section.

A worked example

Here is how the pieces fit together for an invented case. A producer plans a four-track EP and expects to sign two friends over the next year. The label name is “Northfield Sound”, which is made up for this example.

1. The producer searches the stores, YouTube and Discogs for the name, finds nothing similar and secures the same handle on two social platforms.
2. They own the recordings personally, so the © and ℗ owner is their own name for now. Putting “Northfield Sound” in those lines is sensible only once the label is the real owner, for example after it is set up as a business and the rights are assigned to it in writing.
3. The first EP goes out on the Pro plan, which allows a custom copyright name. The “Provided to YouTube by” line stays on the default until the producer moves to a Label plan and adds the name in My Labels.
4. When the first friend signs, the producer upgrades, creates the label name, and uses it on every release from then on. Credits on the EP that is already live may need a support request to change, which is why choosing the name before release one matters.

The point of the example is the order of decisions: name first, ownership second, plan third. Doing it the other way round tends to produce releases with credits that do not match the paperwork.

Questions to ask before you commit to a name

• Can a listener spell it after hearing it once, and will a search return you rather than someone else?
• Is it different enough from established labels in your genre that nobody will assume a link?
• Is the matching social handle and web address free?
• Does it still make sense if the label grows beyond your own music?
• Will the people who own the recordings agree to it appearing in their credits?
• Would you be happy to keep it for a decade? Changing it later splits a catalogue.

When a label name is not enough

A name and a few settings are the first level of label identity. Some labels need more.

• A roster of artists. The Label plan supports unlimited artists, roster management and a WAV export of the catalogue.
• A branded artist portal. White-label music distribution gives your artists a workspace under your own identity. It is early access, with scope and price agreed through sales.
• Your own software on top. The distribution API connects your own application to the release workflow. It is invite-only early access.
• A choice between all three. Label, white-label or API: which do you need compares them side by side.

If you are starting from nothing, how to start a record label covers the operating basics, including the contracts and the records you need to keep.

Building an identity that holds up

• One spelling everywhere. Use the same capitalisation and wording on artwork, in the release form, on social accounts and in press notes.
• Catalogue numbers. A consistent scheme such as a short prefix and a running number makes a catalogue easier to manage and to move later.
• Credits. Put the label name in the liner credits and the copyright lines, and keep the artist name in the artist field. They are not interchangeable.
• A contact address. Use a role-based email for the label so enquiries do not depend on one person’s inbox.
• Records. Keep a spreadsheet of releases, identifiers, split agreements and the date each rights document was signed.

Mistakes to avoid

• Choosing a name that is already well known in the same genre.
• Typing the label name into the artist field or the title.
• Changing the label name between releases so the catalogue splits.
• Putting a year, a symbol or a web address into the © or ℗ owner field.
• Assuming a custom “Provided to YouTube by” name changes the © and ℗ lines. It only sets the provider name shown on YouTube.
• Presenting a label name as proof of a partnership with a store or platform.
• Putting a store logo, a price or a web address on the cover art.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a registered company to use a label name?

The release form does not ask for one. A registered business can still be sensible if you sign other artists, sign contracts in the label’s name or want a business bank account. Take advice on what suits your situation and your country.

Can I use my own label name on the Free plan?

Releases go out as “WBBT Music Group” until your plan lets you change the names. A custom copyright name (the © and ℗ lines) starts on the Pro plan, and a custom “Provided to YouTube by” label name is part of the Label plan. Compare the plans for the current detail.

Does a label name change who distributes my music?

No. Your own name is how the release is presented, while WBBT remains the distributor under the agreement you accept. A label name is also not a transfer of ownership of the recordings.

Can I change the label name later?

Names you have created are managed in My Labels, and renaming or archiving an existing name goes through support. Changing names between releases confuses listeners and stores, so settle on one before your first release.

What is the difference between the © and ℗ lines and the label name?

The © and ℗ lines state who owns the composition or artwork and the sound recording. The label name is the “Provided to YouTube by” value that appears on YouTube. They are separate settings, and changing one does not change the other.

Can my label name appear on Beatport?

Beatport delivery needs approval for the label, and it is available on eligible plans. Contact support with your label name and catalogue links before you schedule a Beatport release.

Next steps and further reading

Compare the plans to see which one includes the names you need, then submit your music to open an account. The distribution guide shows where the label fields sit in the release flow, and the WBBT FAQ answers common questions on label branding and YouTube attribution. For labels with a wider catalogue, see label, white-label or API compared, and read the White-Label page if you want a branded workspace for your own artists. Business structures, trademarks and contracts differ by country, so take professional advice before you rely on a name.