Fix Music on the Wrong Spotify Artist Profile

You released a song, opened the store to look at it, and found it under the wrong name. Perhaps the single sits on the page of a stranger who shares your artist name, with their photo and their listeners. Perhaps your catalogue is split in two, with older songs on one profile and the new one on another. This happens to artists with common names and to artists who changed the way they spell their own, and it is almost always fixable. It is easier to fix when you know what to send and who to send it to.

This guide explains how the mix-up happens, how to prevent it with an artist link before you release, and the steps to take when it has already happened, with the routes that Spotify and Apple document. It is practical guidance. It cannot promise that a store will move a release by a particular date, because the stores make that decision. Every outside page we relied on was read on 26 October 2026 and is listed at the end.

What a wrong-profile problem looks like

Spotify’s help page on this topic describes three situations, and it helps to know which one you have, because the request differs a little.

• Your music is on another artist’s profile. Your release appears under a different person’s page, listeners and photo.
• Another artist’s music is on your profile. A release that is not yours is listed under your name and feeds into your page.
• Your catalogue is split across profiles. Some releases are on the profile you use and others sit on a second, duplicate profile with the same or a near-identical name.

Apple describes a similar case in its own words: albums from different artists who share a name can end up on one artist page. Whichever store you are looking at, take screenshots and copy the links before you do anything else. Those are your evidence, and they are what every request below asks for.

Why it happens

A distributor does not publish to a store page directly. It delivers a package of metadata and audio, and the store decides which artist page the credit belongs on. When the package contains a clear identifier for an existing profile, the store has something definite to work from. When it contains only a name, the store has to match from the name and the rest of the data, and a name can belong to more than one person.

Spotify’s page on this subject does not describe its matching rules, so we will not guess at the mechanism. What the sources do say is useful enough:

• Shared names. Spotify’s announcement of Artist Profile Protection lists artists sharing a name as one cause of misattributed releases. Apple says the same about albums by different artists with matching names.
• Metadata errors. The same announcement lists metadata errors. Spelling differences, an extra character or a name written differently on two tracks are the everyday versions. WBBT’s own guidance asks you to keep the spelling identical across tracks and profiles.
• Deliberate attachment. Spotify says some people attach their music to another artist’s profile on purpose. If a release you never made appears on your page, that is a possibility and not only an accident.
• No identifier supplied. Spotify says distributors can deliver music with a specified artist ID, and that this helps prevent future mix-ups. A release delivered without one leaves the matching to the store.

The last point is the one you control. It is why WBBT’s service page for Spotify for Artists tells you to keep your artist URI on file, to avoid a new release going to another artist with the same name.

Prevent it: give the artist link before you release

An artist link is the address of the correct profile. An ID is the code at the end of that link, and a URI is the same code written in another format. Spotify’s developer documentation explains that a URI identifies a resource, that an artist URI follows the pattern spotify:artist: followed by the ID, and that the ID is the string at the end. You do not need to learn the format. You need to copy the right link and keep it somewhere safe.

Find your Spotify artist link

1. Open your own artist profile in Spotify, on a computer or a phone, and check that it is the right one. Look at the photo, the releases and the listener count.
2. Open the three-dots menu, choose Share, and copy the artist link. Spotify’s help page describes the same steps on desktop and on mobile.
3. If you want the URI form, hold Alt on Windows or Option on a Mac while you open the menu, and the option to copy the Spotify URI appears.
4. If your artist profile does not exist yet, Spotify says to ask your label or distributor for the link, because they receive it when they first deliver your music. For a release that is not live, Spotify for Artists shows it under Music, then Upcoming, with a Copy URI option.

Find your Apple Music artist link

1. Open your artist page or one of your albums in Apple Music or the iTunes Store.
2. Select More, choose Share, and then copy the link. Apple’s claim page describes this path, and it asks for the artist page link or an album link.
3. Check that the link opens the artist page you intend, and keep the full address. WBBT’s FAQ says Apple Music artist links include a numeric identifier, so the whole link is the safest thing to store.

Do not copy a track or album link and call it the artist link. WBBT’s FAQ says so in as many words, and a song link points at the song, not at the person.

Where it goes with WBBT

The WBBT FAQ asks you to supply existing artist identifiers before your next release, and to include artist profile links when you submit or transfer a catalogue, so that the release is mapped to the right profile. The guide to distributing to Spotify and Apple Music and the metadata and artwork requirements guide repeat the same advice. If you cannot see where to add the links while you prepare a release, ask support before you submit, instead of sending the release without them. WBBT’s Spotify for Artists page describes how the team helps locate the correct profile and resolve distribution-related mapping questions. Stores decide the outcome, and WBBT cannot overrule them.

If you are releasing under a new artist name or a first-time profile, there is no link to give yet. In that case search each store for your chosen name first. If another artist already uses it, expect the same confusion and consider a distinguishing form of the name from the start, applied everywhere. Changing it afterwards is harder: WBBT’s FAQ says each store handles a name change differently, and that followers, verification and playlists are not guaranteed to move.

A worked example (invented)

The artist, the links and the release below are made up to show the order of work. They are not a real case.

Nova Reed releases a single called “Harbour Lights”. Another artist, also called Nova Reed, already has a profile with older folk recordings. On release day the new single appears on the older profile, and the older profile shows a listener count that Nova does not recognise as hers. Nova does the following.

Step	What Nova does	Why
1	Screenshots the single on the wrong page and copies the track link and the wrong artist link	Proves what is wrong and where
2	Copies the link of her own correct profile, which holds her two earlier singles	Tells the store where the release belongs
3	Writes down the release’s UPC and the track’s ISRC from her WBBT account	Lets support point at the exact delivery
4	Sends WBBT support the wrong link, the correct profile link, the UPC and the ISRC	The distributor can check what was delivered and correct the mapping
5	Files a content mismatch report in Spotify for Artists with the same links	Spotify can fix the Spotify page directly
6	Checks Apple Music and finds a second wrong page, so she contacts Apple Music for Artists support under the topic Artist Catalog Issues	A Spotify fix does not change Apple Music
7	Re-checks every store after a few days and keeps a dated note of what changed	Confirms the fix and gives her a record

She does not delete the single or upload it again. A second upload would add a second release and probably repeat the wrong match.

The fix, step by step

1. Do not remove or re-upload the release. A duplicate upload is the one move that can make it worse. WBBT’s FAQ says not to upload a duplicate release to fix a mistake.
2. Collect the evidence. You want the store link of the release on the wrong page, the link of the wrong artist page, the link of the correct artist page, a dated screenshot, the release’s UPC and the track ISRCs. Your WBBT account shows the identifiers. ISRC and UPC codes explained says what each one identifies.
3. Tell your distributor. Send support the incorrect store URL, the correct artist profile URL, the UPC and the relevant ISRCs. That is the list WBBT’s FAQ asks for. The distributor delivered the metadata, so it is the party that can check what was sent. Spotify says content mismatches usually appear across all streaming services, which is a reason to start here.
4. Report to Spotify if Spotify shows the error. In Spotify for Artists, open the content mismatch form and describe the problem. Spotify says it emails you when the issue is fixed, usually within a few days. If the form does not work, there is a link to contact Spotify support, and if you have no access to Spotify for Artists, the help page links to the way to request it.
5. If the release is not live yet, report it from Upcoming. Spotify says an Admin or an Editor can open Music, then Upcoming, use the options icon beside the release, and choose Report incorrect release. This is for a release that is not yours. For your own release landing on the wrong profile, Spotify says to check with your distributor that it sent the music to the correct artist profile.
6. Report to Apple if Apple shows the error. Use the contact page in Apple Music for Artists and choose the topic Artist Catalog Issues. Apple asks whether you are approved for Apple Music for Artists, your artist name, links to all your albums and a link to the correct artist page. Apple says changes to titles, release dates and similar details must come from your distributor or label, not from Apple.
7. Repeat for any other store. YouTube Music, Amazon and the rest each have their own routes. If a release sits on the wrong YouTube Topic channel, WBBT’s official artist channel page tells you to send the ISRC or UPC with the wrong and intended profile links.
8. Check and record. After a few days, look at each store again. Write down the date and what you saw. If nothing has changed, answer any reply from the store and keep support in the loop with the same links.

Claim your profile so you can act

The Spotify routes above need access to Spotify for Artists, and Apple’s claim process needs you to hold the primary artist role on an album. Apple also says your content must have been live for at least five business days before you can claim a page. It is worth claiming both profiles soon after your first release, before you have a problem, so that you can read the Upcoming list, see your catalogue, and report an error yourself without waiting for access.

Spotify’s Artist Profile Protection

Spotify has introduced an optional feature, Artist Profile Protection, which tells you when music is delivered to your profile and lets you remove yourself from a release that does not belong to you. Spotify announced it on 15 March 2026 and updated the announcement on 9 September 2026. Please read the following as Spotify describes it:

• It is in beta and available to a limited group of artists. If you cannot see the option under your avatar menu, your account does not have it yet.
• Admins and Editors of the artist team can turn it on.
• In the default Review mode you can remove yourself from an eligible release up to 28 days after it goes live. If you take no action, the release goes live as scheduled with you listed.
• An advanced Block setting, available to some artists, holds releases until you approve them. Spotify says it suits artists with common names, and that trusted distributors with your artist key can deliver pre-approved releases.
• It does not remove the release from other stores. Spotify says you may also need to contact your label or distributor. It does not correct roles, typos or artwork.

Treat it as an extra safety net, not a substitute for supplying the right artist link.

Mistakes to avoid

• Deleting the release and uploading it again as a fix.
• Sending a track or album link when the request asks for the artist profile link.
• Reporting to one store and assuming the others follow.
• Spelling your name two ways across tracks, releases or profiles.
• Waiting until the next release to hand over your artist link.
• Announcing the release before checking the artist page.
• Promising fans a fix date. Stores decide, and Spotify’s own wording is “usually within a few days”.

After it is fixed

Once the release sits on the right page, check the whole catalogue, not only the new song. Make sure that earlier releases are on the same profile, that the credits show the right names, and that your pre-save or release links point to the corrected page. If you are moving distributors, the same identifiers help the new delivery land on the existing profile, as the guide to switching distributors explains. Then write the artist links into your own release notes, so that the next person who delivers your music, whether a distributor, a label or yourself, has them.

Frequently asked questions

Why did my song land on someone else’s artist page?

Spotify names metadata errors, artists sharing a name and deliberate attachment as causes of misattributed releases, and Apple says albums from different artists with the same name can end up on one page. Spotify’s support pages do not describe its matching rules in detail, so the safest assumption is that a name alone can be ambiguous and an artist link or ID removes the guess.

Will reporting it to Spotify also fix Apple Music?

No. Spotify says reporting to it only fixes the problem on Spotify, and that mismatches usually show up across all streaming services. Report to each store that shows the error and tell your distributor, which is the party that delivered the metadata.

How long does a fix take?

Spotify says it usually emails you within a few days once a content mismatch is fixed. Apple and WBBT publish no fixed time for a profile correction, and stores decide each case, so do not plan a launch around a correction arriving by a particular date.

Should I delete the release and upload it again?

No. A duplicate upload can leave you with two releases, two sets of store links and the same wrong match. WBBT’s FAQ says not to upload a duplicate release to fix a mistake. Send support the details of the mismatch and let the existing release be corrected.

Can I stop it from happening to my next release?

You can reduce the risk. Give your distributor your Spotify artist link or URI and your Apple Music artist link before you submit, keep the artist name spelled identically everywhere and check the artist page as soon as the release appears. Nobody can guarantee a store will match correctly every time.

Sources and next steps

Pages read for this article, all accessed on 26 October 2026:

• Music mixed up with another artist, Spotify Support for Artists.
• Unreleased music in Spotify for Artists, Spotify Support for Artists.
• Finding your Spotify artist, track, and release links, Spotify Support for Artists.
• Spotify URIs and IDs, Spotify for Developers.
• Protecting your Spotify artist profile and Introducing Artist Profile Protection, Spotify.
• FAQs, Manage your artist content and profile and Claim your artist page, Apple Music for Artists.
• WBBT’s own FAQ and Spotify for Artists page, for what to send support (read on 26 October 2026).

Store help pages change, so check the current wording before you rely on a step. If you are preparing a release, submit your music with your artist links to hand, and compare the plans if you need more than one artist profile. If you are unsure which request to send, ask WBBT support with the store links, the UPC and the ISRCs.