The "explicit" tag informs platforms that a song's lyrics contain profanity, sexual content, violence, or drug references. This tagging is both a legal requirement and essential for platforms' parental controls and age-filtering systems to function correctly.
What Content Counts as Explicit?
- Profanity or slang expressions
- Sexual content or suggestive lyrics
- Lyrics that openly glorify violence, weapons, or drug use
- Discriminatory language or hate speech
Explicit vs. Clean Version
You can also release a censored (clean) version of the same track. A clean version is a recording where explicit words are muted or replaced, and it's often preferred for radio play and certain playlists. Both versions must be uploaded as separate recordings, each with its own ISRC code.
Consequences of Mislabeling
Marking explicit content as "clean" is considered a content policy violation and can result in the release being taken down or the account receiving a warning. When in doubt, it's always safer to mark content as explicit.
Differences Across Platforms
Spotify and Apple Music display explicit-tagged songs with an "E" icon and may filter this content out of certain editorial playlists. On platforms like YouTube Music and TikTok, additional age restrictions or content warnings can also apply.
Tagging on SOOLY Music
In the SOOLY Music upload form, you're asked to mark each track as "Explicit / Clean / No Content" for every track. Leaving this field blank or marking it incorrectly can cause the release to be rejected during quality review.
| Situation | Correct Tag |
|---|---|
| Original version with profanity | Explicit |
| Version with profanity muted | Clean |
| Instrumental or lyric-free track | No Content |
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I upload the clean version separately? Yes, since it's a different audio file, it needs its own release entry and its own ISRC.
Can I change the tag later? You can request a correction through support, but this may trigger a re-review process on the platform.