Prepare your metadata CSV

Your catalogue’s metadata goes into Mercury as a CSV: one row per track or track version, with columns for the label, album, track, tags, rights holders and codes. Download the template from Ingest → Metadata → Metadata help → Download CSV template, or start from an export of your existing catalogue.

Ground rules

• The first row holds the column headers, spelled exactly as below with a single space after the final colon. Blank rows are ignored.
• Every row carries its album and label columns; rows for the same album repeat the same ALBUM: values.
• Each version of a track is its own row with TRACK: Is Main set to N and TRACK: Main Track Number pointing at its main track.
• Save as UTF-8 CSV. Any spreadsheet tool works; for very large files a dedicated CSV editor is easier.

Columns

Requirement: M mandatory, A advisable, O optional.

Library (label)

Column	Example	Notes
LIBRARY: Name	Cadenzabox Library	The label. Also becomes a tag in the Library Name category	M
LIBRARY: Code	CBL	Prefix for album codes	A
LIBRARY: Groups	Europe, Premium	Groups inherited by every album and track on the label	O

Album

Column	Example	Notes
ALBUM: Code	CBL001	Same for every track on the album	M
ALBUM: Title	Pop Electro Dance		M
ALBUM: Release Date	2014-06-28	YYYY-MM-DD	M
ALBUM: Description			A
ALBUM: Artwork Filename	CBL001.jpg	Must match the artwork file you deliver	A
ALBUM: Artist		Display artist for the album	O
ALBUM: Groups	Main Catalogue	Blank inherits your default groups	O
ALBUM:CATEGORY: Keywords	Sports; Promos	One column per album tag category, values separated by ;	O

Track

Column	Example	Notes
TRACK: Title	Dancing Machine		M
TRACK: Description			M
TRACK: Number	1 or 1.03	Mains are whole numbers; versions may use decimals	M
TRACK: Is Main	Y / N		M
TRACK: Audio Filename	CBL001_01.wav	Must match the audio file you deliver, extension included	M
TRACK: Main Track Number	1	Required when Is Main is N	M for versions
TRACK: Version	Underscore	Version name; required for versions	M for versions
TRACK: Type	Main / Alt / Stem	Needed to mark stems	O
TRACK: Code	CBL001_01_01	Your own track code	A
TRACK: Is Published	Y / N	Defaults to Y	O
TRACK: Teaser		Short description	O
TRACK: Album Chapter	Energetic and playful	Put on the first track of each chapter only	O
TRACK: BPM, TRACK: Key, TRACK: Lyrics, TRACK: Search Metadata		BPM advisable; the rest optional	O
TRACK: Duration		Ignored; measured from the audio	O
CATEGORY: Genre	Pop; Electro	One column per track tag category, values separated by ;. Use Parent:Child for nested tags	O

Rights holders

Repeat each block with 1, 2, 3… and include every column in a block.

Block	Columns	Notes
WRITER:n:	First Name, Middle Name, Last Name, Capacity, Society, IPI, Territory, Owner Performance Share %, Owner Mechanical Share %, Collection Performance Share %, Collection Mechanical Share %, Original Publisher	Writer 1 is mandatory apart from the collection shares. Capacity is Composer, Author, Composer/Author, Arranger and so on. Shares are numbers without %	M / A
PUBLISHER:n:	Name, Capacity, Society, IPI, Territory, the same four share columns	Publisher 1 mandatory apart from collection shares. Capacity is Original Publisher or Sub Publisher	M / A
ARTIST:n:	First Name, Middle Name, Last Name, Society, IPI	Performers on the recording	O
LABEL:n:	Name, Owner Master Share %	Master owner	O

Codes

CODE: ISWC, CODE: ISRC (advisable), CODE: EAN, CODE: UPC, CODE: PRS TUNECODE, CODE: GEMA WORK NUMBER, CODE: SESAC WORK NUMBER, CODE: BMI WORK NUMBER, CODE: ASCAP WORK ID (optional).

Translations

Add a language suffix to a translatable column to supply a translation, for example TRACK: Description: FR. Translatable columns are the album description, track title, description, teaser, version and search metadata, and album chapter. Missing translations fall back to the main column.

Related

• Import metadata
• Fix import errors
• Deliver audio and artwork
• Tags and Tag categories