What are Suggestions?
Suggestions are Spotify metadata recommendations for your unmatched statement assets. When statement recordings or compositions remain unmatched after the automatic matching process, Royaltyport searches Spotify’s catalog using identifiers (ISRC or UPC) to find potential matches and enrich your data.
When Suggestions are Created
Suggestions are automatically generated for statement assets that:- Remain unmatched after the matching flow completes
- Have valid identifiers (ISRC or UPC) that aren’t already in your catalog
- Aren’t part of your contract-extracted catalog yet
Your catalog is built from recordings and compositions extracted from your uploaded contracts. Suggestions help you identify assets in statements that aren’t yet covered by your contracts.
The Suggestion Flow
Identify Unmatched
Assets that don’t match any catalog item (from contracts) are flagged as unmatched.
How Suggestions Work
Search Methods
Suggestions are found using two search methods:| Method | Identifier | Priority | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| ISRC Search | ISRC | Primary | Searches Spotify by International Standard Recording Code. Most accurate method. |
| UPC Search | UPC | Secondary | Searches Spotify by Universal Product Code (barcode). Used when ISRC is not available. |
Recording Suggestions
For statement recordings, the system searches Spotify using:ISRC Lookup
When a recording has a valid ISRC:- Spotify is queried with
isrc:{ISRC_CODE} - Returns the matching track with full metadata
- Album information is also retrieved
UPC Lookup (Fallback)
When no ISRC is available but UPC exists:- Spotify is queried with
upc:{UPC_CODE} - Returns the matching album
- Track information is extracted from the album
Data Retrieved
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Track Name | Official Spotify track title |
| Artists | All credited artists |
| Album | Album name and artwork |
| Release Date | Official release date |
| Duration | Track length |
| Spotify ID | Unique Spotify track identifier |
| ISRC | Verified ISRC from Spotify |
| Popularity | Spotify popularity score |
Composition Suggestions
For statement compositions, the system also searches Spotify by ISRC:- Uses the ISRC from the composition statement
- Finds the recording on Spotify
- Extracts writer and composition metadata where available
Spotify primarily contains recording metadata. For comprehensive composition data (writers, publishers, splits), additional sources may be needed.
Viewing Suggestions
Accessing Suggestions
To view suggestions for your unmatched assets:Suggestions Dialog
The suggestions dialog shows:- Spotify Track Info - Name, artists, album artwork
- Identifiers - ISRC, Spotify ID
- Match Confidence - How the suggestion was found (ISRC vs UPC)
- Actions - Accept, reject, or create catalog item
- Suggestion Count - Total number of available suggestions
Using Suggestions
Accept Suggestion
When a suggestion is correct:Reject Suggestion
When a suggestion is incorrect:Create Catalog Item
Use suggestion data to create a new catalog item:Triggering Suggestions
Automatic Processing
Suggestions are automatically generated:- After statement processing completes
- When new unmatched assets are detected
- During scheduled background sync
Checking for New Suggestions
After processing new statements, check for suggestions:Why Assets Remain Unmatched
Assets typically remain unmatched when:| Scenario | Explanation |
|---|---|
| No matching contract | The asset isn’t covered by any uploaded contract |
| Missing from extraction | The contract mentions the asset but extraction missed it |
| Different identifiers | Statement uses different ISRC/UPC than catalog |
| Title variations | Statement title doesn’t match catalog naming |
Limitations
Spotify Coverage
| Scenario | Result |
|---|---|
| Track on Spotify | Suggestion found |
| Track not on Spotify | No suggestion available |
| Invalid ISRC/UPC | No suggestion available |
| Regional restrictions | May affect results |
Data Completeness
Spotify provides:- ✓ Recording metadata (title, artists, album)
- ✓ ISRCs for recordings
- ✓ Album artwork and release dates
- ✗ Writer/publisher information (limited)
- ✗ Rights ownership data
Best Practices
Ensure identifiers are present
Ensure identifiers are present
Statements with ISRCs generate better suggestions. Work with distributors to ensure ISRCs are included.
Review before accepting
Review before accepting
Always verify suggestions match your assets before accepting.
Use for catalog enrichment
Use for catalog enrichment
Suggestions are great for adding artwork, Spotify IDs, and verified metadata to your catalog.
Investigate unmatched assets
Investigate unmatched assets
Unmatched assets with suggestions may indicate revenue from assets not covered by your contracts.
Process in batches
Process in batches
Let the system process suggestions in batches for optimal performance.
Troubleshooting
No suggestions found
No suggestions found
- Verify the asset has a valid ISRC or UPC
- Check if the track exists on Spotify
- Some older or regional releases may not be on Spotify
Wrong suggestion
Wrong suggestion
- ISRCs can sometimes be reused or incorrect in statements
- Reject the suggestion and manually match
- Report data quality issues to your distributor
Suggestions not appearing
Suggestions not appearing
- Processing may still be in progress
- Check the processing status in Files
- Manually trigger suggestion search if needed