My latest album was released on Bandcamp without problems.
I decided to go ahead with the full release to music stores but have been told that
"due to strict formatting guidelines from the stores, it is required that the release information (artist names, album/track titles) matches the text on the cover artwork. Currently you have text on your cover artwork that does not match your album title or artist name."

My response - I have edited the artist name from Paul Boon Stewart to the Paul Boon Stewart band.
In music recording history there have been several classic albums where the title or artist or both are totally missing from the artwork. Artist freedom!
Ever heard of The Beatles white album? - just white with no title.
The Partridge Family best selling album with no text just a picture of a partridge.
The Faust Tapes - no text just a mesmerising design.

Of course those albums were made when actual people controlled the music world and not everything was left to computers. Modern formatting guidelines are quite ill conceived and fly in the face of recorded music history and common sense. However, such rules do exist and we mere mortals must submit of be cancelled.

Welcome to the unpopular and crazy new world order.

Oh yes Paul it's just another example of the brain dead running the industry. It makes me sad that I wasn't Chairman of EMI, didn't escape the clutches of Mad Max and Surrey Police, because then the industry would be in 100% better shape.

PaulB wrote:
My latest album was released on Bandcamp without problems.
I decided to go ahead with the full release to music stores but have been told that
"due to strict formatting guidelines from the stores, it is required that the release information (artist names, album/track titles) matches the text on the cover artwork. Currently you have text on your cover artwork that does not match your album title or artist name."

My response - I have edited the artist name from Paul Boon Stewart to the Paul Boon Stewart band.
In music recording history there have been several classic albums where the title or artist or both are totally missing from the artwork. Artist freedom!
Ever heard of The Beatles white album? - just white with no title.
The Partridge Family best selling album with no text just a picture of a partridge.
The Faust Tapes - no text just a mesmerising design.

Of course those albums were made when actual people controlled the music world and not everything was left to computers. Modern formatting guidelines are quite ill conceived and fly in the face of recorded music history and common sense. However, such rules do exist and we mere mortals must submit of be cancelled.

Welcome to the unpopular and crazy new world order.

Never give up a few record stores near me do promote some local unsigned bands. A few decent buskers in Dorset sell their albums out of suitcases and people do buy them. I bought few CDs of an electric blues band that was just playing outside a closed down shop.

Talking about Partridge Family...Sound Magazine is the LP I used to smuggle in to my bedroom.

Green Man wrote:
PaulB wrote:
My latest album was released on Bandcamp without problems.
I decided to go ahead with the full release to music stores but have been told that
"due to strict formatting guidelines from the stores, it is required that the release information (artist names, album/track titles) matches the text on the cover artwork. Currently you have text on your cover artwork that does not match your album title or artist name."

My response - I have edited the artist name from Paul Boon Stewart to the Paul Boon Stewart band.
In music recording history there have been several classic albums where the title or artist or both are totally missing from the artwork. Artist freedom!
Ever heard of The Beatles white album? - just white with no title.
The Partridge Family best selling album with no text just a picture of a partridge.
The Faust Tapes - no text just a mesmerising design.

Of course those albums were made when actual people controlled the music world and not everything was left to computers. Modern formatting guidelines are quite ill conceived and fly in the face of recorded music history and common sense. However, such rules do exist and we mere mortals must submit of be cancelled.

Welcome to the unpopular and crazy new world order.

Never give up a few record stores near me do promote some local unsigned bands. A few decent buskers in Dorset sell their albums out of suitcases and people do buy them. I bought few CDs of an electric blues band that was just playing outside a closed down shop.

Talking about Partridge Family...Sound Magazine is the LP I used to smuggle in to my bedroom.

Why did you have to smuggle it in? Did your family think that "One night stand" might corrupt you?

Partridge Family were uncool if you were a lad, my sister's had a fantastic record collection combined, it was very mixed. However Sound Magazine really stood out for me especially Rainmaker.

I still have Shopping Bag.