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Is My Music Instrumental?
In music, an instrumental refers to a piece or section of music that is performed entirely by instruments, without any vocals. An instrumental track focuses solely on the musical instruments.
In what genres is instrumental music common?
Instrumental music is found in a variety of genres, including:
- Classical: Most compositions are instrumental, with symphonies, sonatas, and concertos being prominent examples.
- Jazz: Instrumental improvisation is key in jazz, with pieces often showcasing solo performances on instruments like the saxophone, trumpet, or piano.
- Electronic: Many tracks, especially in subgenres like ambient, house, and trance, are entirely instrumental.
- Rock and Metal: Instrumental sections are common, and some songs or bands focus entirely on instrumental music.
- Film Scores: Music for movies is often instrumental, composed specifically to enhance the visual narrative.
How does it apply in the context of distributing my music?
When distributing an instrumental track, you need to follow these guidelines:
- Enable Instrumental (no lyric / voice) for each relevant track.
- Do not add lyricists under Contributors, as there are no lyrics involved.
- Do not include singers under Performers, as the recording consists entirely of instruments.
- If your track contains a vocal performance but no lyrics (e.g. scat singing), then in that case you need to credit the singer and lyricist (even though it’s not really lyrics). As soon as your recording contains a vocal performance, it’s no longer instrumental.
What if I have an instrumental version of a vocal track?
If you're releasing an instrumental version of a track with vocals, it is considered an alternative version of the original song. In this case:
- The instrumental version requires a unique ISRC from the original vocal version.
- You won’t be able to monetize the instrumental version with YouTube’s Content ID if the original version is already monetized.
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