Explicit and clean versions

Every track on HILLS Music says whether it has explicit content. Stores use it to show the E label, to apply parental controls, and to pair an explicit original with its clean edit.

The three choices

On the Tracks tab, under Genre, language & explicit, each track has an Explicit content field. It’s required, and it offers:

Choice	Use it for
Explicit	Lyrics or audio with strong language, or sexual, violent or drug references.
Not explicit	A track that never had explicit content.
Clean (edited version)	An edited version of a track whose original is explicit, with the explicit words muted, cut or replaced.

Mark a track Clean only when an explicit version of it also exists. A track that was always fine for everyone is Not explicit.

The release follows its tracks

On the Release tab, Explicit content is set to Automatic (from the tracks) unless you change it. Leave it there: the release goes out as explicit if any of its tracks is explicit, and as clean when its tracks are clean edits.

If any track is explicit, the release goes out as explicit, whatever the release itself says.

Release a clean edit

Stores take the clean edit as its own release, next to the explicit original:

1. Open the explicit release and choose Duplicate from its menu. Include the track list. The copy keeps the details, artists and stores, but not the codes, audio or artwork.
2. Upload the clean masters and the artwork.
3. Set each edited track to Clean (edited version). Tracks that were never explicit stay Not explicit.
4. Leave the ISRCs empty so HILLS Music assigns new ones: a clean edit is a different recording, so it never reuses the explicit track’s ISRC.
5. Keep the same title. Don’t add Clean to the title or the Version.
6. Submit it, ideally with the explicit release so both come out on the same day.

What not to do

• Don’t put Explicit, Clean, Explicit Version or Clean Version in a title or Version. The workspace refuses them in a title, and stores add the label themselves.
• Don’t add asterisks to the lyrics of an explicit track. Lyrics are written as they’re heard; the workspace warns you if it finds asterisks.
• Don’t mark an explicit track Not explicit. Stores refuse releases with a missing explicit flag, and a refused release lowers your quality score.

Music videos

A music video is at least as explicit as its song. If the song is explicit, mark the video Explicit, or Clean for an edited video; it can’t be Not explicit. See Release a music video.

Bulk upload

In the bulk upload spreadsheet, the Explicit column takes explicit, clean or not_explicit. Left empty, a track is not_explicit.