Why Are Genres Missing in the Spotify API for Independent Artists?

[fabaroa-us]

I’m working with Spotify’s Web API and noticed something unusual. For independent artists (myself included), the genres array in the artist profile response is often empty. This is despite assigning genres (e.g., Latin, Rap) when uploading through a distributor like CD Baby.

However, I’ve noticed that major-label artists (e.g., signed with Sony or Warner) often have genres populated in the API.

This raises a few questions:

1.How does Spotify determine the genres for an artist in the API?

2.Why aren’t the genres provided by distributors (e.g., CD Baby) reflected in the API response?

3.Is there a way for independent artists to ensure that their genres appear in the Spotify API?

It’s frustrating to see this inconsistency, and I’d appreciate any insight into how this process works or what steps independent artists can take.