“For contemporary classical artists, metadata is not just an abstract consideration.
When the composer William Brittelle recorded his latest album, ‘Spiritual America,’ he enlisted the Metropolis Ensemble, the Brooklyn Youth Chorus and the indie-rock band Wye Oak. But when it came time to put the album on streaming services, Mr. Brittelle said, he was told that the only way to include those collaborators was to list them all on every track — which, he said, “makes it look ridiculous.” He opted to use only his name.
‘I’ve obsessed for seven years over track titles and track order and having everything sit right,’ Mr. Brittelle said. ‘It just ruins everything to have all that information on every track.’”