Featured Artist

客串艺人 (Featured Artist) is a participant who receives prominent credit in a recording, music video, or release but does not serve as the primary artist under whose name the work is released. English titles often use “featuring,” “feat.,” or “ft.” to indicate this, and their name may appear in the track title, on the cover art, and in the “display artist” field on various platforms.

A Featured Artist may sing the verse, chorus, or rap, play an instrument, serve as a DJ, or participate in other prominent performances. This term describes credit and marketing presentation and is not synonymous with a specific musical skill; specific contributions still require separate listings under roles such as “vocalist,” “musician,” or “composer.” The difference between a featured artist and a regular session musician lies primarily in prominence. Many musicians participate in recordings but are listed only in the production credits; a “featured artist” is generally considered significant enough to be included in the main track credits. Multiple artists may also be listed as “Main Artists,” in which case terms like “with,” “&,” or a shared name are commonly used, rather than treating all names listed later in the order as “featured.”

The credited artists for the same recording may change across different regions or release stages; for example, an early version may not have listed a guest artist, while a subsequent single release may include the participant in the title. If the audio is identical, a change in credited artists does not necessarily constitute a new recording, but it does result in different release metadata.

“Featuring” does not automatically imply copyright ownership percentages, performance royalties, or contractual relationships. A featured artist may contribute to both songwriting and composition, or may only provide vocals; these rights and contributions must be determined based on individual credits and agreements.