What Is ‘Feat.’ in Music?

‘Feat.’ or ‘ft.’ is an abbreviation for the term ‘featuring’. It essentially means that the song includes a guest appearance from another musician.

Some guest appearances have gone uncredited. A famous example is Eric Clapton’s guitar performance in the Beatles song ‘While My Guitar Gently Weeps,’ which was not formally credited on the original album.

Today, guest appearances are often credited with ‘feat.’ or ‘ft.’, although a musician may instead be named in the recording’s detailed credits.

In contemporary music, one of the most common sights in music video and song titles is the use of the ‘feat.’ or ‘ft.’ This term is usually used after the name of the main artist or band and before the name of the supporting artist or band.

Featured artists are particularly common in rap music. However, this phenomenon transcends genres and can also be found in rock, electronic, and pop music.

Vocalists are the most common type of musicians who feature on other artists’ songs.

However, it is also common to have instrumentalists act as featured musicians, such as drummers, piano players, and guitar players.

Examples of Songs with Featured Artists

Countless songs include the ‘feat.’ term in their credits. Others bill both collaborators together. These examples show the difference:

• Endless Love – Lionel Richie & Diana Ross (a duet)
• Love the Way You Lie – Eminem, feat. Rihanna
• Crazy in Love – Beyoncé, feat. Jay-Z
• Under Pressure – Queen & David Bowie (joint billing)
• Empire State of Mind – Jay-Z, feat. Alicia Keys
• Interstate 80 – Tom Morello & Slash (jointly listed on Apple Music)

Other Known Terms

“And” or “&”

The use of the term ‘and’ or ‘&’ usually shows joint artist billing. Both artists appear on the record, but the wording alone does not tell us who wrote or produced the song. Those roles are listed separately in the detailed credits.

They can seem interchangeable, but the displayed billing and the detailed credit roles are worth checking together.

The use of the term ‘feat.’ indicates a guest appearance. The first mentioned artist is the one to who the song is mainly attributed.

For example:

The song ‘Lean On’:
by Major Lazer AND DJ Snake
FEAT MØ

The song Lean On bills Major Lazer and DJ Snake together and features the singer MØ. This billing describes the artist roles rather than counting everyone who helped create the song.

“Vs.”

The term “Vs.” can appear in collaborations, mixes, or mashups, particularly in dance music. It can suggest a meeting of two artists or styles, but it does not guarantee equal contributions or an actual competition.

Unlike a detailed producer or songwriter credit, this wording can be part of the name chosen for a particular release or mix.

For that reason, check the complete track title and its credits before treating “Vs.” as a description of who did what.

For example:

The song ‘Call on Me‘:
by Eric Prydz
The version title is Eric Prydz vs. Retarded Funk Mix, rather than “Retarded Funk Mix” being a second artist’s name.

“Rmx”

The term “Rmx” stands for “Remix”, meaning that the track has been altered in some way by another artist. This is an extremely used term, as there are countless remixed tracks out there today.

The alteration can be in many ways, such as improving an older song, using the material from the older song in new content, adapting a song for radio usage, and many more ways.

For example:

The song ‘Alors On Danse‘
by Stromae Remixed by Dubdogz

Summary

The term “Feat.” or “ft.” is an abbreviation for the term “featuring”. It simply means that the song features a guest appearance by another artist.

Guest appearances can be credited in different ways. The ‘feat.’ label identifies a featured artist, while detailed credits may name additional performers, songwriters, and producers without adding them to the main artist billing.

Vocalists are the most common type of musician to be featured in songs. However, instrumentalists are also commonly featured, such as drummers, piano players, and guitar players.

There are also other well-known terms like “And”, “Vs.”, and “Rmx”.