Commercially acceptable is a term sometimes seen in record contracts - especially major label contracts. It means that the recording delivered to the record label has to be deemed appropriate and sellable by the record label before it is accepted by them. Depending on the wording of the contract, "commercially acceptable" can have wide ranging implications. In its most narrow sense, it assures a label that an artist they signed to make, say, a country album will not deliver an album of music of a vastly different style or genre. Broadly, a commercial acceptability clause can give a record label a great deal of power over creative control and give them the power to insist that an artist returns to the studio and records new, more commercial friendly material - with the definition of "commercial friendly" being decided by the label.
"Commercially acceptable" is not a standard clause and there is usually room for negotiating of the contract. It is not desirable from an artist standpoint to have such a clause in their contract.
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