Release details tell listeners who made a track and help services display it in the right place. Before sending a song to your distributor, check the title, artist names, roles, credits and release date against one shared record.
Check the basics first
- Confirm the release title, track titles and version names.
- Check each artist’s name and punctuation against their existing releases.
- Enter collaborators in the appropriate fields and agree on their roles.
- Check songwriter and producer credits against your records and agreements.
- Mark explicit lyrics where required, and choose the intended release date and territories.
- Compare the artwork, audio file and submission form for obvious mismatches.
Artist names and roles
Put each artist in the field your distributor provides rather than combining everyone into one name. Spotify’s metadata guidance recommends consistent spelling and separate fields for artist names. Roles affect how music appears on artist profiles, so check both release-level and track-level entries where your distributor asks for them.
For example, if a guest appears on one track of an album, check that they are credited on that track and that the album-level details reflect the actual release. Ask collaborators to confirm their names and roles before delivery.
Titles, artwork and the final recording
Compare the title in your upload form with the title printed on the artwork. If the cover has no text, it still needs to represent the correct release. Our cover art checklist covers sizing, legibility and permissions.
Listen to the exact audio file you plan to deliver. If you need a final pass before submitting, you can master the finished track; compare the result with your original before choosing a file. Keep a copy of the delivered master so there is no doubt which version went out.
Plan time for corrections
Set a release date that gives your distributor time to deliver the music and leaves you room to check the information before launch. Spotify says delivery can take a few days and recommends setting the date at least seven days ahead if you plan to pitch an unreleased song.
Once the release is live, check that it appears on the right artist pages and that the titles, credits and artwork are correct. If something is wrong, Spotify says to contact your label or distributor so they can send an update. Correction options and timing vary by distributor.
Keep one release record
Save the submitted details, final audio and cover, collaborator confirmations, and any identifiers provided by your distributor in one place. Record the live links after release. This makes it easier to spot an error and give your distributor the information needed to fix it.