Checklist before sending a release to streaming

Most release problems show up before submission. This is the list to walk through with the final file open, not from memory.

Audio

• The file is the final version, not a bounce with a guide vocal.
• There is no more than a second of unnecessary silence at the start.
• The ending does not cut a reverb tail in half.
• The level is even and does not distort in the chorus.

Artwork

Use a square image you own. Do not add the Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, or TikTok logo. Do not add a URL, a price, or an “available now” line that will be stale in a week. The title can be on the artwork if it is readable at a small size.

Track details

• The title matches the one you will use on social media.
• The main artist is written the same way as on your previous tracks.
• Featured artists always use the same form: feat., with or without the period, but not both.
• The genre describes the track, not the genre you wish it had.
• Mark it explicit only if the audio needs it.

Date and destination

If you are sending to stores from a free account, the date has to leave 7 business days. On an artist account, leave 1 to 5 days. If the file is a remix, do not send it to streaming: it goes to the Top 100.

The Spotify path is covered in how to distribute your music on Spotify. The plan difference is in free music distribution.