📌 Submitting your release correctly is one of the most important steps in ensuring that your music goes live smoothly across all DSPs. We recommend that you complete this process 3–4 weeks before your release date, as this provides enough time for ingestion, approvals, and playlist pitching.
📌 When preparing a release, you will need three key items: the metadata (includes credits, additional contributors, lyrics, etc - this can be in the form of a label copy), the masters (final audio files), and the artwork (between 1500 x 1500px and 6000 x 6000px). Once you have these, you can create a new release inside the co:brand platform and begin filling in all required fields.
Uploading Files and Artwork
Once you have entered your metadata, you can upload your track files. Use the “Autofill from release detail” option to populate track-level information automatically, then adjust as needed for specific cases such as EPs with varying featured artists.
Social Sound Clips are set up at the track level. If you upload the wrong clip, simply delete it in the app, re-submit the updated release, and let us know if the clip has already gone live.
N.B. For Meta platforms (Facebook, Instagram), the co:brand team can distribute here through our providers, but this feature is currently unavailable in our co:brand app. Please let your project manager know if you’d like your social sound clips to be delivered to Meta as well as TikTok. Full tracks can still be delivered to Meta through the co:brand platform, by selecting ‘Meta’ in the list of available DSPs.
Artwork must be square, and clear. Files must be a minimum of 1500x1500px and no larger than 6000x6000px.
When your release is ready, click the BLUE “Submit Updated Release” button. Do not use “Save & Exit,” as this will not trigger ingestion. Metadata and tracks can be edited later, provided the track length remains unchanged.
Beatport Labels
If you intend to deliver music to Beatport, your label name when entered in co:brand must match your official Beatport label name. If you do not have a Beatport label, you have three options:
Set up a new Beatport label under co:brand
Release under the co:brand label
Transfer ownership of an existing label to co:brand (case-by-case), please contact the team for more details
To create a Beatport label, we will require information from you, including a new label name, a logo, and some information about what you intend to release on your new label. See here the form for Beatport label submissions.
Beatport label submissions: https://tally.so/r/mV2j8a
When setting up a release, if you intend to deliver to Beatport you will need to create a SEPARATE "Beatport only" product. Our platform guides you to do this.
DSP Genres and Beatport Genres
Genres must be chosen with care. Beatport in particular requires specific genre categories that are more detailed than those used by other DSPs. If you are delivering to Beatport, you will be prompted to set up a dedicated product just for Beatport, where you will be able to select Beatport-specific genres for your release. Note that this separate product should have a new and different UPC from that of your 'regular DSP' product.
and another product for all other DSPs. If Beatport is not selected, standard DSP genres are sufficient. You will be prompted to choose specific Beatport genres in the co:brand platform if you choose to deliver to Beatport.
Each new release must also include unique UPC and ISRC codes, which can be generated directly in the platform.
Metadata Information Fields: Commonly Asked
When entering your release metadata, you’ll be asked to provide several critical details.
Advisory status should be selected carefully, with options for “None” (non-explicit), “Explicit,” or “Clean” (a censored version of an explicit track).
Version titles should not include brackets or formatting. Simply type “Radio Edit” into the version field, and the system will automatically format this as
Release Title (Radio Edit).
Artist and contributor information is also essential. All performing artists must be listed. If there are more than four, artists should all be credited, but note that the DSP will show this as “Various Artists.”
Contributors: Every track requires at least one producer and one songwriter. For classical releases, a composer credit is mandatory. Note that co-producers will not appear on DSPs - only primary producers are displayed. To link each artist’s streaming profiles (under ‘sync a streaming profile’ when you add an artist), use the codes found within the profile URL on each platform. If you hover over the 'info' button in the platform, you'll see that we've specified which part of the URL you will need for each DSP artist ID.
After Submission: I want to edit my release, will that cause a problem?
Once your release is submitted, it will be ingested by co:brand’s provider platform. You may continue to make adjustments to metadata or contributor information as needed, but any major changes may delay processing, and you should let a member of the co:brand team know if this is close to the release date or if you are unsure about making any changes. You will receive confirmation when your release is ready.
Most of the time, updates and changes to releases do not affect its delivered status with DSPs after it has been initially ingested. However, there are some cases where changes to a release should not be attempted. These are called tracklist changes and include:
Changing the order of tracks on an EP or Album
Changing track ISRCs
Changing UPCs
Swapping masters (this should only be attempted with project manager supervision, and if the new masters are the exact same length as the originals)
If you require changing any of the above, please reach out to our distribution team to assist.
Pitch Notes Submission
Please submit all releases and pitch notes at least 3-4 weeks prior to release.
This is built in app, once you submit your release, under the 'Playlist Pitching' tab.
While we do our best to accommodate late uploads, DSPs have strict cut-off dates, and this can affect the level of DSP support that you get. Submitting early ensures maximum playlist opportunities and editorial support.
Lyrics for DSPs
Lyrics to appear on DSPs are not submitted directly through co:brand (only Apple Music is supported). Instead, they must be delivered via Musixmatch. It is the responsibility of the artist or management team to ensure that lyrics are uploaded, in order for them to appear on Spotify and other DSPs.
Common Mistakes
Many release delays are caused by small but preventable errors. Please review the following points carefully before submitting your release to ensure everything is processed correctly and on time.
Submitting too close to release day.
All releases should be submitted at least three to four weeks before the release date. Late submissions may miss DSP pitching deadlines or fail to go live on time.
Missing contributor credits.
Each track must include at least one credited producer and one songwriter. Omitting these roles can result in your release being rejected or delayed.
Incorrect version titles and grammatical errors.
Do not add brackets manually when entering version titles. The system will automatically format these correctly (for example: typing “Radio Edit” will appear as Release Title (Radio Edit)). Always double-check your text for correct spelling, grammar, and punctuation. Ensure proper use of capital letters for artist names, titles, and labels. Poor formatting can cause metadata inconsistencies across DSPs.
Improper artwork formatting.
Artwork must be square, clear, and between 1500x1500px and 6000x6000px. It must not include borders, text overlays, or logos that obscure the design. Files that do not meet these standards will be rejected.
Missing or incorrect sound clips.
Always upload a specific short sound clip for TikTok delivery. For Meta (Instagram/Facebook), co:brand can deliver the full track (listed amongst DSP delivery list).
Incorrect genre selection.
Ensure you select the correct genre, particularly for Beatport releases. Beatport requires specific, approved genres that differ from other DSPs.
Unlinked artist profiles.
Make sure that all artist streaming profiles are correctly linked using the profile codes found at the end of each artist’s URL. Failing to do this can result in tracks being delivered to the wrong profile and post-release delays in fixing these issues.
Not submitting the release correctly.
Always click “Submit Updated Release” when finalising your release. Selecting “Save & Exit” will not ingest your release into the system, and it will not be delivered to DSPs.
By carefully reviewing each of these steps, you can avoid unnecessary delays and ensure your release is delivered accurately the first time.
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