RELEASE PREPARATION

Your independent artist release plan.

Plan the release, prepare the materials, confirm delivery and keep working after release day. Use this practical checklist to assign responsibilities, check what is ready and ask DistroBolt about anything uncertain before committing to a launch.

The phases below are a working order, not a guaranteed delivery timetable. Keep your own record of dates, owners and decisions. A first release, a rights-dependent release and a catalogue transfer can need different preparation.

Tick the items as you review them. The ticks are temporary and are not saved or sent to DistroBolt. This page does not submit a release, approve rights or replace the current requirements in your account.

1. Plan the release before announcing a date

Define the recording, intended listeners, release format and one realistic goal, such as encouraging existing fans to hear the single or introducing an EP. Assign one person to maintain the final files and metadata, and decide who approves creative assets, delivery and promotion.

• Write down the scope, responsibilities and budget.

  Count recordings and releases separately. Separate distribution fees from optional mastering, artwork or promotion work. Review current DistroBolt plans and the distribution-cost guide; standard plan fees do not remove DistroBolt’s applicable 10% revenue share.

• Work backwards from a provisional date.

  Allow for final approvals, rights checks, account approval, delivery, store processing, corrections and any eligible platform pitch. Ask DistroBolt about time-sensitive work before announcing it. If materials or permissions are not ready, revise the plan rather than assuming a deadline will be met.

• Release date and preparation time

  Choose your intended date and allow time for checks and store processing. Ask the team about time-sensitive releases before relying on a schedule. A submitted release is not a guarantee that every store will publish it at the same time.

2. Prepare the release materials

Keep these existing preparation checks together. Use the requirements in your current account, and resolve conflicting versions before submission.

• Final audio

  Choose the intended final recording for each track. Check the filename, version and track order. Open and listen to the files before submission; a draft mix, live take and remaster are not automatically interchangeable. Use the current formats and file limits shown in your DistroBolt account.

• Artwork and permission

  Prepare the correct cover for this release and check that you have permission to use the image, logos and other assets. Follow the current dashboard and store requirements. A finished artwork file is different from a reference image or an editable project file.

• Titles, versions and language

  Check spelling, punctuation, version names, track order, language and explicit-content information. Keep a master copy of the details you intend to submit. Flag uncertainty rather than guessing.

• Artist names, roles and profiles

  Confirm the primary and featured artists and the intended artist-profile links where requested. Similar names can refer to different artists. Save the correct profile URLs for your records.

• Credits, label and agreements

  Prepare the relevant credits and rights information. Enter your intended label name for each new release; DistroBolt white label is included automatically, without a separate activation switch. Agree collaborator shares and which recordings they cover before asking for split setup.

• New release or existing recording?

  For a previously released recording, collect the existing ISRC, original date and release records. Discuss changed recordings, remasters and uncertain identifiers with the team. Do not assign a different code simply because you are changing distributors.

• Rights, covers and Content ID

  Check that you have the relevant rights and licences. Tell the team about cover songs, samples, non-exclusive material and any existing Content ID provider. Inclusion of a service in your plan does not mean every recording qualifies.

3. Check artist identity and collaborators

• Record the right artist links and access.

  Save existing artist-profile URLs and distinguish main and featured roles. If this is a first release, tell DistroBolt there is no existing page rather than selecting an unrelated artist. Claim or request artist-tool access only through the platform’s eligible process. Read the artist-profile mapping guide.

• Agree credits and recording-income splits in writing.

  Confirm the participants, recipient emails, percentages, calculation basis and period. Free recipient accounts and free splits are available; recipients must accept their invitations. Recording-income splits do not replace songwriting or publishing agreements. Use the royalty-split guide before setup.

4. Submit through DistroBolt, then check delivery

1. In your approved account, open New Release → Audio Release → Create New Release. Select the correct artist and prepare the requested details, audio, artwork and credits. Enter the intended label name for each release; white label is included automatically.
2. Confirm the relevant supported destinations and territories, identifiers and dates in the current flow. Ask DistroBolt about unclear fields or eligibility. A catalogue move needs the existing recording and release records, not guessed replacement codes.
3. Review everything before submission, retain the release reference and respond to correction requests. A submitted or delivered status is not proof that every platform is live or correctly mapped.

• Check the destination and artist result.

  Where the platform exposes upcoming releases, verify the intended artist and release. If a service or upcoming release cannot be confirmed, contact DistroBolt with the reference and profile links before relying on it for a campaign. Review store pages again when the music becomes available.

• Submission and your own records

  Review the release before submitting. Keep the submitted metadata, identifiers, final files and any confirmation/reference available. If something is wrong after submission, ask about the appropriate correction rather than repeatedly creating new deliveries.

DistroBolt provides supported distribution, release preparation support, white label release identity, available analytics and eligible rights-dependent services under the current terms. It does not approve every recording automatically or guarantee a simultaneous store launch. New-account approval and Premium activation are separate from a release submission.

5. Prepare promotion that matches the actual release

Prepare a short description in your own words, approved artwork, a small selection of rights-cleared clips and a manageable schedule. Match each asset to the correct recording and give fans one clear next step. A performance, the story behind a lyric and a useful collaborator introduction can support different posts without repeating one advert.

• Check the landing or pre-save link before sharing it.

  Confirm the release, target services, availability and mobile behaviour. A normal listening link and a pre-save campaign are different. Ask DistroBolt which link or pre-save options are available for your release; do not assume a separate third-party campaign is included in distribution. Review any separate cost and permissions first. If pre-save is unavailable, prepare a listening link for when the release is live.

• Use eligible playlist-pitching routes.

  Spotify currently lets Admins and Editors pitch an upcoming unreleased song in Spotify for Artists under Music → Upcoming. It allows one song pitch at a time; compilations and songs where you are only a featured artist are not eligible. Spotify says to deliver at least seven days before release for editorial consideration. Build more preparation into your own plan: this is not DistroBolt’s turnaround promise. Pitching does not guarantee playlist placement, and a released song is no longer eligible for this song-pitch route.

• Check eligibility instead of assuming every artist has the same tools.

  For example, Spotify Countdown Pages support pre-saves for eligible new original albums and EPs, not singles or rereleases. Spotify currently requires at least 3,000 monthly active listeners; this differs from overall monthly listeners. Check your own account and current rules. Distribution alone does not guarantee access, fan participation or earnings.

Keep promotion within your available time and budget. Do not pay for promises of guaranteed streams or editorial placement. Use our TikTok release guide and YouTube Music guide when preparing platform-specific clips; music-library delivery, commercial-use permission and rights management are separate questions.

6. Release-day checklist

• After the release goes live

  Check the correct recording, artwork, artist roles and artist profile on the services you use. Report specific wrong links to DistroBolt. Keep analytics estimates separate from royalty statements; the two may update differently.

• Open the live releases on the intended platforms.

  Check the available tracks, audio versions, artwork, titles, explicit labels and artist credits. Availability can differ by territory and processing; use exact links when reporting a problem.

• Check the artist profile and links.

  Confirm each release is attached to the intended artist, then test your listening/landing link on a phone. Replace outdated pre-release wording only when the corresponding live link is ready.

• Publish only the approved posts and messages.

  Use the correct sound and credit collaborators. Make sure the media rights cover the platform and intended use. Invite fans to listen rather than promising a chart, playlist or royalty result.

• Respond to the first listeners.

  Answer genuine questions, thank collaborators and keep a note of broken links or recurring confusion. Avoid sending the same promotional reply to everyone.

• Keep a clear issue record.

  For a missing or incorrect release, send DistroBolt the release reference, track/ISRC, platform, territory and affected links. Do not repeatedly upload new versions or request takedowns as a first attempt to fix it.

7. Keep working after release day

• Continue useful promotion.

  Share a new angle, live excerpt or behind-the-scenes explanation using cleared material. Review what listeners respond to and adjust the next post rather than making a new release just to restart promotion.

• Review activity separately from royalty statements.

  Compare the same recording, service and usage period. Analytics, reported royalties, an available balance and an actual payout are different stages. Store reporting delays are not a fixed per-stream rate or proof of a missing payment. Read royalty reports and payouts.

• Record what to improve for the next release.

  Keep the final assets, delivered metadata, identifiers, decisions, actual spending and useful observations together. Recheck artist links and collaborator invitations. Agree who handles outstanding corrections and set a realistic review point for your next project.

For example, an independent artist could prepare the master and credits, confirm a provisional date and delivery, use an eligible pitch and tested link, then publish a release-day performance clip and a later songwriting story. This is an illustrative sequence, not a guaranteed schedule or campaign result.

Moving music that is already released?

Use the catalogue-transfer guide and its catalogue inventory. Transfer preparation includes keeping the existing delivery in place while the new delivery is checked and coordinating the older delivery’s removal. Do not remove it as your first step. Correct identifiers and matching assets support the process; streams, playlists, historical data and continuous availability are not guaranteed.

Do you need a paid creative service?

You can prepare your own release materials. Marketplace work is optional and separate from distribution. If you want a human engineer to finish your mix, read Human Mastering, including its before-and-after examples. If you need artwork, see Cover Design. For finished promotional assets made from your material, review the Release Promo Pack.

These services have their own scope, price, timing and revisions. Creative-service delivery time is not a store release-date guarantee. You do not have to purchase one to ask an ordinary support question.

DistroBolt · Updated 3 November 2026. Platform features and eligibility can change; confirm current requirements before submission or promotion.