5 TIPS FOR SUBMITTING YOUR NEXT RELEASE ON UNITEDMASTERS
OUR SUBMISSION GUIDE FOR ENSURING A SMOOTH DELIVERY OF YOUR MUSIC TO DIGITAL STREAMING PLATFORMS.
1. Submit your release with appropriate lead time ahead of your desired release date
We recommend at least 3 weeks of lead time to ensure your release goes live on your selected release date and is mapped to the correct Spotify and Apple Music artist pages. This will also give you time to submit your release in your Spotify for Artists account for consideration for editorial playlisting once it is approved for distribution by UnitedMasters.
For more information on when your your release will go live on music services, click here.
2. Make sure your cover art meets the formatting requirements set by digital streaming platforms
We work to honor the artistic choices you make with your artwork, but we are also required to follow certain style guidelines set in place by streaming platforms.
Cover art must be original and CAN NOT include any logos, brands, or photos that are not yours. Releases that do not follow these guidelines will get rejected. Learn more about cover art formatting requirements and restrictions here.
3. Map the release to your existing artist profiles on digital streaming platforms before submitting your release
Artist Mapping is now available in the UnitedMasters app. This means that if you already have music on Spotify or Apple Music, we can make sure your release gets delivered to your correct artist profile. Simply confirm your profiles when creating a new release and submit. Learn more here.
4. Only submit music for distribution that you have exclusive rights to release
It is important to ONLY upload tracks that you have exclusive rights for. Submitting tracks that you do not own fully will delay the approval process. Any track with a sample will be rejected unless you previously have obtained legal clearance.
If your release contains a sample that you have already cleared, you will have the option to provide supporting documentation during the upload process. Alternatively, you can share supporting documentation with support@unitedmasters.com.
5. Double Check The Formatting of Your Metadata
An important aspect of distributing music through UnitedMasters is the release information, known as metadata, that is submitted along with your audio and cover art. This information must be formatted in a specific manner in order to follow guidelines set out by digital streaming platforms, such as the Apple Music Style Guide.
Before submitting your release, please double check it for errors. Check the song file, cover art, and metadata to make sure all of the details of your release are correct. It is important to make sure your metadata is in your desired format (capitalization, special characters, etc.)
If you've made a mistake and the release is still pending in our system, you can cancel it to make changes. Be sure to resubmit with the correct updates.
For more detailed information on how to format your metadata, click here.
