Mistakes Artists Make When Releasing Music With a Distributor

There are many things that can go wrong during the process of releasing music with a distributor. Some are not instantly obvious, especially to those who are new to uploading their tracks. Others may feel like common sense but are quite easy to overlook.

As a music distributor, we’re used to helping artists fix all kinds of errors or letting them know that something needs to be revised. At the same time, we all know that nobody likes delays (including us), which is why we’ve compiled a list of the most common mistakes artists make when distributing music. Simply being aware of these mistakes can help you avoid complications down the line. So, let’s get right into it.

We’ve decided to start with the choice of a distributor or tier for a tangible reason: to help you avoid complications down the line and manage your finances well. Before we get started, we want to clarify that there is no single distributor that is the ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ choice for each and every artist or label in the world. There are, however, many differences between distributors and their individual tiers that can either align with your goals or unintentionally complicate your process.

Let’s look at two simple examples. If you want to release classical music, your distributor of choice must provide access to platforms like Apple Music Classical. Otherwise, you might be missing out on a major audience waiting for your release. Similarly, if you want your music to be accessible in certain regions that a distributor does not grant access to, opting for that particular service defeats the purpose.

The right choice depends on your unique situation, and there are many different factors you need to consider. That’s why you should take the time to do your research and compare different distributors and tiers against a list of priorities and dealbreakers before deciding. If you’re not sure what to pay attention to, we recommend looking into our article, How to Choose a Music Distributor: The Most Important Factors, to understand what factors to consider. You might be surprised by how many there are.

This one might seem obvious, but it’s easy to accidentally mess up. As artists, we’ve all saved ten versions of the same track with “FINAL final version” at the end of the file name. Having four of those with slightly different endings makes it easy to accidentally use the wrong file, even more so when it’s an album or EP with multiple tracks, or a single with multiple versions.

There are other things that are easily overlooked within audio files. Upon listening back later, you might notice a tiny issue in the recording, like a click at the beginning of the track caused by the waveform starting at the wrong point, rather than at a zero crossing. These things can be easy to miss when you’ve listened to the track a hundred times or have five final versions saved.

Alternatively, it can technically be the right version but the wrong exported format. This can affect the quality of the audio, result in one track having different specifications from the others, or simply mean that the file does not meet the distributor’s requirements and cannot be accepted.

That’s why you should always make sure you are using the intended final master and check that all your files meet the distributor’s audio requirements before uploading your release.

One of the easiest mistakes to make, especially when starting out, is assuming that your music will be available on streaming platforms the same day you send it to your distributor.

Pay close attention to the release date you are setting when uploading your release through your distributor. You should also check what your distributor recommends in terms of how far in advance you should submit your release. Some distributors and platforms may need more time than others to process and deliver your music. We recommend submitting your release at least 2 to 3 weeks in advance to account for QA reviews, store processing, and pitching to Spotify for Artists.

Leaving enough time also gives you some breathing room if something needs to be corrected or your release gets rejected. Having to fix an issue at the last minute can quickly turn into a delayed release, so it’s always better to build some extra time into your schedule.

The next point is about paying attention to copyright. If your release contains any samples, those need to be cleared before distribution. The same thing applies to any beats, instrumentals, or other third-party material that you found online and used in your music.

We’re emphasizing this because paying for a beat or downloading something from a royalty-free library does not always mean you can use it without restrictions. The same restrictions can also apply to your artwork. That’s why you should always check the terms & conditions of anything you find online.

A legit distributor with a strong Quality & Assurance team will work hard to identify music or artwork with elements that could infringe copyright and flag potential issues before your release goes live. That’s not to complicate your life, but to protect you from having your release taken down or, even worse, getting into financial trouble. That said, they also can’t catch everything, which is why it’s important to make sure you have the necessary rights yourself.

Speaking of artwork, there’s another thing that can delay the release of your music: not paying attention to the requirements beyond copyright.

Since social media promotion is now such a standard part of releasing music, artists sometimes assume that artwork that works for platforms like Instagram will automatically work for streaming platforms. But that’s rarely the case.

Uploading artwork with incorrect dimensions, resolution, or file formats means having to go back into your design software or start another email exchange with your designer. All that back and forth takes time and can easily delay your release.

So, before you start designing, or at least before you finalize the artwork, check your distributor’s requirements and make sure your artwork matches them. That way, you can get everything approved and ready for distribution without unnecessary delays. This may be a small detail, but it’s also one that is easy to avoid.

Metadata is all the information you enter about your release during the distribution process. This includes things like your artist and track names, credits, genre, release date, ISRC, and many other details. If this information is not entered correctly and consistently, you can run into all kinds of complications once your release is live.

It is especially easy to overlook details when you’re entering information for multiple tracks. Small mistakes can cause bigger problems than you might expect. Your release could end up under the wrong artist profile, credits could go missing, or royalties might not be assigned correctly.

Metadata is a huge topic in itself, so we won’t go into every possible mistake here. If you want to understand what to pay attention to and what can go wrong, our article, The Most Common Metadata Mistakes, explains the topic in much more depth and covers the most common issues artists should look out for.

As you can see, there are quite a few things that can go wrong when releasing music with a distributor, and some of them are easier to overlook than others. The good news is that most of these mistakes are also fairly easy to avoid once you know what to pay attention to.

If you want to save this information in short form, here’s a quick checklist for your next release:

• Distributor & Tier Selection: Choose a distributor and plan tier that fits your release schedule, budget, target platforms, and long-term catalogue retention goals.

• Audio Verification: Confirm you are using the final, intended version and file with the correct export specifications.

• Release Lead Time: Submit your release at least 2 to 3 weeks in advance to account for QA reviews and promotional efforts.

• Rights Clearance: Ensure all third-party beats, samples, and artwork elements are fully licensed.

• Artwork Specifications: Verify that your cover art matches streaming platform dimensions and formatting rules.

• Metadata Accuracy: Double-check track credits, artist profiles, and ISRC codes to prevent missing royalties.

And if something does go wrong, don’t worry too much. Mistakes happen, and your distributor’s support or Quality & Assurance team should be there to help you understand what needs to be fixed and get your release back on track.