You Got the Master - Now What?

Getting your master tracks is an exciting time – you now have a master recording of your show and you want to share your music with the world!

Whether it is a couple of EP live tracks, or enough for a live album – here are some things that you will want to consider when releasing your music.

Preparation for Release

Whether you decide to go with streaming (Spotify etc) or physical (CD) platforms, there are additional steps and information gathering that you need to consider before release.

Data that you add to your release helps identify your tracks to the listener on playback, and most importantly in the case of digital streaming platforms, helps your music get discovered.

There are two key differences between how you go about submitting information about your music for streaming, and submitting your information for CD. Streaming metadata is submitted with your WAV music upload to the streaming aggregators, whilst most of the CD track metadata is submitted to third-party databases such as Gracenote.

Here’s how it works …

Publishing to Streaming Platforms

Apple, Spotify, Tidal, Amazon and Beatport are all streaming platforms that you should consider for your release.

You do not submit your tracks and metadata to each platform, instead you’ll need a digital music distributor (also known as an aggregator) to get your music onto these platforms.

Popular options include:

  • DistroKid: Known for unlimited uploads for a yearly fee and you get to keep 100% of royalties.
  • TuneCore: Offers various plans (including a free one with a commission cut) and 100% royalties on paid plans.
  • CD Baby: Offers one-time fees per release and a percentage of royalties.
  • Ditto Music: Affordable annual fees with unlimited uploads and 100% royalties.

 

Streaming platforms have specific audio mastering requirements and sound levels, and we will ensure that these are met on mastering your tracks.

Track Metadata Information for Streaming

Also known as metadata. Information is digitally attached to the track and identifies Song Title, Artist, and Copyright information as well as a host of other information.

The primary purposes are to ensure that your music can be discovered, that you get paid for listens, that copyright information is properly assigned, and that artwork, track listing and lyrics are shown on device playback. Requirements vary from platform to platform.

Key metadata for streaming includes:

  • Track Title and Artist Name: Exact spelling and capitalization are important.
  • Album/Single Name: The official name of your release.
  • Featured Artists: Accurately credit any collaborators.
  • ISRC (International Standard Recording Code): A unique identifier for each individual sound recording. Your distributor will typically assign this.
  • UPC (Universal Product Code) / Barcode: A unique code for the album or single, used for tracking sales. Your distributor will also usually assign this.
  • Songwriter, Composer, Producer, and Publisher Credits: Full names and roles.
  • IPI/CAE Numbers and PRO Affiliations: For songwriters and publishers, ensuring royalty collection.
  • Release Date: The date your music will be live on platforms. Plan this with your distributor well in advance (at least 2-4 weeks, preferably more, to allow for pitching to playlists).
  • Genre and Sub-genre: Categorize your music accurately for discoverability.
  • Mood/Theme: Descriptive terms to help algorithms and listeners find your music (e.g., “upbeat,” “melancholy,” “party anthem”).
  • Language: The language of the lyrics.
  • Lyrics: Provide complete and accurate lyrics.
  • Explicit/Clean Flag: Indicate if your music contains explicit content.
  • Copyright Information: Year and owner of the sound recording and composition.
  • Ownership Splits and Rightsholder Shares: Essential for accurate royalty
    distribution.
  • Recording Location and Date: Optional but can be useful.
  • Artwork (Cover Art). See our separate article on artwork requirements. This is the EP/Album artwork that appears on stream playback.

Publishing to CD.

Metadata for physical CD releases is a bit different from digital releases, as traditional audio CDs (known as the Red Book standard) don’t actually store extensive metadata directly on the disc in a way that modern computer media or CD players automatically read.

Here’s a breakdown of what “metadata” means in the context of a physical CD.

CD Text

  • What it is: CD-Text is a feature that allows a limited amount of text-based information to be embedded directly onto a Red Book audio CD. This typically includes:
    • Album Title
    • Artist Name
    • Track Titles
  • How it’s used: Compatible CD players (often in cars or higher-end home systems) can read and display this information.
  • iTunes, Windows Media Player, and most modern computer music software do not read CD-Text, and is a common misconception. When you insert a CD into your computer and see the track titles, it’s usually because the software is pulling that information from an online database such as Gracenote, and not from the CD itself via CD-Text.

  • Submission: You typically provide the CD-Text information to your CD manufacturer during the mastering and production process. It’s manually encoded onto the CD master before duplication.

Online CD Databases (Gracenote, All Music, MusicBrainz, FreeDB):

  • How it works: This is the primary way modern computer music software (like iTunes, Windows Media Player, Spotify, etc.) identifies and displays metadata for physical CDs.
    • When you insert a CD, the software analyzes its unique “fingerprint” (a combination of the number of tracks, their lengths, and total length).
    • It then queries online databases (like the Gracenote database) to find a match.
    • If a match is found, the software retrieves the associated metadata (artist, album, track titles, genre, release year, and artwork) and displays it.
  • Submission: For your independent CD release to be recognized by these databases, you (or your distributor/label) need to manually submit the CD information to them. While submitting basic information to Gracenote and AllMusic can be free, more advanced access or professional services (e.g., from third-party providers) may come with a cost.
      • Gracenote: You can usually submit online. It can take around 48 hours for the data to become active.

    MusicBrainz, FreeDB: These are community-driven databases that you can contribute to.

  • Crucial for discoverability: If you don’t submit your CD’s information to these databases, when someone inserts your CD into their computer, they’ll likely just see “Track 01,” “Track 02,” etc., which can be very frustrating for listeners and significantly hinder your music’s discoverability.

Physical Packaging (Sleeve Notes, Booklet, Disc Label):

This is often overlooked but is the most immediate “metadata” for someone holding your CD. It’s not digital, but it’s essential information.

  • Tracklist: Clear and accurate listing of all songs in order.
  • Artist Name(s): Primary and featured artists.
  • Album/Single Title: The official release name.
  • Songwriter/Composer Credits: Full names of those who wrote the music and lyrics.
  • Producer Credits: Names of those who produced the tracks.
  • Musician Credits: Names of session musicians and instruments played.
  • Mixing/Mastering Engineer Credits: Important for acknowledging their work.
  • Recording Location/Studio: Often included for context.
  • Release Date/Year: When the music was released.
  • Copyright Information: (P) (phonogram/sound recording copyright) and (C) (composition copyright) symbols with the year and owner.
  • Publisher Information: For collecting publishing royalties.
  • ISRC (International Standard Recording Code): Often printed on the disc or in the booklet, even though it’s not directly readable by a standard CD player, it’s essential for tracking.
  • UPC (Universal Product Code) / Barcode: Printed on the back of the jewel case or Digipak, vital for retail sales and inventory.
  • Artwork: The main album cover and any additional art in the booklet.
  • Lyrics: Including lyrics in the booklet is a popular feature for fans. And probably for You.
  • “Thank You” Notes/Special Mentions: Connects with your audience.
  • Website/Social Media Handles: Again, discoverability, how fans can find more of your music and connect with you.
  • Disc Label: Must include artist name, album title, and possibly track numbers or key identifying info. Include music publisher.