Create a release
Step-by-step guide to building a single, EP, or album in SpaceMedia, from artist mapping and audio upload through to submission.
Most rejected releases fail on something that was decided before the release was ever opened. Gather these first and the rest is data entry.
Have these ready
| Item | Why it blocks you later |
|---|---|
| Final master audio | Replacing audio after submission restarts review. See Audio and artwork. |
| Square cover, 3000 x 3000 | Undersized art is accepted and then looks soft in every store. |
| Your artist profile, mapped | Stores use it to attach the release to the right artist. Fixing this after delivery is slow. See Artist profiles. |
| Exact track titles and versions | "Remix", "Live", and "Radio Edit" belong in the version field, not the title. |
| Contributor legal names | Writers and producers are credited with legal names, not stage names. |
| Ownership and rights details | You have to state who owns the recording and the composition. |
| A realistic release date | Not tomorrow. See Distribution and dates. |
Build it
- Start the release. Open Create Release from your dashboard and pick the release type. Choose the one that matches the finished product, not the one that sounds bigger.
- Enter release details. Release title, label name, genre, and language. The release title is the album or single name, without the artist name and without a format word appended.
- Credit the artists. Select your existing artist profile rather than typing a new name. Add featured artists in the featured field, not in the title. Producers, writers, and remixers go in their own credit roles at track level.
- Upload the cover and audio. Upload the square cover, then a file per track. Wait for each upload to finish processing. A completed progress bar is not the same as a validated file.
- Complete track metadata. For every track: title, version, writers and contributors, language, explicit-content status, and ownership. See Metadata and credits for how each field is used downstream.
- Choose stores and dates. Pick your destinations and set the release date with enough lead time for review, corrections, and store processing.
- Clear validation and submit. Work through every message on the review screen. Submit only when nothing is outstanding. See Validation and review.
Save as you go. Never submit placeholder audio, temporary artwork, incomplete credits, or a date you have not committed to.
After you submit
Your release enters SpaceMedia review. That is a separate stage from store delivery, and passing review does not mean the release has shipped yet.
If review comes back with Changes Needed, the release returns to you with the specific fields flagged. Fix those fields and resubmit. Each resubmission goes back to the end of the review queue, which is why it pays to get it right the first time.
Track where it is with Delivery status.
Common questions
Can I edit a release after submitting? Not while it is in review. Wait for the outcome. Once it is live, some fields can still be corrected and redelivered, but not all of them, and changes take time to propagate to stores.
Single, EP, or album? Follow the finished product. Mislabeling a two-track release as an album is a common rejection reason.
Do I need an ISRC? Only if you already have one, for example from a previous distributor or a label. Otherwise leave it blank and one is assigned.
Can I use the same audio on two releases? Yes, but each release needs its own ISRC per track, and stores may treat duplicate audio as a re-release. Do not use it to inflate a catalog.