MR. BLINDBANDIT / RESOURCE
Music distribution guide
A practical overview of preparing music for digital distribution through an independent label or distributor.
Common metadata mistakes and how to avoid them
- Different spellings of the artist name across releases. Pick one spelling and use it everywhere, so stores keep one artist profile.
- Putting “feat.” credits inside the song title instead of the featured-artist field, or the reverse. Follow your distributor’s rules.
- Words such as “single”, “official” or “new” in titles. Stores often reject them.
- Missing writer and producer credits. They matter for royalties and for listeners who want to know who made the music.
- Artwork with website addresses, social handles, blurry text or images you do not have the rights to use.
- Choosing a release date too close to upload, leaving no time to fix errors.
Before you upload, fill in the release metadata checklist and keep a copy. After release, check every store and write down any error with the store name, the wrong value and the correct one, so corrections can be requested precisely.
Choosing a distributor
Compare distributors on their fees, how royalties are paid, how quickly corrections are handled, and whether their upload tools work with your screen reader or assistive technology. Read the terms for takedowns and for leaving the service.
Keep a spreadsheet or plain-text file of every release with its identifiers, date, distributor and credits. It makes corrections and future royalty questions much easier to answer.
