Releases & submissions

How a release moves from draft to live

Every release follows the same path. You can watch it move through each stage on the release page. The stages 1. Draft - you are still building it. Nothing is sent yet. 2. In review - you sent it to the label. We listen and check it. 3. Agreement - we accepted it. Your contract is being prepared, then sent for you to sign. 4. Registration - for publishing, the works are registered with a collecting society, then we wait for validation. Your pipeline shows this step as "SACEM registration" (our society is SACEM). 5. Distribution - your release is being delivered to stores and streaming platforms. 6. Live - it is out in the world. At each step a short banner tells you where things stand and whether anything is waiting on you (for example, "Your contract has been sent - please sign it to continue"). If we ask for changes Sometimes we send a release back with a reason ("Changes requested"). Fix the points listed and resend. It goes back into review. After it is live You can still request an edit to a live release. See Editing a release that is already live. Related - Creating and sending a release - What publishing covers

Creating and sending a release

A release starts as a song and becomes a release when you send it to us. You do it all from Releases. 1. Start it Click Send music in the sidebar. If we already distribute you, it opens a new release draft. If you are new to us, it opens a short demo first, and it becomes a release once the team picks it up. A release can hold several songs, so you can add more later with + Add a song. 2. Fill in the release - Release title - Release date - at least 10 days out (see Choosing a release date) - Cover artwork - square (see Audio and artwork requirements) The Label is set by our team when we accept the release. 3. Complete each song For every song: title, DJ-store genre, genre, audio language, and the master audio file. Set the splits so credits total 100%. Add an ISRC only if the track was previously distributed. See Splits, credits and co-artists and ISRC and UPC codes. 4. Check the checklist A footer checklist lists exactly what is left before you can send, for example "Add a release title" or "Complete song #1". When it says Ready to send, you are good. 5. Send Click Send for review and confirm. It goes to the label. You can request changes afterwards, so sending is not final. If the Send button is locked, finish your profile setup first (name, one social link and a photo). Related - How a release moves from draft to live - Editing a release that is already live

Audio and artwork requirements

Stores are strict about files. Meeting these upfront avoids rejections and delays. Audio master - Upload a lossless file: WAV, FLAC or AIFF. - Use the best-quality master you have. No MP3s or other lossy files. - After upload the file is stored, then processed. You will see Ready when it passes, or Rejected if something is wrong (upload a new master in that case). Cover artwork - Must be a perfect square. - Minimum 1500 x 1500 px. We recommend 3000 x 3000 px for best quality. - JPG, PNG or WEBP, up to 30 MB. - No blurry images, and no store logos (Spotify, Apple, and so on) on the cover. If your image is not square or too small, the uploader tells you the exact size it detected so you can fix it. Related - Creating and sending a release - Cover songs and licensing

Choosing a release date

The release date is when your music goes live in stores. Two things guide your choice. At least 10 days ahead We need about 10 days of lead time to deliver your release to every store before the date. The date picker will not let you choose anything sooner. We suggest a Friday Most music comes out on Fridays, and it helps your release stand alone that day. When you open the date field we suggest the next open Friday, but you are free to pick another date. One release per label per day Two releases from the same label cannot share the same day. If the day you want is already taken by another release on that label, we point you to the next open date so your release gets its own spotlight. You can change the date any time while the release is still a draft or in review. Related - Creating and sending a release - How a release moves from draft to live

Splits, credits and co-artists

Splits decide who is credited and paid for a song. They must total 100%. Adding people to a song In the song's Artist splits, add everyone who should be credited, each with their real legal name and email. Choose their roles (composer, author, songwriter, remixer). Set each share so the total is 100%. Legal names and emails are used only for agreements and payment. We keep them on file so you do not retype them next time. Inviting co-artists If a co-artist should have their own account to review the release and confirm their share: 1. Add their email in the credits. 2. Open Invite co-artists, review, and Send invite. The invite goes to the email on file. They can create an account, check the release and confirm their split. You can still send the release before they confirm - their confirmation is not a blocker. On the other side If someone invites you, the release appears under Collaborations, where you confirm your own legal name, email and split. Once the release is sent, your details become read-only. See Collaborating on a track. Why legal names matter Correct legal names and roles are how publishing money reaches the right people. See Why legal names and roles matter for publishing. Related - Collaborating on a track - ISRC and UPC codes

ISRC and UPC codes

These are the standard IDs that identify your music. You rarely have to think about them. ISRC (per track) An ISRC identifies one recording. There are two cases: - Brand-new track: leave it blank. Fatstep assigns an ISRC when your release is processed. It is read-only for you. - Previously distributed track: tick Previously distributed and enter the recording's existing ISRC (from its earlier release). This is required so streams stay attached to the same recording. UPC (per release) A UPC identifies the whole release (the "barcode"). We assign it for you. It is shown read-only. Back-catalogue titles For older titles already in your catalogue, some code fields are editable so we can line up historical data correctly. For new releases, treat ISRC and UPC as handled for you unless the track was distributed before. Related - Creating and sending a release - Splits, credits and co-artists

Editing a release that is already live

Made a typo, want to swap the master or update artwork after sending? You can request a change at almost any stage. Which control you use depends on how far the release has got. A release that is already out Find it under Releases, in your released titles, and choose Request an update. That opens a short form. Fill in only the fields you want changed and leave the rest blank - a blank field is left exactly as it is. You can change the release name, description, genres, language, lyrics, TikTok preview start and the explicit flag, and you can replace the audio master or the artwork. Send it and the button becomes Update requested - pending review. One update at a time A release can only have one open update request. If you spot a mistake in what you sent, open the control again and choose Withdraw and start over - that frees the slot so you can send a corrected one. If your update is already being applied, or if someone else on the release asked for one first, the page tells you so and you wait for that one to finish. How long it takes Text changes are usually quick. Replacing audio or artwork takes longer, because the new file has to reach every store: allow a few days before you see it everywhere. Reopen to edit On the release, choose Reopen to edit. This unlocks the release so you can make your changes. A short note explains that your edits are reviewed by the team, and once validated the release continues from where it was. What happens next 1. You make your changes and resubmit. 2. Our team reviews each changed field one by one. 3. Approved changes are applied (and synced to the catalogue where they map). Rejected changes restore the previous value. Which one you get - Recall to edit pulls a release in review back to a draft. You then send it again. - Reopen to edit is for a release further along the pipeline, without losing its stage. - Request an update is for a release that is already out. It is the one you will see on your released titles. You do not have to work out which applies: only the right one is shown on the release. Changed your mind? While reopened, you can Cancel to discard your edits and return the release to exactly where it was. Related - How a release moves from draft to live - The email you get on release day - Getting help and contacting us

The email you get on release day

On the morning your release goes live, we send you an email with everything you need to share it. You do not have to ask for it and there is nothing to set up. What is in it - Your link to share - one address that sends each person to the store they use. - Your tracks on this record, with the ISRC and UPC codes you get asked for when you pitch or register the release. - The artwork, ready to download at 1500px for your posts. - Ready-to-paste text for your post, and buttons for Instagram, TikTok, WhatsApp and X. Use the link that matches the network The mail gives you a different version of your link per network. Post the one that matches where you are posting. That is what lets you see where your listeners came from afterwards, on the Performance page. One link everywhere still works, it just tells you less. Your followers are told the same day If people have followed you on your Fatstep links, they are emailed about the release on the same morning. The mail tells you how many. You do not have to do anything for that to happen. More stores appear over time Not every store finishes indexing a release on day one. Platforms are added to your link automatically as each one catches up, so the link you posted in the morning keeps getting better on its own. You do not need to repost it. If something is wrong Write to the address in the mail and we will fix it. If you have an account here you can also ask for the change on the release itself, with Request an update. Related - Editing a release that is already live - Your followers - How your links are performing