How do I create a Streaming Release to upload my music to streaming platforms and digital stores for distribution?

Distribute your music to streaming platforms and digital stores around the world

• How to Create a Streaming Release
  • Prerequisites
• Edit Release Details
• Add Songs
• Edit Track Details
• Add Collaborator Splits
• Accept Disclaimers

 

 

Create a Streaming Release

1. Signup to create a new Artist account on EngineEars.com or login to your existing account.

2. In the navigation menu or the profile dropdown menu, click to go to the My Music page. 

3. Once on the My Music page, make sure you're in the Releases tab. To create a new release click the "Create Release" button.

4. Choose how you want to release your music, then click "Next". 

Prerequisites:

Release to Streaming: choose this option if you want to upload your song(s) to streaming platforms and digital stores (e.g. Spotify, Apple, iTunes, Amazon, YouTube etc) for fans/visitors to stream and/or purchase.  

5. If you have not yet set up Stripe for your account, you will be asked to do so. Click on the Set up Stripe button to proceed with the setup steps for Stripe Connect in their setup portal, then follow the steps. This will enable your account to properly collect earnings from streaming royalties for your music release. 

 

6. After successfully submitting your info, you will need to also complete a required Stripe verification step by providing required documentation. Follow the steps in the Stripe setup portal to verify. 

After your Stripe account has been fully setup and verified, it will be linked to your EngineEars account. You will then be automatically redirected to the Create a Release popup, where you can pick: Release to Streaming.

 

7. Release Details: enter the details for your release. Once you're done, click "Next".

• Main Artist (Primary): enter the stage name of the artist or band associated with this release. Optionally enter the artist's profile URLs (from Spotify, Apple Music, SoundCloud) to link the main artist profile to these streaming platforms to ensure this release is grouped with their past releases. If the artist doesn't have a profile yet on these streaming platforms, leave blank and new artist profiles will be auto-created upon release.
• Additional Main Artist (optional): If you are collaborating with another main artist(s) on this release, you can include additional main artists, up to 4 to be associated as primary artist(s) on this release. You can optionally enter their artist profile URLs (from Spotify, Apple Music, SoundCloud) to link their artist profile to these streaming platforms to ensure this release is grouped with their past releases. If the additional artist doesn't have a profile yet on these streaming platforms, leave blank and new artist profiles will be auto-created upon release.
• Release Type: select the type of release you are uploading 
  • New Release: This is a new release that has never been distributed to streaming services and digital stores ever before. 
  • Migrate Existing Release: This is an existing release that has previously been distributed to streaming services and digital stores before. By specifying the Original Release Date, UPC/EAN, ISRC codes, and keeping all the metadata the same, streaming platforms and stores will consider this upload to be the same release. Learn more about how to migrate a release from another distributor service. 
• UPC/EAN: This is a unique identifying code assigned to a released product (e.g. an album, EP, or single) to facilitate sales tracking and royalty collection. A UPC (Universal Product Code) or EAN (European Article Number) is generated and assigned when your music was previously distributed. If you leave this blank, EngineEars automatically generates one for you each time you create a new release for upload. If you already have an existing UPC/EAN code you want to reference, you can optionally enter it.
• Cover Art: Upload a high-resolution quality image or photo of the cover art for your release. Only .png and .jpg file formats are accepted. Uploaded images must be at least 1500 pixels X 1500 pixels in dimension. Recommended: 3000 pixels X 3000 pixels square .jpg format. 
  • Guidelines: Stores will reject cover artwork that contains any of the following: a website URL, images that are pixelated/rotated/poor quality, prices shown, store logos (e.g. iTunes or Spotify logo), images you found online that you don't have the explicit right to use (e.g. copyrighted or trademarked). Also, cover art where the text does not match the metadata for the release product.
• Release Type: specify if this release is a Single, an EP, or an Album (LP)
• Release Name: enter the title or name of your single, EP, or album being released
• Primary Genre: select the primary genre of your release
• Secondary Genre (optional): select a sub genre for your release
• Language: select the written language of the title of your release
• Parental Advisory: select whether any songs in your release contain language that is "Explicit" (lyrics contain profanity, sexual references, violence, offensive language), "Clean" (explicit lyrics are censored/bleeped/modified for the radio), "Non-Explicit (does not contain censored/bleeped content nor explicit content). If this release is an instrumental or has no lyrics, select "Non-Explicit". 
  
  • If one or more tracks in the release are marked as "Explicit", the whole album/single release needs to be marked "Explicit", and separate "Clean" tracks also need to be included 

• Record Label (optional): enter the custom "Record Label" name you want displayed with your release
• Price per Song (iTunes): The price of each individual song when sold (e.g. on iTunes and Amazon). 
• Release as Soon as Possible: If selected, we will attempt to deliver your release to the streaming platforms and digital stores as quickly as possible. Please allow up to 7 days for the release to be widely available on all platforms.
• Release Date: Choose the date you expect your music to launch across all platforms. Upon the release date, your music will launch at midnight within each local territory timezone (standard release) on the same date. Recommended: choose a release date that is at least 10-14 days in the future. This ensures ample time for promoting your release ahead of time, reviewing submitted content, and addressing any potential issues with requirements from streaming services.
• Timed Release (optional): If enabled, your music will launch to everyone globally at the exact same time at midnight EST timezone on the release date, regardless of the territory.  
• Streaming Pre-Save Date: Choose the date when your fans can start to pre-purchase/pre-save your release before the Release Date

 

8. Add Songs: upload one or more new song files or choose existing song files (from previously completed projects) to include in your release. You can create a release that has a combination of uploaded tracks and selected tracks. 

• Add Track: Click the "Add Track" button to upload a file for each song you want to include in your release submission. 

Only .WAV file formats are accepted for song file uploads.

Once the song file is uploaded, click the "Save Song" button.

• Select from Completed Projects: Browse through your completed projects (if any) to select one or more songs from any projects you have completed on the EngineEars platform. The final asset files and song details from the completed project will used in the release, you have the option to make changes to the track details after selecting the song.

Once you're done selecting tracks to your release, click the "Save Song" button.

 

9. Track Details: You can now specify the song details for each track uploaded/selected to be included in your release. If you need to reorder the sequencing of your tracks, click the arrows on each row and drag a track to a different spot in the list to reorder them.

 

Click the Edit button on each row to view and edit the track's details. You have the option to either enter or update the details for each song included in the release. Click "Save Song" after editing the details for a song. 

• Song Title: add/modify the title of your song
• Audio ISRC: The ISRC (International Standard Recording Code) is a unique 12-character alphanumeric identifier code assigned to each sound recording or music video. It acts like a digital fingerprint for a song, permanently identifying a specific recording, regardless of format or ownership changes, and is used to track and manage recordings. ISRCs are crucial for royalty collection, especially in digital music distribution, ensuring accurate tracking of streams, sales, royalties and other uses. An ISRC code is generated and assigned when your song is previously uploaded/distributed. If you leave this blank, EngineEars automatically generates one for you each time you upload a new song file. If you already have an existing ISRC code you want to reference, you can optionally enter it.
• Primary Genre: select the primary genre of this song (if different than the release)
• Secondary Genre (optional): select a sub genre for this song (if different than the release)
• Song Version (optional): The version information to be added to the song title. No need to change this if this is the Original Version of the song. If this is an alternate version of the song, you can specify what version it is so that it is detailed in the title of the song e.g. Radio Edit song version will append the song version to the title of the song "This is the Song Name (Radio Edit)"
• Language: the primary language of the lyrics in this song (if different than the release). If this song is an instrumental and contains no vocal lyrics, choose "ZXX (No Language)". 
• Parental Advisory: select whether this song contains language that is "Explicit" (lyrics contain profanity, sexual references, violence, offensive language), "Clean" (explicit lyrics are censored/bleeped/modified for the radio), or "Non-Explicit (does not contain censored/bleeped content nor explicit content). If this song is an instrumental or has no lyrics, select "Non-Explicit" 
  • If your track is marked "Explicit", streaming platforms also require you to upload a separate track to your release that is "Clean"
• Main Artist (Primary): The stage name of the artist or band performing this song. 
• Additional Main Artist (optional): If there is more than one main artist associated with this song, you can include additional main artists, up to 4. You can optionally enter their artist profile URLs (from Spotify, Apple Music, SoundCloud) to link their artist profile to these streaming platforms to ensure this release is grouped with their past releases. If the additional artist doesn't have a profile yet on these streaming platforms, leave blank and new artist profiles will be auto-created upon release.
• Featured Artists (optional): Toggle this to ON, to add a featured artist for the track. The name of the featured artist or band to be added to the song title. If there is more than one featured artist, you can include additional featured artists. You can optionally enter their artist profile URLs (from Spotify, Apple Music, SoundCloud) to link their artist profile to these streaming platforms to ensure this release is grouped with their past releases. If the featured artist doesn't have a profile yet on these streaming platforms, leave blank and new artist profiles will be auto-created upon release.
• Song Credits Contributors: Add one or more contributor(s) to your song's credits.  
  • Role: Select the role(s) of your contributor(s) to add credits to your song. Songwriting (Lyricist role, Composer role) credits and Producer credits are required. Note: Apple Music requires at least 1 Performer role credit and 1 Producer role credit for each song.
  • Name: If the contributor’s Role is Lyricist or Composer, the name entered must be the legal first name and last name of the contributor to be properly assigned credit. For all other contributor Roles; legal names, stage names or aliases can be entered
  • Additional Contributors: Select the role(s) of your contributor(s) to add their credits to your song. Not all services display every assigned credit with songs. Note: Apple Music requires at least 1 Performer role credit and 1 Producer role credit for each song. 

 

Once you're done editing the track details for all the songs in your release, click "Next" to proceed to the next step.

 

10. Collaborator Splits (optional): You can assign royalty splits for each song in your release by inviting one or more collaborator(s) and specifying their royalty earnings split % for each song. 

Click the "Create New" button to invite a new collaborator each song that you want them to receive royalty earnings splits as a payee. Enter their info and click the "send invite" button. 

• % Split: enter the % split of streaming royalties and/or digital store purchases that the invited collaborator should receive for the song. Royalty split %s across all collaborators must sum up to a total of 100% for each song. 
• Email: enter the email address of your collaborator to automatically send them an invitation to accept the royalty split invite. If they do not have an EngineEars account yet, they will be prompted to signup and create one before they can accept the split invitation. If they already have an EngineEars account, make sure you invite them using the same email address they use for their EngineEars account login. They will be prompted to login to EngineEars before accepting the split invitation. 

Once the invitation has been sent, the collaborator will have a "pending" status until they accept the invitation, at which point the status will be updated to reflect "accepted" status.

Or click the "Choose a payee" dropdown to select a previously invited collaborator to add to a song split. 

Once you're done adding collaborator splits for your song(s), click "Next" to proceed to the next step.

 

11. Disclaimers: Carefully read, review and agree to the terms in order to submit your release. You must accept all the terms in order to proceed with release submission. If you exit the release submission process without accepting the terms, your release is saved as a 'draft' but is not submitted for release. 

 

12. Once submitted, you will receive a confirmation that your release has been uploaded, verified, and successfully submitted.

 

Click the "Go to your Release" button. You will be able to monitor the status of your release as well as view/edit details for your submitted release on this Release Details page.