--- title: How to Prepare For Your First Release? description: When you release music for the first time, each DSP creates and manages artist profiles differently. Some platforms allow you to claim your artist profile before your release goes live, while others require the release to be live first. Because of this, we recommend submitting your release early and giving yourself enough time to claim your profiles, update your artist image, add your bio, and make sure your music is mapped correctly. --- [Skip to content](https://support.engineears.com/en/knowledge-base/how-to-claim-your-artist-profiles-on-dsps-after-your-first-release#main-content) English Show submenu for translations [Contact Us](https://support.engineears.com/en/knowledge-base/kb-tickets/new?hsLang=en) ![header-logo.dfd0f01451fc4201cdeb6bea513c8257.svg\]](https://20049731.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/20049731/header-logo.dfd0f01451fc4201cdeb6bea513c8257.svg) Open main navigation Close main navigation - English Show submenu for translations - [Contact Us](https://support.engineears.com/en/knowledge-base/kb-tickets/new) - [Back to EngineEars](https://engineears.com/) [Back to EngineEars](https://engineears.com/) Hi, how can we help you? - There are no suggestions because the search field is empty. 1. [EngineEars Help Center](https://support.engineears.com/en/knowledge-base?hsLang=en) 2. [Releases & Distributed Songs](https://support.engineears.com/en/knowledge-base/releases-distributed-songs?hsLang=en) # How to Prepare For Your First Release? ## When you release music for the first time, each DSP creates and manages artist profiles differently. Some platforms allow you to claim your artist profile before your release goes live, while others require the release to be live first. Because of this, we recommend submitting your release early and giving yourself enough time to claim your profiles, update your artist image, add your bio, and make sure your music is mapped correctly. How to Prepare for Your First Release and Claim Your Artist Profiles **Releasing music for the first time? Here's everything you need to know about getting your artist profiles set up across streaming platforms.** When you distribute music through EngineEars for the first time, streaming platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, Amazon Music, and TIDAL will create artist profiles for you as they process your release. However, **distributing your music and claiming your artist profiles are two separate steps.** EngineEars delivers your music to Digital Service Providers (DSPs), while each DSP manages its own artist profile claiming and verification process. This guide will walk you through when your profiles become available, how to claim them, and what to do if you need assistance. 1\. Before Your First Release: What You Need to Know If this is your first release, your artist profiles may not exist on streaming platforms immediately after submitting your music. Here's how the process generally works: 1. You submit your first release through EngineEars. 2. EngineEars delivers your music and metadata to the selected DSPs. 3. Each DSP processes the release and creates an artist profile if one does not already exist. 4. Once the profile is available, you can begin the claiming process according to that platform's requirements. 5. After verification and approval, you can customize and manage your artist profile. **Important:** Some DSPs allow you to claim your artist profile before your music goes live, while others require your release to be available to listeners first. ### When should I submit my first release? We recommend submitting your first release **2 to 4 weeks before your intended release date.** This gives you additional time to: - Allow DSPs to process your release and create your profiles. - Retrieve artist profile links when available. - Claim profiles before release day where permitted. - Upload your artist photo, biography, and social media links. - Check that your release is associated with the correct artist. - Address potential profile mapping issues. Although DSP delivery timelines vary, submitting early gives you the best opportunity to prepare for your release. 2\. What You'll Need to Claim Your Artist Profiles Before beginning, we recommend having the following information ready: - Your artist name, exactly as submitted through EngineEars - Your release or project title - Your UPC (Universal Product Code) - Your ISRC (International Standard Recording Code) - Your artist profile URLs, if available - Your official social media accounts - Your preferred email address for artist account access - Your artist photo and biography **Tip:** Make sure your artist name is spelled and capitalized consistently across your releases. Accurate metadata helps DSPs identify your artist profile and reduces the risk of incorrect mapping. 3\. How to Claim Your Spotify for Artists Profile **Can I claim my profile before my first release?** Yes! Spotify allows artists to request access before their first release goes live, provided Spotify has processed the delivery and generated an artist profile link or URI. ### Steps to claim your Spotify profile 1. Visit [Spotify for Artists](https://artists.spotify.com/get-started). 2. Select the option to get access to an artist profile. 3. Choose **Artist or Manager**. 4. Search for your artist name or enter your Spotify artist URL/URI. 5. Select the correct profile. 6. Complete Spotify's requested verification steps. 7. Submit your request for access. Once approved, you'll be able to manage your artist presence, including profile photos, biography, music promotion tools, and analytics. ### Need your Spotify artist link before release day? If Spotify has already processed your release, EngineEars Support can help request or retrieve your Spotify artist link/URI when available. Submit a support ticket with your artist name, release title, and UPC. **Why claim Spotify early?** Eligible artists can pitch unreleased music to Spotify's editorial team through Spotify for Artists. Spotify recommends submitting pitches at least seven days before release day. [Visit Spotify for Artists](https://artists.spotify.com/get-started) 4\. How to Claim Your Apple Music for Artists Profile **Can I claim my Apple Music artist profile before my first release goes live?** No. Apple Music requires your music to be **live on Apple Music for at least five business days** before you can request access to your artist page. This requirement is set by Apple Music, not EngineEars. ### Steps to claim your Apple Music profile 1. Visit [Apple Music for Artists](https://artists.apple.com/). 2. Sign in with your Apple Account. 3. Select the option to request artist access. 4. Search for your artist page or use your Apple Music artist link. 5. Select the correct artist profile. 6. Identify your relationship to the artist. 7. Provide the requested verification information. 8. Submit your application for Apple's review. Only artists and artist managers can claim artist pages. Apple may ask for additional information to verify your identity or relationship to the artist. Once approved, you can manage supported profile features, view analytics, and access Apple Music's artist tools. **Important:** EngineEars can help retrieve your Apple Music artist link when available, but Apple controls the verification and approval process. [Visit Apple Music for Artists](https://artists.apple.com/) 5\. How to Set Up Your YouTube Official Artist Channel YouTube Music works differently from Spotify and Apple Music. When you distribute your first release to YouTube Music, YouTube may create an automatically generated **Topic Channel** to host your official music releases. A Topic Channel is not the same as a standard YouTube channel that you create and manage yourself. To bring your music and artist content together, eligible artists can request a **YouTube Official Artist Channel (OAC)**. ### Steps to request an Official Artist Channel 1. Create a standard YouTube channel using your official artist name. 2. Upload artist-related content to your channel. Having at least one public video is recommended. 3. Make sure at least one official music release has been delivered to YouTube Music. 4. Locate your artist's Topic Channel, if one has been created. 5. Submit an Official Artist Channel request through EngineEars Support. ### What information does EngineEars need? When submitting your support ticket, include: - Your official artist name - Your standard YouTube channel URL - Your YouTube Topic Channel URL - The UPC of a release distributed through EngineEars EngineEars can submit eligible requests through our distribution workflow. **Please note:** YouTube determines Official Artist Channel eligibility and approval. Having music distributed through EngineEars does not guarantee approval. Your channel must satisfy YouTube's eligibility and policy requirements. [Learn more about YouTube Official Artist Channels](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/7336634) 6\. How to Claim Your Amazon Music for Artists Profile Amazon Music for Artists allows artists and their teams to request access to their artist profiles. ### Steps to claim your Amazon Music profile 1. Visit [Amazon Music for Artists](https://artists.amazonmusic.com/). 2. Select the option to get started. 3. Sign in with your Amazon account or create one. 4. Search for your artist name. 5. Select the correct artist profile. 6. Select **Claim**. 7. Complete the application and provide any requested verification information. 8. Submit your claim for review. Once approved, you can access available analytics and artist profile management features. If you cannot locate your artist profile, your release may still be processing. Check again after your music becomes available on Amazon Music. [Visit Amazon Music for Artists](https://artists.amazonmusic.com/) 7\. How to Claim Your TIDAL Artist Profile TIDAL allows artists to claim their artist profiles directly through its platform. ### Steps to claim your TIDAL profile 1. Visit [TIDAL](https://tidal.com/) and sign in or create an account. 2. Search for your artist name. 3. Open your artist profile. 4. Select the option to claim the profile. 5. Follow the verification instructions. 6. Submit your request if manual verification is required. TIDAL offers verification through certain supported distributors or through manual review. If EngineEars is not listed as an eligible distributor for automated verification, follow TIDAL's manual verification process. **Important:** Manual verification can take up to eight weeks, according to TIDAL. EngineEars does not control TIDAL's verification timeline. [View TIDAL's Official Claiming Instructions](https://support.tidal.com/hc/en-us/articles/44170181437713-Claim-Your-Artist-Profile) 8\. Need Your Spotify or Apple Music Artist Links? If this is your first release and you need your Spotify or Apple Music artist links, EngineEars Support can assist with retrieving them once the DSPs have processed your release and made the links available. Before contacting support, make sure your release has been successfully submitted through EngineEars. ### Information to include in your support ticket - Artist name - Release/project title - UPC - Scheduled release date - DSP for which you need the profile link - Confirmation that this is your first release **Example support request:** "Hi EngineEars Support, This is my first release through EngineEars, and I would like to request my Spotify and/or Apple Music artist profile links so I can begin preparing my artist profiles. Artist Name: Release Title: UPC: Scheduled Release Date: DSP:" **Please note:** Profile links cannot always be retrieved immediately after submission. They become available according to each DSP's processing timeline. Apple Music artist links may be available before the page is eligible to be claimed. 9\. What If My Music Appears on the Wrong Artist Profile? If your music appears under another artist with the same or a similar name, or if a DSP creates multiple artist profiles for you, this is known as an **artist mapping issue**. Artist mapping refers to how DSPs associate your release with an artist profile. EngineEars can assist with requesting corrections for releases distributed through our platform. ### How to report an artist mapping issue Submit a support ticket with the following: - Your artist name - Release title - UPC - ISRC of the affected track(s) - Name of the DSP - Link to the incorrect artist profile - Link to your correct artist profile, if one exists If you don't have a correct artist profile yet, please mention that a new artist profile needs to be created. Our team will review the information and coordinate the necessary correction request with our distribution partner or the applicable DSP. **Important:** Artist mapping corrections are subject to DSP processing and approval timelines. EngineEars cannot guarantee an immediate correction. 10\. Frequently Asked Questions ### Does EngineEars automatically claim my artist profiles for me? No. EngineEars delivers your music to DSPs and facilitates the creation or identification of artist profiles through the distribution process. Each DSP has its own verification requirements. Artists are responsible for requesting access to and managing their individual artist accounts. EngineEars provides the instructions and support resources needed to help you navigate the process. ### Do I need to create my Spotify or Apple Music artist profile before submitting my first release? No. For your first release, the DSP generally creates your artist profile when it processes your music delivery. Once your profile is available, you can begin the platform's claiming process when eligible. ### Can EngineEars speed up my artist profile verification? EngineEars can assist with distribution-related information and profile links when available, but we cannot control or guarantee DSP verification and approval timelines. ### Why can't I find my artist profile? Your release may still be processing, or the DSP may not have created a searchable artist page yet. If your release is already live and you still cannot locate your profile, contact EngineEars Support with your UPC, artist name, release title, and the DSP you're having trouble with. ### Do I have to claim every artist profile? No. Claiming your profiles is optional and does not generally determine whether your music is delivered to a DSP. However, we strongly recommend claiming the major artist profiles so you can access available analytics, customize your artist presence, and take advantage of promotional tools. ### Will my music still be available if I don't claim my profiles? Yes. Your music can still be distributed and made available to listeners even if you haven't claimed your artist accounts. Claiming a profile gives you access to additional management features provided by each DSP. ### Who should I contact if I can't log into my claimed artist profile? If you're experiencing password issues, account verification problems, or trouble accessing an already claimed artist account, contact the DSP's artist support team directly. EngineEars does not manage the login credentials or account permissions for third-party artist portals. For issues involving incorrect release delivery, artist mapping, or missing music distributed through EngineEars, please contact EngineEars Support. 11\. Understanding EngineEars' Role vs. the Artist's Role We want every artist to feel confident navigating their first release, so it's important to understand which parts of the process EngineEars manages and which are handled directly by the DSPs. ### What EngineEars handles - Delivering your releases and metadata to supported DSPs - Facilitating artist profile creation through the distribution process - Providing educational resources and claiming instructions - Assisting with available artist profile links when requested - Reviewing and escalating incorrect artist mapping issues - Submitting eligible YouTube Official Artist Channel requests ### What artists are responsible for - Following each DSP's claiming instructions - Creating and maintaining their own artist portal accounts - Completing DSP identity verification requirements - Uploading artist photos, biographies, and other profile content - Managing their artist profiles, team members, and account permissions - Contacting the appropriate DSP for login and account access issues **EngineEars is your music distribution provider, while each DSP independently manages its own artist account system.** Our team is here to assist with distribution-related issues, while artist profile customization and account management remain under your control. 12\. Final Checklist: Get Ready for Your First Release Before release day, we recommend completing the following: - Submit your music 2 to 4 weeks ahead of your release date. - Confirm your artist name and release information are accurate. - Locate or request your Spotify artist profile link. - Claim your Spotify for Artists account when eligible. - Prepare your artist image, biography, and social media links. - Check that your music is associated with the correct artist profiles. - Claim Amazon Music and TIDAL profiles when available. - Claim Apple Music for Artists once your music has been live for at least five business days. - Request your YouTube Official Artist Channel once you meet YouTube's eligibility requirements. - Submit a support ticket if you encounter any distribution or artist mapping issues. ### Need Additional Assistance? If you've followed the steps above and are experiencing issues with your release delivery, profile links, or artist mapping, our team is happy to help. Please include your **artist name, release title, UPC, and the DSP you're contacting us about** so we can review your request efficiently. 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