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What it costs over five years

The first-year price is not the price. Put in your own numbers and see what each charging model actually takes from a catalogue over five years.

GUIDE RELEASING LAST UPDATED — CONTENT SLOT

How much do music distributors charge?

A practical walkthrough of a first release — from the master file on your desktop to a live release everywhere. Written for artists who have never distributed before; no jargon left unexplained.

01

Prepare your master

Export the final mix as an uncompressed WAV — 24-bit / 48kHz is the delivery standard. Listen to the whole file once, start to finish, on headphones and on a phone speaker. Check the start and end for clicks, and leave no accidental silence at either end.

Uncompressed WAV, 24-bit / 48kHz
Full listen-through on two devices
No clipping, clicks or trailing silence
02

Artwork that passes review

Artwork requirements vary by destination. Confirm the current file, colour, text and logo rules before delivery.

3000×3000 px, RGB
Readable at thumbnail size
No platform logos, handles or URLs
03

Metadata & codes

Metadata is how the world finds you: artist name spelled exactly the same way every release, the real title with no decoration, the correct language and genre tags. Identifier codes — ISRC for the recording, UPC for the release — are assigned during onboarding; you do not need to buy them anywhere.

✦ Spelling drift is the most common first-release mistake — “Human decision”, “LaylaNoor” and “Layla N.” become three different artists in the stores.
04

Choose your release date

Give yourself runway. A date several weeks out leaves room for review, delivery and pitching before day one. Align the date with anything you control — a video, a show, a post series — so the release lands with support rather than alone.

05

Apply for your invite

Mazufa is invite-only. Complete applications enter a human-review queue subject to capacity. Submitting never creates an account; approved applicants may receive a private onboarding invitation.

06

After approval

Once onboarded, an eligible release is prepared to current destination specifications. Available reporting depends on platform data and account access.

TERMS USED IN THIS GUIDE
ISRC

An ISRC identifies a recording; reporting and royalty coverage depend on each platform and agreement.

UPC

The barcode of your release — one per single, EP or album.

DSP

Digital Service Provider — a music service such as Spotify, Apple Music or Anghami, subject to current availability.

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Home Distributor Pricing

Music distributor pricing usually falls into three models: a yearly subscription, a per-release fee, or a commission on your streaming royalties. Understanding them helps you keep more of what you earn — and there's a fully current option that charges none of them.

The three models

How distributors make money

Subscription: Check the provider’s current published pricing and terms. Per-release: you pay a one-off fee for each single or album. Commission: Check the provider’s current published pricing and terms.

Compare

Pricing models at a glance

A simplified view of how the common models compare to a fully current distributor.

ModelMazufa RecordsTypical paid distributor
Upfront costcurrent — See current planSubscription or per-release fee
Commission on royaltiesFees and deductions follow the current plan and agreement.Check the provider’s current published pricing and terms.
Pay to stay liveNeverOften yearly renewal
Rights keptOwnership, licence scope and royalties follow the applicable agreement.Ownership, licence scope and royalties follow the applicable agreement.
Stores reachedCheck the destinations available for your account and release under the current plan and applicable agreement.Check the destinations available for your account and release under the current plan and applicable agreement.
Questions

Frequently asked

What is the cheapest way to distribute music?

Mazufa pricing, eligible services, fees, deductions, ownership and royalties follow the current plan and applicable agreement.

Do music distributors take a percentage of your streams?

Check the provider’s current published pricing and terms.

Is there a truly current music distributor?

Yes. Review the current plan and applicable agreement.

What happens if I stop paying a subscription distributor?

Review the current plan and applicable agreement for the relevant feature, pricing and eligibility terms.

How do I switch to a current distributor?

Apply to Mazufa Records for review; after acceptance and private invitation, release new music. Apply for an invitation →

Start now

Fees and deductions follow the current plan and agreement.

Prepare eligible releases for supported digital services with clear current-plan terms while retaining ownership subject to your agreement.

Your first single starts here

One invite application, reviewed by a human. Bring the master, the artwork and the story.

Apply for Invite ♪