Home Release Checklist

The complete music release checklist

Everything you need to do before your song goes live, in order. Work through this checklist and you'll release like a pro — and every step here can be done for free.

The checklist

Before you hit release

1

Master your track

Make sure it's loud and clean enough for streaming. Use the free browser mastering tool, then confirm it passes store specs with the audio checker.

2

Prepare store-ready artwork

Cover art must be a square 3000×3000 image with no URLs or logos of other brands. Make one free with the cover art maker.

3

Finalize your metadata

Lock your artist name, track title, featured artists, genre and songwriter credits — consistency here keeps your profile clean across every store.

4

Get your ISRC & UPC

Your distributor assigns these automatically. Learn what they are: ISRC and UPC.

5

Set a date 3–4 weeks out

Choose a Friday release with enough lead time to pitch playlists and set up a pre-save.

6

Pitch & promote

Pitch your song to Spotify editorial playlists, line up a pre-save, and prepare your social clips before release day.

One check before you ship

Score your readiness

Not sure you're ready? Run your release through the free release readiness checker — it scores your song across audio, artwork, metadata and promo, and points you to the tool to fix any gap. Then distribute to 150+ stores with Mazufa, free.

Questions

Frequently asked

What do I need before releasing a song?

A mastered audio file, square 3000×3000 cover art, finalized metadata (title, artist, credits, genre), a release date with lead time, and a distributor to deliver it. ISRC and UPC codes are assigned for you.

How far ahead should I plan a release?

Give yourself 3–4 weeks before release day so you can pitch playlists and set up a pre-save. Deliver your finished song to your distributor within that window.

What are the specs for cover art?

A square image, 3000×3000 pixels, high quality, with no web addresses, pricing or logos of other brands. You can make a compliant cover free with an online cover art maker.

Do I need to buy ISRC or UPC codes?

No — your distributor assigns both for free when you release, so every track is tracked and every release is listed correctly.

Can I do everything on this checklist for free?

Yes. Mastering, artwork, the readiness check and distribution itself can all be done for free with Mazufa's tools and 0% commission distribution.

Related guides

Keep going

All guides & tools  ·  Best free music distributor  ·  Release your first song free  ·  Free tools

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Tick every box — then release free.

Distribute to 150+ stores in 200+ countries with Mazufa. 0% commission, keep 100% of your rights.