Release Music lets you distribute your music to major streaming platforms directly through Notes. The process is a guided, five-step workflow that covers your release details, audio and credits, royalty splits, platform selection, and a final review before submission.

You must have an active Musician subscription to access Release Music.

Start by filling in the core information for your release. This is what will appear on streaming platforms.

Enter the name of your release exactly as it should appear on stores.

Your artist name should match your profile on Spotify and Apple Music. You can add multiple main artists.

Click + Add Artist to open the Add Main Artist window, then search for the artist or group by name and select them from the results. Once added, the artist appears in a row with a Main Artist badge.

To set or update an artist's streaming profile links, click Edit IDs on their row. This opens the Link Artist Profiles window, where you can add or change the Spotify Artist URL and the Apple Artist URL. The Spotify field accepts either the full profile URL or the artist ID. Linking profiles is optional but recommended so your release lands on the correct artist profile.

If you need help finding your artist URL on Spotify or Apple Music, see our article: How to Find Your Artist URL on Spotify & Apple Music

Artists without a linked profile will show a warning badge on their row. You can still proceed, but linking profiles is strongly recommended.

Both fields are required.

Your artwork must meet the following requirements:

Select a primary genre (required) and a secondary genre (optional). Select the language your release is recorded in.

By default, Notes will generate a UPC for you. If you already have one, toggle to "Yes, I have a UPC" and enter it manually.

If this release already exists on streaming platforms, toggle "Yes" and enter the original release date. This applies to catalog transfers.

This step covers your audio files, track-level metadata, and contributor credits.

Upload your files using the drop zone at the top of the step. Tracks will appear in a list below as they upload.

All audio files must meet the following specifications:

Each track requires the following information:

Each track also requires three disclosure fields. These tell stores how the music was made and whether it uses licensed samples.

Notes automatically determines whether your release is a Single, EP, or Album based on your track count and total runtime. You do not select this manually. The classification follows Spotify and Apple Music's official requirements.

Your release type will be shown as a badge, so you know how it will appear on streaming platforms before you submit.

Each track has its own artist section. Main artists from Step 1 are pre-filled as a starting point, but you can edit them per track. Each artist can be tagged as a Main Artist, Featured Artist, or Remixer.

Credits are organized into three categories, each tracked with a status badge on the track row.

To add a credit, click "Add Credit," enter their name, select their category, and choose their role(s). The system formats the information automatically.

Apple Music now requires that writer, performer, and production roles all be specified for each track. This ensures contributors are accurately credited and paid through the MLC. All three credit categories must be completed before a track is marked ready.

To add lyrics, click "Add lyrics..." on the track and enter your lyrics in the text field. Lyrics are stored in Notes but are not synced to streaming platforms. To sync lyrics to Spotify, Apple Music, or other platforms, you will need to submit them separately through Musixmatch.

This step manages how revenue is shared across contributors for each track. There are two types of splits, each requiring its own 100% total.

Each split type is managed independently. Recording splits must reach 100%. Songwriting splits must also reach 100%. When both sides are complete, the combined total across both sides will be 200%.

Both recording and songwriting splits are required to submit your release for distribution. Each side must total 100% before a track can be marked Ready.

Once both your recording and songwriting splits reach 100% (totaling to 200%), your track will automatically be marked with a green Ready badge.

On multi-track releases, you can copy one track's splits to other tracks. Select what to copy (Recording only, Songwriting only, or Both), choose your target tracks, and confirm. Existing splits on target tracks will be overwritten.

Select the date you want your release to go live in stores. The calendar automatically enforces a minimum lead time based on the standard delivery window of 5 to 10 business days, so same-day and next-day release dates are not available. Select your time zone to control when the release goes live within that date.

We support 50+ platforms, which will all be selected by default. You can deselect individual platforms or use the "Deselect All" toggle to start fresh and choose only the stores you want.

The final step is a summary of everything you have configured, where you can review your release and make any last changes before submitting. Review the following before submitting:

If anything needs to be corrected, use the Edit button next to your release details or next to the track list to jump back and make changes. You can also click any step in the list on the left to jump back to that section and edit it.

When all required sections are complete, a green confirmation banner will appear. Click Submit for Review to send your release.

After submission, you will receive a confirmation email. You will also be notified when your release is approved and live on platforms, or if any changes are required before it can go live.

Once submitted, your release goes through a review process before it is delivered to stores. Here is a general overview of what happens next.

Delivery to stores takes 5 to 10 business days from submission under Standard delivery.