Help! My release is on the wrong artist profile!? 

If your release is on the wrong Spotify or Apple artist page (or another platform), please reach out to us using the contact form and we can fix it for you. This may involve creating a new artist page for you, or moving your release to the correct artist page.

It’s release day and I can’t find my songs? 

Providing you have given at least 2 weeks for stores to ingest your release, if you have received a notification from us that your release has been successfully delivered and can’t find it on iTunes or Spotify, please contact us from your dashboard and we will investigate. If you are a brand new artist, the search indexing on these stores can take some time to update (especially on Friday’s which is global release day!), so it usually resolves itself throughout the day.

How long does it take for my release to go live on digital stores?

The turnaround time can vary from store to store. We recommend submitting your album at least 2 weeks prior to your intended release date. This gives enough time for us to ingest and deliver your tracks, and for the services to also ingest, index and display them on their own sites. We will advise you from your catalogue page if your release has been delivered to stores, but this does not mean the store itself has been able to get the tracks live on their site (which is out of our control).

Can I access my music and art files after I’ve uploaded them?

Yes, your music is stored safely in the system. We store and backup every music file you upload, which you can access any time you need. View your single or album from your MY CATALOGUE page, and you can play or download any of the audio tracks you have uploaded (just right-click and ‘save file as’).  To download your art files, just right click the album art on the main MY CATALOGUE screen and right-click ‘save file as’ to download the full resolution version.

What format music do you accept?

We accept .WAV audio files in 16bit 44.1kHz resolution (CD Quality), and 24bit WAV files at the most common sample rates  We do not accept mp3 files or 32bit files.  You can convert other file types to WAV using iTunes or other web-based conversion apps.

What is a UPC Code?

UPC stands for ‘Unique Product Code’ and is the unique digital barcode given to every album or single (13 digits). Orfeo’lab can issue an official GS1 registered barcode with every release, if you are re-releasing an album you also have the option to re-use your original UPC Barcode. UPC codes are issued FREE (some other services charge for UPC codes).

What is an ISRC?

An ISRC is the unique alpha-numeric track identifier given to every song we deliver. Once issued for a recording, the ISRC should never change for a song – for example, if moving your track from another distribution service, it is best practice to keep the original  ISRC for your new upload – that way online stores like Spotify will recognise the song as being the same and automatically update playlists and streaming numbers. We can automatically issue an ISRC for each track, or you can manually add the ISRC if your track already has one (from a previous upload).

Can I make edits or changes to my album after I have submitted it?

Once you have submitted your release for delivery, you won’t be able to make any changes via the dashboard or ‘My Catalogue’ pages. However, for simple changes such as spelling errors or a release date change, please contact us via the support form in your dashboard, and we can make the change on your behalf. Some things cannot be changed, such as track order and number of tracks, ISRCs, UPC, in which case you will need to set up a new product.

What do the different product status mean on the MY CATALOGUE page?

Your single or album will go through several stages of processing before it is delivered to online  music stores. INCOMPLETE means that you are still setting up your product and not yet submitted or paid the distribution fee. You can still make edits in this status. PENDING means we’ve received your order and are checking the release data before we ingest it on our delivery platform. INGESTED means the product is in our delivery platform and is in the process of being delivered to music stores. DELIVERED means your product has actually been delivered to stores (note some stores can take at least 5 days to push content live after delivery). Please note you cannot make edits to your product after the PENDING stage once you have submitted your release to us. If you need to make edits (eg. change release date), please contact us using the form at the bottom of your dashboard and we can make the changes from our side.

What is a Pre-order and why should I consider it?

A pre-order allows your album or EP to be pre-purchased on iTunes prior to official release date. The weeks leading up to your release are an exciting time. You are getting your marketing and social media ready to have the biggest impact come launch day. A pre-order gives you a valuable marketing tool to direct fans to your album prior to launch, and any sales you get can count to the 1st weeks chart. All major labels use pre-orders as an important tool to boost their 1st week sales and are an important marketing tool in the lead up campaign. Your fans who buy the pre-order don’t receive the music until day of release.

My cover image is too small, what do I do? 

We have minimum cover image dimensions of 3000×3000 pixels, perfect square. There are online image editors (eg. Pixlr or ResizeNow) where you can check, crop, and resize your images – however we do not recommend you upscale your images too much or they will turn out fuzzy and pixelated. Image should be RGB colour mode, not CMYK or Grayscale.

It’s possible to restrict countries for distribution, why would I use this option?

For the majority of independent artists, worldwide release will be the default option. we offer the option to select countries for distribution, which is used if you have signed a local label deal for a specific territory and need to exclude that from your distribution. For example, you have signed a label deal in USA only, you can use us to distribute to every country except USA (where your US label will distribute on your behalf). If you are wholly independent, keep worldwide option selected.

Is there a maximum upload size for an audio track?

There is a 250mb limit for each audio file uploaded. If you are trying to upload a high definition 24bit WAV file that is over this limit, you can reduce the sample rate or bit rate to reduce the file size. We do not accept 32bit audio files.

How do I transfer music from another distributor?

It’s very easy to move your existing catalogue from another distributor to us, without losing streaming count or playlist positions. Simply re-upload your music to us and give us time to deliver it to all the streaming platforms. Please ensure you use the same ISRC codes for each track that was originally issued by your previous distributor. Spotify will recognise these tracks once they are received and copy all the stream count and playlists across to the new songs. Once this happens you can request a takedown from your previous distributor and the transfer will be complete. For more informations, go to “Transfer your release” page.

Can I replace my audio or art files after it’s been delivered?

Yes, it is possible to update your files and replace these without setting up a new product. Please use the contact support form in your dashboard and select the ‘Change/Edit Release’ option where you then select to update your audio or artwork. There is a file upload tool in the form to submit the revised files.

What’s the difference between sales trends and royalty earnings?

Sales trend reports are unofficial daily reports that show your streaming statistics day-to-day or week-to-week. These reports are not linked to sales or revenue. Most services only account their proper sales reports once a month (or sometimes once a quarter) in bulk, which they use for actual royalty payouts. It can take 3-6 months from the completion of each month to receive the final accounting and payments, when you see your account balance updated. Your money is available for withdrawal as soon as we have it and all royalties are processed.

Does we distribute ringtones, podcasts, or audio books?

No. At this time we do not distribute videos or ringtones.

What’s the difference between original songs, cover songs, samples, and remixes?

As part of our terms of service, the artist must own 100% of their copyright to distribute with us (in other words, you wrote the song, or represent the people that wrote it). If your song is a cover version and you want it to be downloadable in the USA, you must purchase a cover song license (see www.easysonglicensing.com). We do not support ‘sound-a-likes’. We doe not support the release of music with another artist’s samples or remixes (unless it’s a remix of a track you already own 100%). For example, if you want to add the bass line for Queen’s ‘Another One Bites the Dust’ to your original tune, you would need the permission of Queen’s publisher to release your song (and it wouldn’t come cheap!). Uploading songs with unauthorised 3rd party samples is illegal and will get removed without warning (and potential legal action).

How do I contact you for any issues with my account?

At the bottom of every page in the dashboard area is a submit form to contact us with any issues. Select the appropriate subject from the menu. We endeavour to respond to all emails within 24-48hrs, sooner if possible.

Can I use other distributors or aggregators at the same time?

Do not put out the same release through multiple distributors at the same time, it could cause issues with your live content and reporting.

How do I change my account email address?

You can update your account email address by contacting support in your artist dashboard. Choose the option ‘Login or Account Issues’ then ‘Change my account email address’. You will be asked to enter your new preferred email address. We will contact you when the update has been successful.