About this section

This is the first tab in the release editing process. It contains the main information about your release, including its title, cover art, and list of artists. In this article, as in each subsequent one in this guide, we will explain each field in detail. Please look for answers to your questions in these articles, as they should all be here. If you can't find the answer, don’t hesitate to contact us via one of our contacts.

Fields

Status

This field shows the status of your release. It is informational only and cannot be changed. More about the possible release statuses can be found in this article.

Release Title

In this field, you must enter the title of your release, without mentioning performers, featured artists (feat.), or remix names. For example, if the full release name on platforms should be Nevelskiy, Blake — Ocean (Alex remix), then here you should only enter: Ocean.

Version (optional)

This field is for specifying the version of your release. So, if you want the full release title to appear as Nevelskiy, Blake — Ocean (Alex remix), here you should enter only: Alex remix.

Metadata language

Here you should specify the main language of the formatting of your release: the alphabet used in the release and track titles, names of contributors, etc. The actual lyrics or vocals do not matter in this case.

EAN/UPC barcode

In this field, enter the identification code of your release. You can input an existing code, or if you don’t have one — tick the checkbox “Give me code from SMW block”.

Catalog number

In this field, you need to specify the serial number of your release. Later, you can use catalog numbers to search for your releases on our platform, and they are also sent to music stores. You must come up with a simple and clear catalog number yourself, while following standard naming conventions: it must be unique within your label and consist of an abbreviation of your label name combined with the sequential number of this release under that label. For example, if your label is called Music Label Company and you are uploading your first release, you should use a catalog number like MLC001.

Phonograph info and Copyright

In these two fields, you specify the rights holder of the release. More details about these terms can be found in this article.

Label

In this field, you specify the name of the label under which the release will be published. At the time of reading this article, you probably have only one label in your account. However, if you register additional labels, you will be able to choose one from the dropdown menu.

Album type

In this field, you need to select the type of your release.

Genre

In this field, you should specify the genre that best matches your release. Note that for some genres, a second field may appear — if the selected genre includes subgenres. You may leave the second field empty if you wish.

Display artist

This field shows how the artist or group of artists will be displayed across all stores. It is generated automatically based on what you enter in the next field — Primary Artist(s).

Primary Artist(s)

In this group of fields, you must list all artists who worked on the release and should be shown as performers (not like featured artists) on the platforms. You must also specify their roles (indicated in pink boxes next to the field). One field must contain only one artist. Once the release is published, it will appear in the catalogs (artist profiles in stores) of each artist listed in this group of fields.

In stores, artists will be displayed in the same order in which you add them here. You can change the order by using the arrows on the right side of each field.

To add an artist, click the "Add performer" button. In the window that appears, enter the artist’s pseudonym and their role (if necessary).

To edit or delete an artist, or to change their role, click the "+" icon next to the field.

Contributors

In this group of fields, you must specify the contributors to the release, along with their roles (displayed in a cyan box next to the field).

Publishers

In this field, you must specify your publishing agency. If you don’t have one, you should enter “Label Control” here.

Button "Copy Artists, Composers and Publishers to Tracks"

This button copies the relevant information from this section to all tracks in your release. It helps save time by avoiding repetitive data entry when editing each track separately. After clicking the button, a window will open where you can choose exactly what information you want to copy.

Checkbox "Album preview page allowed"

This option allows our system to generate a public link to the release preview page. You can then share this link on social networks or send it directly to your listeners.

Cover

The cover upload field is located to the right of the other fields if you're creating the release on a computer, or at the top of the page above all fields if you're creating it on a phone. Click the large green "+" icon in the cover field to upload it. If needed, you can later remove or replace the cover. Please read our article on cover requirements.

In addition to the standard cover, you can also upload a Motion Art cover (animated/live cover) for Apple Music and iTunes. To do this, upload the animated cover in the next tab of the release editor — Media Files. Once uploaded, return to this tab, and click the label “iTunes Motion Art” above the standard cover image to see it. Note: even when using Motion Art, you still must upload a standard static cover. You can read more about iTunes Motion Art requirements in this article.

Album Volumes

This field allows you to split your release into multiple volumes. The only place where this will have an effect is on platforms that support such structure (for example, Apple Music and iTunes) — your release will appear split across multiple CDs (discs). This is a historical reference to how music albums used to be divided across multiple physical CDs, or into Side A / Side B. You can simply skip this field if you don't need it.

Total tracks

Here you can specify the total number of tracks on the album. You can add tracks later in the “Tracks” section, but we recommend filling this field now — especially if you have multiple tracks and plan to use the previously mentioned “Copy artists, contributors, and publishers to tracks” button.

Full duration

This field displays the total duration of your release. It is filled in automatically after you create the tracks and attach audio files. If you believe the duration is incorrect, please update the field using the “Refresh” button next to it. This data is also passed on to stores.