Release Metadata in Velveteen
Updated August 27, 2026
Release metadata is the store-facing package Velveteen validates before review: title, display artist, artwork, label, genre fields, format, UPC choice, copyright lines, and release dates. Track audio, ISRCs, contributors, performers, publishers, shareholders, previews, lyrics, and track P lines are completed on the linked track records.
Use this page when a release readiness issue points to the release itself rather than a track. Velveteen keeps release-level delivery facts separate from recording-level facts so a single, EP, or album can hold multiple track records without mixing their credits or identifiers.
Required before submission
Title and display artist
The release title and public artist string shown for the single, EP, or album.
Artwork
Submission checks for an uploaded artwork URL or thumbnail URL. Artwork can be uploaded from your device or imported from Dropbox or Google Drive.
Label
Every submitted release needs a label identifier. Lower plans can use Velveteen's assigned label; Pro and Label accounts can use custom labels where available.
Genre fields
Release genre fields must be present where required and cannot duplicate each other. For a one-track single, the track genre fields must match the release genre fields.
Copyright lines
Release-level © year, © text, P year, and P text are required before submission.
UPC
If generate a UPC is enabled, Velveteen can assign one. If auto-generation is off, you must provide a UPC before submission.
Dates and format
Consumer release date, original release date, optional pre-order date, and format are validated before review.
Metadata that locks
When a release passes submission checks, Velveteen updates it to PENDING and sets locked to true.
Linked tracks are locked at the same time because the submitted package now depends on those track records.
How do I fix a release-level blocker?
- 1
Read the field named by the check
Release validation returns release errors separately from track errors. Start with the field named in the release check instead of changing a linked track by guesswork. - 2
Fix release fields on the release
Use release metadata for the title, display artist, artwork, label, genres, copyright lines, UPC choice, format, and release dates. Open a linked track when the check names audio, ISRC, preview, language, AI declaration, or track credits. - 3
Check the dates together
The consumer release date must be at least one week in the future. The original release date cannot be after it, and an optional pre-order date must be before the consumer release date. - 4
Run readiness again before submitting
Keep fixing the returned release and track errors until the validation result is ready. A passing submission moves the release to PENDING and locks the linked tracks.
Tip
What belongs on the track instead
A release can hold one or many tracks, so recording-specific fields stay on the track detail page. Audio file, preview window, ISRC setting, explicit flag, language, track genre, track P line, AI declaration, contributors, performers, publishers, and shareholders are all checked per track.
If a readiness item mentions a track title, open that track from the release Tracks tab. If the item mentions artwork, label, UPC, release date, title, display artist, or release copyright lines, stay on release metadata.
Tip
Frequently asked questions
Can Velveteen generate a UPC?+
Yes, if generate a UPC is enabled. If it is disabled, the submission check requires a UPC on the release before review.
What is display artist?+
Display artist is the public artist text for the release. It can include multiple credited artists depending on the release, but it is separate from the underlying artist records and track-level credits.
Can release genre fields repeat?+
No. Release genre fields are checked for duplicate values. For a one-track single, Velveteen also checks that track genre fields match the release genre fields.
Where do contributor credits go?+
Contributor, performer, publisher, shareholder, ISRC, audio, preview, and AI declaration fields live on tracks, not on the release metadata form.
Does release metadata lock after submission?+
Yes. When submission checks pass, Velveteen sets the release to PENDING, locks the release, and locks the linked tracks so the reviewed package stays stable.
How do I tell whether a blocker belongs on the release or a track?+
Release checks cover title, display artist, artwork, label, genres, UPC, format, copyright lines, and dates. Track checks cover audio, ISRC, preview, language, AI declaration, and credits. Open the field named in the validation message.
Related articles
What is a release?
The package Velveteen sends to stores: single, EP, or album, with tracks, artwork, dates, label metadata, and credits.
Dates & formats
Consumer release date, original release date, pre-order date, and the Single, EP, or Album format field.
Track metadata
Title, display artist, genre, language, explicit flag, AI declaration, P line, preview settings, and ISRC.