Catalog

Locked Shareholders in Velveteen

Updated August 27, 2026

The short answer

A track's shareholders lock when the track is attached to a release that has left the DRAFT state. After locking, you cannot add, remove, or directly edit shareholders from the track. Submit a split change request instead; the proposed allocation takes effect only after every required shareholder approves it.

Shareholders lock to protect the integrity of royalty splits once a track is in active distribution. Changing splits after a release is live could create disputes between co-owners about historical earnings. The lock prevents unilateral changes; any update requires all shareholders to agree.

What triggers the lock

Velveteen checks the track's release state on every shareholder edit request. Once a linked release has left DRAFT, the track is considered locked.

  • Non-DRAFT release attached: The track is referenced by a release whose state is anything other than DRAFT (for example, PENDING, LIVE, or DELIVERED).

Heads up

The lock applies even if the track is attached to a release you submitted but that is still under review. DRAFT is the only state in which shareholders remain freely editable.

What the lock prevents

When shareholders are locked, the following actions are blocked for regular users:

  • Adding a new shareholder
  • Deleting an existing shareholder
  • Changing a shareholder's percentage directly

You can still view the shareholder list, see each party's percentage, and read the audit history. You can also submit a change request, which allows changes to go through once all shareholders have approved them.

Need help with a locked split?

If a shareholder was added incorrectly or a percentage needs correction and you cannot resolve it through the change-request flow, contact Velveteen support with the track, current split, requested correction, and supporting agreement.

Frequently asked questions

Can I unlock shareholders once a track is locked?+

Use a split-change request so every shareholder can review and approve the update. If the current records make that impossible, contact Velveteen support with the track and correction details.

What if I made an error before the lock?+

Fix it before submitting your release. Once the release moves past DRAFT, the shareholders lock. Check your splits in the track's Shareholders tab while the release is still in DRAFT.

Does taking down a release unlock shareholders?+

Velveteen checks whether any non-DRAFT release currently references the track. If all releases referencing that track return to DRAFT, the shareholders may become editable again. Contact support if the list remains locked.

Can I still see shareholders when they are locked?+

Yes. The lock prevents changes, not viewing. Track editors and linked shareholders can see the current shareholder list and each party's percentage, and they can review pending split-change requests from the Shareholders tab.

What if I only have one shareholder?+

Single-shareholder tracks can still be directly edited, even when the track is attached to a non-DRAFT release, as long as there are no other shareholders who would need to approve. The change-request flow is only required when multiple shareholders exist.

Related articles

Proposing split changes

How multi-shareholder change requests work: one shareholder proposes, all must approve before the new splits take effect.

How splits work

Percentages that must sum to 100% or less, distributed to each shareholder when royalty reports are processed.

What is a shareholder?

An email address and a share percentage on a single track: the basics of the shareholder entity.