Concepts

What Is a Release in Velveteen

Updated June 10, 2026

The short answer

A release is the distributable container that holds your tracks, artwork, and metadata. DSPs like Spotify and Apple Music don't accept loose audio files. They require a structured release with a title, an artist, a label, a release date, and at least one track. Every piece of music you distribute through Velveteen lives inside a release.

Before a DSP will put your music in front of listeners, it needs more than an audio file. It needs a structured package: a title, an artist, a label, a release date, artwork, a UPC, and one or more tracks, each with their own metadata. In Velveteen, that package is called a release. Every piece of music you distribute starts here.

Release detail: Signal Fade by Babbage

Signal Fade

Babbage

Single · 1 track · Released Jun 1, 2026

Live

What a release is

A release is a container. It holds everything a DSP needs to list and stream your music: the audio tracks, the cover artwork, the metadata fields (title, artist, genre, release date), the UPC that uniquely identifies it across all stores, and the label that owns it. None of these pieces are optional. DSPs reject incomplete submissions.

The container model exists because DSPs don't license individual recordings in isolation. They license releases. When Spotify adds your music to their catalog, they're adding a release, and every piece of metadata you put into that release determines how listeners find it, how it appears in search results, and how royalties get routed back to you.

Tracks inside a release are not standalone objects from the DSP's perspective. They belong to the release. You can have a single-track release, but the release wrapper still has to exist. This is not a Velveteen convention. It reflects how every major DSP's ingest pipeline works.

Tip

Think of a release the way you'd think of a physical product: a vinyl record, a CD, a cassette. The individual songs are tracks on that product. The product itself, with its title, artwork, and catalog number, is what the store stocks.

Release types

Every release has a type: single, EP, or album. Velveteen assigns the type based on track count, and that type is not cosmetic. DSPs use it to categorize new releases in algorithmic feeds, genre charts, and editorial pitch queues. Getting it right matters for how your release is surfaced.

Single

Velveteen treats one to three tracks as a single. The most common release format for new artists. Singles are prioritized in new-release algorithms and are the fastest way to build a streaming presence track by track.

Velveteen treats four to six tracks as an EP. A middle ground between a single and a full album: enough tracks to represent a sound or a phase of work without the scale of a full project.

Album

Velveteen treats seven or more tracks as an album. The long-form format. Albums unlock certain editorial pitch opportunities that singles and EPs don't qualify for, and tend to get more algorithmic weight in recommendations.

Tip

If you're unsure which format to use, release type can be changed while a release is still in Draft. Once submitted for review, the release type is locked.

The release lifecycle

A release moves through distinct states from the moment you create it to the day it goes live on DSPs. Understanding each state tells you what's happening and what you can still change.

1
Draft
The release exists only in Velveteen. You can edit every field freely: metadata, tracks, artwork, release date, DSP selection. Nothing has been sent anywhere. Stay in Draft until the release is complete.
2
Pending
You've submitted the release for distribution. Velveteen has received it and it's waiting for review. Major edits are not possible at this stage.
3
In Review
Our team is reviewing your release for quality and store requirements. This checks that all required fields are present and correctly formatted: artwork dimensions, audio file quality, required metadata, UPC validity.
4
Queued for Delivery
The release passed review and is queued for delivery. No further changes can be made at this stage. Velveteen begins preparing the package for DSP ingest.
5
Processing
Velveteen is actively building and sending the release package to DSPs. This is a brief transitional state before delivery is confirmed.
6
Delivered
Velveteen has sent the release to DSPs. Each DSP is now processing it on their own schedule. This part is outside Velveteen's control. Once your release date arrives and DSPs have processed the release, it becomes visible to listeners and shows as Live in your dashboard.

Heads up

DSPs do not process releases instantly. Submit at least two weeks before your intended release date. Last-minute submissions risk missing the date entirely.

What goes inside a release

A complete release requires four categories of content. Missing any of them will cause the submission to fail review.

Tracks

At least one audio file in WAV, FLAC, or AIFF format. Each track needs a title, an ISRC code (assigned automatically), and basic credits. Tracks carry the actual audio. The release container holds the metadata that wraps them.

Artwork

A square image, minimum 1400x1400 pixels, in JPEG, PNG, or WebP format. DSPs reject artwork below this resolution. The image must not contain URLs, social handles, or pricing information. Those are grounds for rejection at most stores.

UPC

Universal Product Code: the barcode that uniquely identifies your release across all DSPs and territories. Enable auto-UPC when setting up the release to have Velveteen assign one, or enter a UPC manually. If you're migrating an existing release from another distributor, entering the original UPC preserves its catalog history.

Metadata

Release title, primary artist, label, release date, genre, language, and explicit content flag. These fields drive discoverability. Accurate genre and language metadata improve algorithmic placement significantly.

Tip

ISRCs for individual tracks are assigned automatically. For the release UPC, you can enable auto-UPC during setup to have Velveteen assign one, or enter a UPC manually. You only need to source a UPC yourself if you're migrating existing catalog.

Frequently asked questions

Can I edit a release after it's been submitted?+

Limited edits are possible after submission, but DSPs restrict what can change once a release is delivered. Metadata like the title, artist name, and UPC are locked after delivery. Track audio files cannot be replaced on live releases. If you need to make a significant change, the safest approach is to take the release offline, correct it, and re-deliver. That process can take several days to propagate.

Do I need a UPC code?+

Yes. Every release needs a UPC (Universal Product Code). DSPs use it to uniquely identify your release in their catalogs. When setting up a release you can enable auto-UPC to have Velveteen assign one for you, or you can enter a UPC manually. If you already have a UPC from a previous distributor and are re-releasing existing music, entering it manually preserves the release's history and existing save counts.

What's the difference between a single, EP, and album?+

The distinction is track count. Velveteen treats one to three tracks as a single, four to six as an EP, and seven or more as an album. The release type affects how DSPs categorize and display your music in new-release feeds and genre charts. Some editorial pitch opportunities are also gated by release type; certain playlist teams only review albums, for example.

How long does it take for a release to go live?+

After a release is approved and delivered, DSPs typically take two to seven business days to make it available. Velveteen recommends submitting at least two weeks before your intended release date to give buffer for review and DSP processing time. Major DSPs like Spotify and Apple Music often go live faster, but smaller stores can take longer.

Can I release to some DSPs but not others?+

Per-store exclusion is not currently available. Velveteen delivers to all supported DSPs. Territory selection (restricting which countries receive a release) is a separate feature and is available when setting up a release.