Concepts

What Is a Track in Velveteen

Updated June 10, 2026

The short answer

A track is the individual recording that lives inside a release. It carries its own audio file, ISRC code, title, credits, and lyrics. DSPs display tracks as the playable items, but they receive and license them as part of a release. You cannot distribute a track without a release containing it.

In Velveteen, a track is the smallest distributable unit of music. It holds the audio file, all the metadata associated with a specific recording, and the credits that determine how royalties are attributed. Understanding what lives on a track record and what belongs on the release instead makes the upload process significantly less confusing.

What a track is

A track represents a single recording: one audio file, one set of credits, one ISRC. The release it belongs to is what gets distributed. DSPs don't accept standalone audio files. They receive structured delivery packages that describe a release (artwork, label, genre, release date) and the tracks inside it (the audio, the title, the ISRC, the credits). The release is the container. The track is the content.

This distinction matters practically. If you want to release two songs, you create one release and add two tracks. If you want them on separate release pages on streaming platforms, you create two releases, each with one track. The release is what listeners see as a "single" or "album" on their platform of choice.

Release, Tracks: one track in a single

Midnight Static

3:42 · ISRC: USABC2600001

Prod. Harlow Dean · Mixed by Serena Voss

Audio requirements are strict because DSPs require consistent quality across their catalogue. Velveteen accepts WAV, FLAC, and AIFF files. DSPs expect at least 16-bit / 44.1 kHz (CD quality). Upload a higher-res master if you have one. MP3s and other lossy formats are rejected at upload.

Tip

Upload the highest-quality file you have. Velveteen handles transcoding for each DSP's requirements. Starting from a lossy source degrades quality at every stage downstream.

Track metadata

Each track carries its own metadata record, independent of the release. Some fields (genre, release date, label) live on the release. The following live on the track itself.

Title

The display name of the recording. Should match the official title exactly, including capitalization. Parenthetical variations like '(Instrumental)' or '(feat. Name)' go here, not as separate fields.

Primary artists

The performing artist(s) credited on this specific track. Pulled from the Artist entities you manage in Velveteen. Appears in search results and on DSP track pages.

Featured artists

Additional performers credited in parentheses, e.g. 'feat. Aria Moss'. Managed separately from primary artists. DSPs display and search these differently.

Credits

Non-performing contributors: producers, mixers, mastering engineers, songwriters, and publishers. These populate the credits panel on supported DSPs and feed into publishing royalty systems.

Lyrics

Plain-text lyrics with optional timestamps for synced display. Used by DSPs that show lyrics inline (Spotify, Apple Music). Affects content matching and some licensing programs.

Language

The primary language of the lyrics. Affects DSP categorization, editorial placement, and regional playlist eligibility. If the track is instrumental, mark it as such.

Tip

Credits are searchable on some DSPs. A producer or mixer with an established catalogue profile benefits from having their name in the credits field rather than just in the liner notes.

ISRC codes

An ISRC (International Standard Recording Code) is a 12-character alphanumeric identifier assigned to a specific recording. It is the primary way royalty collection societies, DSPs, and licensing systems match streams and plays back to the correct rights holder.

Every time your track is streamed on Spotify, purchased on iTunes, or played on satellite radio, that platform logs the ISRC. That log is what downstream systems use to calculate what you're owed and route the payment to the right place. Without a correct ISRC, mechanical royalties may go unmatched and uncollected.

1
Enable auto-generation if you don't have an ISRC
Turn on "Generate ISRC automatically" on the track. When enabled and no ISRC is entered, Velveteen requests one from FUGA at delivery. If auto-generation is off and no ISRC is provided, submission is blocked. This is the simplest path for new recordings that haven't been released before.
2
Use your existing ISRC for re-releases
If a recording has been released before under a different distributor, find the original ISRC and enter it manually. Assigning a new code splits the streaming history and royalty trail for the same recording across two identifiers. That causes problems in royalty matching.
3
One ISRC per unique recording
An instrumental version, a radio edit, and the album version of the same song are three distinct recordings and each gets its own ISRC. If the audio file changed (different mix, different edit), it's a different ISRC.

Heads up

Do not reuse ISRCs across different recordings, even if they're "basically the same" mix. ISRC collision causes royalty attribution errors that can take months to unwind with collection societies.

Explicit content and language

Every track must be marked as explicit or clean. This is not optional. It affects how DSPs categorize and surface your music. An explicit track on a platform that defaults to clean-only mode will either be hidden or flagged, reducing discoverability without any warning to you.

Mark a track explicit if it contains strong language, graphic references, or content that would receive an advisory label in a physical release context. If you're releasing both an explicit and a clean version, both should appear on the same release with distinct titles (e.g. the clean version titled with a "(Clean)" suffix) and distinct ISRCs.

Explicit

Contains strong language or adult content. DSPs surface an 'E' badge. Filtered out of family-friendly and clean-only contexts. Required if in doubt: under-labeling has more consequences than over-labeling.

Clean

No explicit content, or an edited version of an explicit track. Eligible for all DSP placement contexts including children's profiles and explicit-filtered library modes.

Instrumental

No lyrics. Affects language field requirements, some DSP editorial categories, and PRO matching (composition credits are still required even without lyrics).

Language selection matters beyond just matching lyrics. DSPs use it for regional editorial programming. A Spanish-language track labeled as English will be excluded from Latin editorial consideration regardless of content. Set the language to match the language the majority of the lyrics are sung in.

Tip

If a track is instrumental, mark the language field as "Not applicable" rather than guessing. Some DSPs use this signal to route tracks into instrumental playlists and algorithmic contexts that prefer non-vocal content.

Frequently asked questions

Does every track need its own ISRC?+

Yes. An ISRC (International Standard Recording Code) is a globally unique identifier for a specific recording. Every track on every release requires one. You can enable automatic ISRC generation on the track. When turned on and no ISRC is entered, Velveteen requests one from FUGA at delivery. If your track has already been released elsewhere, use the existing ISRC. Assigning a new one would create a duplicate identity for the same recording in royalty systems.

Can I add instrumental and vocal versions of the same song as separate tracks?+

Yes. An instrumental and a vocal version are distinct recordings and each gets its own ISRC. You can include both on the same release as separate tracks, or release them separately. When adding the instrumental, mark it as non-explicit and note it in the track title (e.g. 'Midnight Static (Instrumental)') so DSPs and editorial teams can distinguish them clearly.

What audio format does Velveteen require?+

Velveteen accepts WAV, FLAC, and AIFF files. DSPs expect at least 16-bit / 44.1 kHz (CD quality), so upload a master that meets or exceeds that. If you have a 24-bit or higher-resolution master, use it. Velveteen delivers the highest-quality version DSPs will accept and handles transcoding for formats that require it (e.g. AAC for Apple Music, OGG for Spotify). Do not upload MP3s; lossy formats are rejected.

Can I change the track order after upload?+

Yes, while the release is in Draft. Track numbers are editable until the release moves to Pending. Once you submit, the track order is locked. DSPs have already been sent or are about to receive the delivery, and reordering would require a metadata update request. If you catch an ordering issue after submission, contact support before the release goes live.

What happens if I made a mistake in the credits?+

Metadata corrections can be submitted after a release goes live via a metadata update request. Velveteen will re-deliver the corrected data to DSPs, which process it on their own schedules, typically within a few days. Credit corrections do not take the release offline. For ISRC corrections, contact support directly, as those affect royalty tracking systems and require verification before re-delivery.