Frequently asked questions

Yes – up-and-coming artists, seasoned musicians and record labels alike. Everyone gets the same terms. You need to comply with the law, copyright and the platforms' content and format requirements. What you will need to register is described on the Registering with Bez Labelu page.

The whole registration is online. You register in the Artists Bez Labelu client area and pay the registration fee straight in the app by transfer from a Czech bank – via a QR code. We match the payment automatically and the account activates itself, usually within a few minutes. Want to pay another way (by card, Google Pay or Apple Pay, from a foreign bank)? Pay via the payment page on the website – we then approve the account manually, usually within 24 hours. It also works the other way round: You pay on the website first and register afterwards – with the same email address you used for the payment. The most common reason for a delay is a payment from a different email address or unrealistic details in the profile. More in the article How registration and account approval work.

The registration fee is CZK 500 and is paid once. With an invitation from an artist who is already with us, it is CZK 350 (email invitation) or CZK 400 (personal link). We do not charge any monthly or yearly subscription for distribution. We take 10% of royalties. The basic level of all add-on services is free, upgrades are optional. Everything is clearly laid out in the pricing.

No. The rule is 1 artist = 1 user account. Each performer needs their own registration and their own fee. A record label representing several artists has a label account – write to us and we will set it up together.

We enter into an agreement with you and pay you royalties – that is not possible without real details. You use your pseudonym publicly, but your account must contain your real name, real address, phone number and bank account number – we recommend an account with a Czech bank.

Yes. You receive an invoice by email for the registration fee and for every payment for add-on services. Prices are final, Bez Labelu is not a VAT payer.

Yes, in Profile → Change artist name. Until you send anything for distribution, you can do it once, for free and immediately. After that, it costs CZK 400 and has consequences: A new artist profile is created on the platforms and you have to send your releases for distribution again. More in the article Artist name: Why to decide on it in advance and when you can change it.

A second layer of account protection – when you log in, you enter a code from an authenticator app in addition to your password. Anyone can switch it on; it is mandatory for label accounts and for accounts with cumulative royalties of CZK 3,000 or more. You switch it on in your profile in the client area – you will find the steps in the article 2FA – Two-factor authentication.

We do – you just prepare the materials and submit the release. In the client area, you upload the recordings and the cover art, fill in the metadata (every field has a help text with a link to the knowledge base), confirm the pre-distribution declaration in the release detail, choose the platforms and click Distribute. This sends the release for distribution and it comes out on the date you chose. Before you submit, the release detail warns you about common mistakes in the details (Metadata check). If you want a person to look over the release before it is submitted, file a Pre-distribution check request in the Requests section.

To dozens of platforms around the world – Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, Deezer, TIDAL, Amazon Music, TikTok, Instagram and Facebook, Shazam, iTunes and other streaming, download and content services. You choose yourself which platforms to send a release to in the release detail. You unlock TikTok and Beatport through the Requests section. You will find the complete list with descriptions and filters in the article Distribution platforms.

The golden rule: No later than 14 days before the planned release date, but ideally a month in advance – that leaves time for an editorial playlist pitch, Pre-Save and promo. For re-releases, samples or licensed beats, allow more time, as you may need to provide proof of licences. Each platform processes releases at its own pace and prioritises those coming out soon – when the release date is still far off, they take their time, and that is fine. More in the article When to send your music to distribution and how long it takes.

Platforms publish releases over the course of the day, typically after 01:00 to 02:00, and with some it can take a few days longer. We recommend waiting – you can see the publication status in the release detail. If the release is still not available after several days, file a Distribution status request in the Requests section – it automatically checks the most common causes and we look into the rest. What to do if the release was not sent at all is described in the article What to do when a release hasn't been sent or is stuck.

A 1:1 square from 3000×3000 to 6000×6000 px, JPG or PNG format, RGB colour space (ideally 72 DPI and 8 bits). If the first two points are not met, the image will not upload. Check it with our online tool and read what must not be on the cover art (web addresses, prices, third-party logos, third-party works without a licence…).

The form checks for errors while you fill it in – above the save button you will see what still needs to be filled in and what needs fixing (Automatic form checks). The most common cause is an image that does not meet the requirements above. Check it with the tool and try again. If the error persists, go through the article Error when uploading an image, or write to us and attach a screenshot.

Yes, and you set it up yourself. Both the release form and the recording form have an Additional primary artist section, where you fill in the artist's name, Spotify URI and Apple Music ID. If the artist does not have a profile on the platform yet, write NEW instead of the identifier – the profile is created during distribution (how to do it). Only add someone with their consent – if they have Artist Profile Protection active on Spotify, they have to approve the release themselves. Guide: Additional primary artist.

Yes, but only with a licence from the rights holders that you must be able to prove. For a remix of someone else's recording, you need a written licence for both the recording and the work – in practice, you will only get one in exceptional cases. Details in the articles Rules for remixes and Cover versions of other people's songs. Sort out the licence in advance, not when a problem comes up.

Some details yes (for example the lyrics or adding roles), others no longer (for example the recordings themselves, the ISRC or adding more recordings to a released album). You will find an overview in the article What can still be changed after distribution and what cannot. Note – saving a change does not mean republishing.

Yourself, in the release detail: Click Takedown next to the platform, or tick several platforms and choose Takedown Selected. Platforms usually remove the release within 48 hours, some later. A Takedown request in the Requests section is only for cases where the removal does not work for you. The procedure and its consequences are described in the article Removing a release from platforms.

First download all the metadata from your current distributor (above all the ISRC and UPC/EAN codes and original release dates), register with us with the correct profile identifiers (Spotify URI, Apple Music ID) and enter your releases again with the original codes. The whole process step by step: How to switch from another distributor to Bez Labelu.

Yes. A release can be purely digital, physical formats are not required. If you do have a physical format, use the same codes so that the release is matched correctly on the platforms.

No. We distribute music recordings and music videos. We do not distribute podcasts or spoken word, nor ringtones or sound effects – sample packs, sweeps, gunshots, booms, laughter and similar sounds are not music recordings and the platforms do not accept them.

Yes. The client area has a Music videos section. You can deliver an official music video, a live performance recording, a lyric video or a visualiser (Spotify does not accept visualisers), always for a recording that has already been released with us. We send the music video to Apple Music, Spotify, TIDAL and other platforms; it gets its own codes and has its own play and royalty statistics. Process and rules: Music videos.

MP4 (H.264 High, progressive), a resolution of at least 1920×1080 px (ideally 4K 3840×2160), 16:9 aspect ratio without black bars, a constant frame rate of 24/25/30/50/60 fps, AAC 48 kHz stereo audio identical to the released recording, and a file size of up to 1 GB. Plus a JPEG/PNG 16:9 thumbnail (min. 1920×1080 px) – it must be a frame taken directly from the video, without text or logos. The video must not contain end screens, links, QR codes, watermarks or adverts.

We usually check a music video within 2 working days. Then we send it to the platforms and it is published on the date you entered. If something is not right, we return it to you for correction with the reason – you can follow its status in the client area.

Only 10%. In total, 30% of royalties goes elsewhere – 10% to us and 20% stays in the distribution chain your music passes through on its way to the platforms. 70% is yours, the same for everyone. Most distributors do not state this split and calculate their percentage from an amount already reduced by other margins – we tell you straight. More in the article Royalties.

To an account with a Czech bank, usually within a few hours to a few days of your payout request; payments in euros within a few days. The terms and conditions guarantee 30 days at the latest, but in reality we are much faster. Details: How long a royalty payout takes.

No. The minimum payout amount is CZK 1,000, without exception. The only exception is when the cooperation ends, in which case we also pay out a lower balance. More: Minimum payout threshold.

Platforms report plays with a delay – it takes roughly 3 months to get from a play to money (in September, a statement labelled August arrives, containing plays from June). This is a standard lag across the whole industry, not a mistake. Explained in the article The standard time lag in royalty statements. The statistics have the same delay, because they are based on the statements. You will find preliminary play counts with a delay of 1–2 days in the daily statistics.

Royalties are your income and you pay tax on them yourself – Bez Labelu is a service provider, not an employer. You can download the annual payout confirmation for your tax return yourself in the Revenue section – more in the article Payout confirmations and royalty statements.

Yes. When buying in the client area, choose offset against royalties and the service is activated immediately. You receive an invoice in this case too.

Seven tools for promotion and working with fans, right in the client area: Public profile (an artist page with its own address), Album links (one page with all the links to platforms), Playlists (curated Bez Labelu playlists on five platforms), Events (gigs in a public listing), Classifieds (offers and requests between artists), Feedback (recording reviews between artists) and Promo studio (ready-made graphics for social media). Outside the bundle, there is also Spotify for Artists profile management (we make changes to your Spotify profile for you, PREMIUM only). Overview: Overview and plans.

Every client gets the basic level (the START plan) of all seven services free and automatically. If you want higher limits and extra features, you can buy STANDARD (one-off, valid for good) and optionally PREMIUM (yearly, requires an active STANDARD). Promo studio is the exception – everyone gets the STANDARD level for free, and only PREMIUM is sold. The bundle of all services works out significantly cheaper than individual services. You will find the exact amounts in the pricing.

The easiest way is directly in the client area – by offset against royalties (immediate activation) or by bank transfer via a QR code (only from an account with a Czech bank, activation usually within 30 minutes of the payment arriving). You can pay by card via the payment page on the bezlabelu.cz website at full price (discounts cannot be applied when paying by card), and activation is then usually on the same working day. Purchases are subject to your consent to the Add-on Services Terms and Conditions.

PREMIUM is valid for one year from activation, and we will remind you 30 and 7 days before it ends. Nothing is deleted when it ends – content above the STANDARD limit is only hidden, and you cannot add new items above the limit until you renew PREMIUM. PREMIUM can also be bought for several years at once.

In three ways: 1) Automatically – we add new releases to the New Releases playlist (AI music to the AI Songs playlist) and newcomers to the Rising Artists playlist, 2) by submitting a recording (up to 5 a month, with a guide in the client area), 3) on our own initiative. The recording must be available on at least 3 of the 5 platforms (Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, TIDAL, Deezer) and can be in at most one language playlist and two genre playlists.

We never force you into playlists – you can remove any individual placement yourself at any time. From the STANDARD plan, you can also switch off automatic inclusion in New Releases and Rising Artists, as well as manual inclusion on our initiative, in the playlist settings in the client area. Rules: Playlists. Public overview: artists.bezlabelu.cz/playlisty.

Only if you allow it – it is up to you whether you want album links. You switch on automatic album links in the album link settings in the client area, in the Automatic album links section. Once a release is published on the platforms, an album link is then created automatically with links to Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, Deezer and TIDAL – filling it in usually takes a few days and you will get an email. If you do not switch it on, we do not publish anything. From the STANDARD plan, you can also add Pre-Save to an upcoming release. More: Album links.

Every client can invite other artists in two ways: with a VIP invitation by email (6 a year) or with a personal link without limits. The invited artist gets a cheaper registration fee (CZK 350 via email, CZK 400 via the link) and a discount of 50% or 25% respectively on add-on services for 90 days from account activation. Discounts are applied automatically. Details: Invitations and personal link.

Public reviews by artists are at artists.bezlabelu.cz/recenze. Every client can write one review (0.5 to 5 stars, text of at least 80 characters), which we publish after checking it. The review includes links to your profile and platforms – so it is also promo for you. How to do it: Bez Labelu reviews.

No – these are the platforms' own tools and you set up the account yourself. After your first release, an artist profile is created for you on the platforms, which you then claim with them. Steps: How to claim your artist account on the platforms. You can also get access to Spotify for Artists before your first release (but the release must have been delivered to the platform).

In the platforms' tools – Spotify for Artists, Apple Music for Artists, Deezer for Creators. On Spotify, we can also make the changes for you – with the Spotify for Artists profile management service (for artists with a release under the Bez Labelu label). We do not interfere with profiles on the other platforms. You manage your public artist page with us in your Public profile.

This happens because of similar artist names. The fix lies with the support team of the platform in question; we will advise you on what to do: What to do when my music is on someone else's profile, What to do when someone else's music is on my profile, Split or wrong artist profile. You can prevent it in future with the correct Spotify URI and Apple Music ID in your account.

Content platforms process music at their own pace, and adding it to their sound library can take longer than with streaming services. How and when your music appears is described in the article How and when your music appears on TikTok and Instagram.

In the Analytics section of the client area – financial analytics from statements, detailed data from Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, Deezer, TIDAL and Amazon Music, heatmaps and the value of individual releases and recordings. You will find preliminary daily figures (with a delay of 1–2 days) in the daily statistics, and what is happening right now in the platforms' tools. More: Analytics in Artists Bez Labelu.

Yes, we accept it – but it has its own rules. You must credit AI correctly as an author, platforms label AI music, AI must not imitate other people's voices and AI covers of other people's songs cannot be released. AI music is also not eligible for content platforms and is not allowed on TikTok. Among the Bez Labelu playlists, it has its own AI Songs playlist. What about the rights: Who owns the rights to AI music.

One agreement covers all your releases – you do not have to sign anything separately for each one. The Framework (Sub)Licence Agreement on Digital Distribution is concluded online at the moment you give the instruction to distribute. No paperwork. Overview of all documents: Bez Labelu contractual documentation.

Third-party works without a licence (backing tracks, beats or samples from the internet, covers without a licence), artificial inflation of plays, misleading metadata and content that breaks platform rules. How we deal with violations is described in the article What is prohibited and how we deal with violations. Remember that ignorance is no excuse.

At any time – write to us and we will send you the Account termination form. Once it has been processed, we remove your releases from the platforms and settle your royalties according to your choice: Either we pay out your entire balance straight away (even below CZK 1,000), or we wait a year for the trailing royalties. Procedure: Ending the cooperation.

Don't hesitate to write, ask or call – we reply quickly, in Czech and English (in other languages in writing only). And you are always answered by a person: No AI calls, no chatbot, no automatically generated replies to emails. We do not use them and will not use them – we can't stand them ourselves, so we won't do it to you either. The most reliable option is Messages in the client area (everything stays in writing, including attachments, and we let you know about our reply by email); email at info@bezlabelu.cz works just as well. For quick questions, there is a chat in the bottom right corner once you log in to the client area. You can sort out lots of things yourself (distribution status, linking your YouTube channel, unlocking TikTok…) in the Requests section of the client area. Phone +420 737 601 643 between 10:00 and 15:00. To help us work faster, read Tips for communicating with Bez Labelu and How, whom and when to contact.

Use the password reset on the login page of the client area. If the email does not arrive or two-factor authentication does not work, follow the article Can't log in or forgotten your password.

Try a different browser, a private window, or switching off your ad blocker and VPN. Further steps: What to try if the Artists page won't load. If nothing helps, write to us where you are connecting from and what exactly you see.