Catalogue migration from another distributor in Artists
When you move releases to us that are already on platforms – for example from DistroKid, Prodej hudbu or CD Baby –, Artists Bez Labelu helps you right when you create the release: It asks whether the release has been distributed before, reminds you what has to stay the same and can prefill the UPC and ISRC codes and other details from a platform link.
The whole move (preparing files, signing up, taking the release down at your previous distributor) is described in the article How to switch from another distributor to Bez Labelu. Here we look at how moving one release works directly in Artists.
Moving a release at a glance
When creating the release, choose that it has been on platforms and pick the distributor it is moving from.
A link to the release on Spotify, Apple Music, Deezer or TIDAL – the details are loaded and prefilled.
For each track we prefill the title, ISRC, position and explicit flag. You upload the same WAV as before.
Have the original release taken down only once the new one is on platforms.
The first question: Has the release been distributed?
At the top of the new release form there is the question Has this release ever been distributed (on platforms)? We mean the release as a whole – a single, EP or album, not individual tracks. The rest of the form appears once you answer it.
“No, it is a new release”
You continue as usual. You can leave the UPC and ISRC fields empty – we assign the codes.
“Yes, it has been on platforms”
You choose why you are releasing it again: Moving from another distributor (pick it from the list or type its name), or Another reason (describe it briefly – for example that the release came out on a label before and the rights came back to you).
After that you see a few notes and a field for the release link. You can add or change the answer at any time in the release detail under Was the release with another distributor before? – also for releases you created with us earlier.
What must stay the same
| What | Why |
|---|---|
| Release UPC/EAN | This is how platforms recognise the same release. With a different code a new release is created – without plays, statistics and playlist placements. |
| ISRC of every track | The same for tracks. An empty field means a new code, which is a new recording for platforms. |
| Audio files | The same master as in the original release. A different version or a remaster will not be linked to the old recording. |
| Details and artwork | Titles, artists, songwriters and the original release date – everything as before. |
Have the release removed from distribution at your previous distributor only once the new release appears on your platform profiles. Otherwise your music would not be available in the meantime.
Loading details from a link
Paste a link to the album or single on Spotify, Apple Music, Deezer or TIDAL into the Link to the release on a platform field and click Load details. You see what was found and the form is prefilled:
| Detail | What we do with it |
|---|---|
| UPC/EAN, release title, original release date, year in the C line and P line | We prefill them in the release form. |
| Type (single, EP, album) and main artist | We show them for checking. If the release is under a different artist on the platform than your account, we let you know. |
| Track titles, ISRCs, positions and explicit flags | We prefill them when you add each track. |
| Track lengths | When you choose a WAV, we compare its length with the original track and point out any difference. |
Check everything and adjust it if needed – the prefilled details are just a help. Without a link you continue manually; you will also find the details in your account at your previous distributor.
Apple Music does not show the UPC or ISRCs, so for an Apple Music link we look them up elsewhere. Anything we cannot find or reliably verify is not prefilled and you fill it in manually. A Spotify or Deezer link usually loads the most details.
Tracks
You upload the tracks (WAV) after creating the release. When the release has loaded details, you see Details from the original release at the top of the add track page: The next track in order is prefilled (title, ISRC, position, explicit), you just check it, answer the track origin questions and upload the WAV. In the list of tracks of the original release you can prefill a different one. If you already have a track with the same ISRC on another release with us, you insert it with one click – more in the article Re-releasing a track on another release.
When platforms hold the release
When moving releases it is common that platforms compare the new release with the one that is (or was) at your previous distributor and report matching recordings. Thanks to your answer to the first question we know right away that it is a move, and in an e-mail we tell you what to provide – usually a confirmation that the UPC and ISRC codes are the same, a declaration that the work and the recording are yours, and a link to the original release. You provide it in Tasks.