First-Time Artist Release Checklist — Everything You Need Before You Distribute Your Music
You've finished your song. You're ready to put it on Spotify, Apple Music, JioSaavn, and the world. But before you hit submit on a distributor, there's a checklist of about 15 things that need to be in place. Skip one and your release gets delayed, rejected, or under-performs. Here's the full first-release checklist used by Indian indie artists in 2025.
1. Final mastered WAV file
- Format: WAV, not MP3
- Sample rate: 44.1 kHz or 48 kHz
- Bit depth: 16-bit minimum, 24-bit preferred
- Stereo (unless intentionally mono)
- Peak loudness: -1 dBTP, no clipping
- Mastered (not just mixed) — get a mastering engineer or use a service like LANDR / Cloudbounce if you can't afford a human
2. Cover art (3000×3000)
- Square, exactly 3000 × 3000 pixels
- JPEG or PNG, RGB color
- No streaming platform logos
- No social handles or URLs
- Sharp, no pixelation
- Visually striking at thumbnail size (64×64 test)
3. Track title finalized
Once submitted, changing this is painful. Decisions to make:
- Spelling and capitalization (exactly as you want it on Spotify forever)
- No "(Official Audio)" or "(Prod. by …)" in the title field
- If non-English, decide on transliteration vs script (Auripy supports Devanagari, Gurmukhi, Tamil scripts)
4. Primary artist name decided
This is your artist brand. Pick once, stick forever. Check:
- It's not already taken on Spotify (search before deciding)
- Instagram handle is available (or close)
- It's easy to spell and search
- It works across English, Hindi, regional languages if your audience is multilingual
5. Genre and subgenre selected
Be specific. Not just "Pop" — pick "Indie Pop", "Hindi Pop", "Punjabi Pop". Spotify and JioSaavn use this for playlist matching.
6. Language tagged correctly
Pick the dominant lyrical language. Hinglish usually = Hindi. Instrumental = "Instrumental". Sanskrit shlokas = Sanskrit (not Hindi).
7. All featured artists credited
Every guest singer, rapper, or songwriter must be listed in the right field. This affects royalty splits and search visibility on every platform.
8. Producer credited
The beat maker / production engineer needs a credit. This is professional standard and matters for royalty registration with IPRS later.
9. Release date set 3–4 weeks ahead
- Pick a Friday
- 3–4 weeks from today minimum (so editorial pitching is possible)
- Avoid major Bollywood release days unless your genre fits
- Festival-tied releases? Submit 4 weeks before the festival
10. ISRC code (auto-handled by distributor)
Don't generate your own. Auripy assigns ISRCs free on every plan.
11. UPC code (auto-handled by distributor)
Same — your distributor assigns this. Don't try to buy one.
12. Social media profiles ready
Before release, make sure:
- Instagram artist account exists (not your personal account)
- YouTube channel exists with your artist name
- Bio updated on both with your upcoming release
- Link in bio points to a smart link (Linktree, Songwhois) that will route to streaming on release day
13. Spotify for Artists & Apple Music for Artists access
You can't claim these until your first song is live. But know they exist and plan to claim them in week 1 of release.
14. Pre-save campaign (optional but powerful)
Your distributor (Auripy included) generates a pre-save link 7–14 days before release. Share it everywhere. Pre-saves concentrate day-one streams.
15. Promotional plan written down
Not just "I'll post about it". Have an actual plan:
- 5–7 Reel ideas drafted
- WhatsApp Status schedule
- 2–3 micro-influencers to DM with the song
- YouTube video (lyric or music video) plan if applicable
- Spotify editorial pitch text written
16. Legal / rights clearances
- If you sampled another song — you need clearance. Don't release without it.
- If you used a leased beat — premium WAV license minimum.
- If a feature artist is on it — written agreement (even WhatsApp screenshot) of royalty split.
- If you covered another song — distributor needs to know it's a cover. Auripy handles cover licensing.
17. Pick your distributor
For Indian artists in 2025, the realistic choice is between Auripy (built for India, UPI payouts, WhatsApp support) and international options (DistroKid, TuneCore) that don't deliver well to JioSaavn / Gaana / Wynk. For 1–3 releases a year, Auripy's Pro Single (₹399 per release, 100% royalty) is the standard. For 4+, Yearly Unlimited at ₹1,299.
18. Submit and verify
Once submitted:
- Distributor reviews within 24 hours (Auripy)
- Spotify and Apple Music ingest within 2–5 days
- JioSaavn, Gaana, Wynk take 5–14 days
- Verify each platform manually on release day
The 24 hours after release
- Post a feed post, Story, and Reel on Instagram
- Share to WhatsApp Status
- Claim Spotify for Artists if you haven't
- Add Spotify Canvas within 48 hours
- Update Instagram and YouTube bios with the streaming link
- Thank everyone who pre-saved or streamed in the first hour
Final thoughts
Your first release is the most important release of your career — not because it'll be the biggest, but because it sets the standard for every release after. Spend a week on this checklist before you submit. The artists who do this well release professionally for the rest of their careers.