In this article, we would like to list and explain a couple of concepts and terms that are crucial to the day-to-day operation of MusicHub. We hope that these will help you have an easier time with your release process.
The list is not final; we want to update it regularly. Please feel free to suggest any terms or concepts that you think should be included in this glossary - you can send an email with your suggestions to hello@joinmusichub.de.
The 4 main pages in your MusicHub app:
'Releases' page: The area where you find an overview of all your releases. This is the page where you can edit your individual releases and submit them.
'Tracks' page: The area where you find all the information about the tracks you have uploaded to MusicHub. You see the status of your tracks, on which streaming platforms they are published, as well as features that can be enabled for these tracks.
'Stats' page: The area where you are able to view important statistical information related to your music's listenership
'Balance' page (Balance Dashboard): The area where you find an overview of incoming royalties and your account balance.
Artwork / Cover Artwork: The visuals for the release, which will appear on the cover (in the same way a visual would appear on the front cover of a CD or Vinyl).
For more information on the required specifications for your artwork:
C & P Lines: Two lines on the Download & Streaming platforms indicating the ownership of the rights.
The © line refers to the owner of the copyright of the artwork.
The Ⓟ Line refers to the owner of the sound recording.
For further information on rights and ownership:
DIY: abbrv. "Do It Yourself". "DIY" in this context refers to the approach of releasing your music independently while retaining all rights and freedom of choice. With MusicHub, musicians can distribute their music independently. That's why we call our platform a 'DIY platform'.
DSP: abbrv. Digital Service Provider. A digital service provider (DSP) is an online store (iTunes, Amazon Music) or streaming service (Spotify, Apple Music) that offers digital releases.
ISRC: abbrv. International Standard Recording Code. The ISRC is an internationally valid, unique code and is used to identify your recording.
More detailed information on ISRC:
JPG (or JPEG): The format that the cover artwork must have.
For more information on the required specifications for your artwork:
Metadata: Structured data containing information about properties of the tracks (e.g. track title, genre). These describe your release in more detail and help to identify it exactly (e.g. by your listeners, but also to assign your royalties).
Primary Genre: Predominant style of the release.
Promotional Copy: Short text with information about the creator and/or the release. At the moment it is not a required field, and we do not show it on the streaming platforms. We plan to develop some features with this information in the future.
QC (Quality Check): The process by which our back office checks the quality of all factors involved in your release, such as metadata, audio files, artwork, copyright data, etc. If your tracks are listed correctly and meet the criteria, we will deliver them to the DSPs. If we find errors, we will reject them for correction and resubmission.
Release: The product you 'release' - it can be a single, EP, or album.
Release Date: The date on which the release is live on the DSPs.
Release Statuses
Draft: Pre-release stage. If your release is in this status, it means that you are preparing your tracks, filling in the forms and uploading your audio files. The status will not change until you confirm and submit your release, and only if you've filled out all the required information with their audio files.
In Review: After you have successfully entered the metadata/audio files and submitted your release to us, the status of your release will change to "In Review". This means that it is now in a queue waiting for the quality check to be performed. If the release passes the QC, the status will then change to "Approved". If we find errors in the metadata or audio files, we will stop the delivery and the status will be changed to "Returned".
Returned: If we find in the quality check that your release has any errors, we will reject it and set the status to "Returned". In this status, you can edit any incorrect information and resubmit your tracks for successful delivery.
Approved: If your release has this status, it means that your music has passed the quality control and your tracks are being delivered to the DSPs. Soon they will be live on the streaming platforms.
Live: Your release is available in the streaming and download platforms.
Royalties: The remuneration paid to a musician for the performance or reproduction of his/her musical work.
For an overview of royalties: Royalties
Stores: See DSP's
Streaming & Download Platforms: see DSP's
Style-Guide: A set of standards that your release needs to adhere to in terms of spelling, format, and design. It is important to follow the Style-Guide to ensure a successful release on the streaming platforms. Failure to follow the guidelines will result in errors in the system, and consequently your release will be rejected and sent back for revision. The most important points in the Style-Guide are album and track titles, versions, main artists, contributing roles and cover art.
More detailed information on the Style-Guide:
Takedown: The removal of a release from the streaming and download platforms.
More detailed information on the Takedown process:
Track: A single title on a release.
Track Title: Name of the song or composition.
Versions: Adaptations or variations of a release, song, track, or various arrangements of a musical composition. For example, a remix or live version.