ℹ️ New workspace experience
This article contains the release statuses for customers in the new experience which we are gradually rolling out for everyone. For the statuses in the old experience, you can visit this link.
At Record Union, every single, EP, and album goes through a review by our content team before it’s sent to stores. This helps make sure your release meets store requirements and goes live without issues. Here’s a quick guide to how the review works, what each release status means, and how to avoid delays.
After uploading, you can check the status of your release by signing in to your account and going to Home in the sidebar menu.
Release statuses and their meaning
Pending review
Your release has just been uploaded and is queued for review. We review releases in the order they are received. If you want your release prioritized so it can go online sooner, simply add the “Rapid Delivery” add-on when you upload and your release can go online as soon as 5 days from when you upload.
In review
This means a member of our content team is currently reviewing your release. The review usually completes within the same day, but sometimes takes a few days. You will be updated on any status changes.
Live in "X' Days
Congratulations! Your release has been approved and will go online on the scheduled release date. You will receive an email confirmation and if you opted for the "Spotify Pre-save" add-on, expect an additional email the following day. Learn more about Spotify Pre-save.
Live
The release is already online on the music stores. Learn where to find the Smart Links for your release here.
Action Required
There is an issue that prevents us from delivering your release.
You’ll find more information on why the release is being held and what we need from you by clicking on the 3 dots in the upper right corner of the release's card, then choose "Contact Support". Please make sure you accept all cookies when asked so the messenger box appears. We will update your release once we have received your reply to our message.
Rejected
This means that unfortunately, your release cannot be distributed. You will receive a message from our content team about this which you can find in your Record Union account inbox. The most common rejection reasons are audio issues (unintentional cut-offs in the song, distorted audio, general quality issues) or that the type of content you’ve uploaded might be in the list of content we can’t distribute. Click here to view the full list of content we do not deliver.
Takedown in X days
When a subscription renewal fails, a grace period of 30 days is given before the releases are taken down. To renew, click on the "Upgrade payment method" link on the release's card.
Taken down
The release was either taken down by you or was taken down due to a failed renewal.
What can slow down the review?
To get your release approved faster, check these common issues before you upload your music and fill in your release details (metadata).
Metadata issues
Information that is incorrect, misleading, or doesn’t match across your release.
Make sure these details are filled in correctly: release and track titles and versions, artist names and roles, audio and lyrics language, explicit content, genre, copyright, and contributor credits.
Cover art issues
Text on the cover art must match your metadata, such as the title and artist names. If it doesn’t, you’ll need to replace the image or edit the metadata.
Cover art can’t include trademarked logos, characters, or names; copyrighted images or content; misleading or promotional information; offensive or explicit imagery; website links; or social media handles.
Blurry, pixelated, or rotated images will need to be replaced.
Copyright questions
We may ask for proof that you have the rights to everything on your release, such as:
Sample clearances
License agreements
Remix rights
Audio quality issues
Unintended cut-offs, distortion, more than 10 seconds of silence at the end of a track, or other quality problems.
Remember that in most cases, if you've made a mistake in your upload process, it's better to check our Helpdesk or contact Support before removing any uploaded content. Many things our team can help you amend without you having to complete the upload process once more.