Prepare the master
Export the final mix as an uncompressed WAV file — the standard is 24-bit / 48kHz. Listen to the file all the way through, from beginning to end, on headphones and on a phone speaker. Check the start and the end for clicks, and don't leave extra silence at either end.
Cover art that passes review
Your cover art travels with the release to every store. The spec is 3000×3000 pixels, RGB. Keep text minimal and readable at thumbnail size, and avoid platform logos, account handles, prices and links — stores reject cover art that carries them.
Metadata and codes
Metadata is how the world finds you: an artist name spelled the same way on every release, the real title with no decoration, and the correct language and genre tags. The codes — ISRC for the recording and UPC for the release — are assigned during preparation; you don't need to buy them anywhere.
Choose the release date
Give yourself room. A date several weeks out leaves space for review, delivery and pitching before day one. Line the date up with anything you control — a video, a show, a run of posts — so the release lands with support behind it rather than alone.
Request your invite
Mazufa works by invitation only. Completed applications enter a human review queue as capacity allows. Submitting does not create an account; those accepted may receive a dedicated preparation invite.
After acceptance
After preparation, your release is packaged to spec and delivered to every platform, and its data is pitched to the appropriate editorial and algorithmic surfaces. From there, watch your dashboard: streams, saves and playlist adds, per platform and per country.
The fingerprint code every recording carries — it tracks streams and earnings worldwide.
Your release barcode — one per single, EP or album.
Digital service provider — Spotify, Apple Music, Anghami and every store on earth.
The problem nobody talks about
Many artists decide to change distributor in search of better terms or faster service, only to be surprised later by old earnings that have vanished or payments they were waiting for being frozen. The problem is not Spotify itself, but the way the relationship between the distributor and the platform is managed, and what happens to songs that were not deleted and not moved properly.
How do Spotify earnings reach you in the first place?
Spotify usually does not pay artists directly. The platform pays lump sums to the distributor, and the distributor is responsible for transferring your share to you. In other words: the earnings are tied to the distributor's account with the platform, and not to your own name on it.
This point is the heart of the whole problem when you move.
What exactly happens when a song is left “pending”?
When you move your music to a new distributor without deleting the old releases or coordinating the move properly, three possible scenarios arise:
- The song stays on Spotify under the old distributor's authorisation: Any play that happens after your relationship with the old distributor ends may have its earnings go to that distributor's account and not to you, unless your contract states otherwise.
- Duplicate releases: If the new distributor uploads the same song before the old copy is deleted, two versions may appear on Spotify, which splits the plays and hurts algorithmic performance.
- Frozen back payments: Spotify pays with a delay that sometimes reaches three months. Earnings accumulated before the move will go to the old distributor first, and it is the one that decides when and how to send them to you under the terms of your contract.
Are the earnings lost for good?
Not necessarily, but they are at real risk if you do nothing. Most distributors are bound by their contracts to settle accumulated earnings even after the service ends, but actual practice differs from one company to another. Some distributors send what is owed automatically, some require an explicit request from you, and some may impose conditions such as a minimum withdrawal.
The bigger danger is not knowing there are pending earnings at all, and so ignoring them until the claim period set out in the contract expires.
Practical steps before you move your music
- Read your contract with your current distributor carefully: Look specifically for clauses on settling earnings after the service ends, withdrawal deadlines, and the policy on pending songs.
- Ask for a full earnings statement: Before any step, ask for a detailed report of all earnings due and unpaid to date.
- Do not upload the same song with the new distributor before deleting it: Make sure the old release is removed from Spotify first to avoid a conflict. The deletion can take a week or two.
- Keep a record of the plays: Export your data from Spotify for Artists before the move as a reference in case a dispute arises later.
- Contact the old distributor in writing: Send a clear message asking it to settle everything owed and to confirm a payment date.
What do you do if the song is already pending?
- Contact the old distributor immediately and ask it either to transfer the distribution rights or to delete the song.
- If it refuses or drags its feet, review the contract termination clauses and the dispute resolution mechanisms set out in it.
- Document every exchange between you by email.
- If it digs in, you can bring in a lawyer specialising in intellectual property rights.
Why does choosing the right distributor from the start save you all of this?
A large part of these problems comes from contracts that lack transparency. Distributors that give you full control over your data and your earnings reduce the chance of you ending up in this position. At Mazufa, for example, the artist keeps all their rights and their earnings data, which makes any future move clearer and less risky.
Summary
Pending earnings on Spotify are a real problem for anyone who does not plan well. The golden rule: do not move your music before you document your earnings, remove the old releases, and get written confirmation from the previous distributor that what you are owed will be settled.