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.
Why does this decision matter to you?
Many musicians start with a paid distribution plan, then discover that there are distributors, under the terms of their current plans, offering similar services on a revenue-share model presented after the application is reviewed. The move looks logical financially, but the real question is: what happens to the accumulated earnings and to continuity on Spotify during that switch? The answer depends on how you manage the process, not on the decision to move itself.
First: the earnings accumulated with your current distributor
The earnings that have built up in your account with the paid distributor do not disappear the moment you decide to leave. In most cases they go through these stages:
- The holding period: Most distributors hold the last payment for a period of between 30 and 90 days after the account is closed, in order to cover any refunds or adjustments from the platforms.
- The minimum withdrawal: If your earnings have not reached the minimum payout before you leave, you may lose them in some cases — read the terms of service carefully.
- Pending earnings from Spotify: Spotify sends listening data to the distributor retroactively, which means the current month's streams will not be paid out until weeks later — and they will go to the old distributor if the music was registered under it at the time the streams happened.
The practical takeaway: Withdraw all your available earnings before starting any move, and document your latest account statement.
Second: what happens to the music on Spotify during the move?
Moving music between distributors is not instant, and it goes one of two ways:
- Scenario one — deletion then re-upload: You pull your music from the old distributor then upload it through the new distributor. In this case a new Spotify link is created, you lose all the playlist saves and followers tied to the old release, and you start from zero in the algorithm.
- Scenario two — a transfer with the same UPC/ISRC: Some distributors allow releases to be transferred while keeping the same UPC and ISRC codes, which preserves the original Spotify link and the statistics. Check whether your new distributor supports this feature before taking any step.
The downtime during the move can run from 48 hours to two weeks, and during it no new earnings accrue on the releases involved.
Third: the earnings you will not recover
Be clear with yourself about what may be lost for good:
- Earnings that did not reach the minimum payout where the old distributor decides not to transfer them under the terms of its agreement.
- Earnings generated by streams that happened after the music was pulled but before the reports were processed — a rare case, but a possible one.
- Historical performance data on Spotify for Artists if the release link changes.
Fourth: the steps for a safe move
- Step 1: Document everything — earnings statements, Spotify links, and ISRC and UPC codes for every release.
- Step 2: Withdraw all available earnings from the old distributor.
- Step 3: Contact the new distributor and ask directly: can the same ISRC and UPC be kept?
- Step 4: If a transfer with the same codes is possible, start the process with the new distributor first, before deleting anything from the old distributor.
- Step 5: Do not delete your releases from the old distributor until you have confirmed they appear in full through the new distributor on Spotify.
- Step 6: Watch your email for 90 days after the move for any late payments from the old distributor.
In short: the move is possible with no losses if you plan well
Switching from a paid distributor to another distributor requires careful planning in execution. The earnings accumulated with your old distributor are yours by right, and the correct approach is to document everything and not rush into deleting the old releases before confirming the new ones are stable. Reading the terms of service before you start can save you weeks of lost earnings.