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.
What is the minimum payout threshold and why does it exist?
Most digital music distributors require your balance to reach a certain minimum before they transfer any money to you. That threshold usually ranges between 10 dollars and 50 dollars depending on the company. The stated logic is to cover bank transfer costs, but the practical result is that a lot of money stays held for months or years in the accounts of artists who have not reached the required threshold.
Three common scenarios artists face
- The balance builds slowly: A song getting a few hundred plays a month may generate less than one dollar a month, which means you could wait years before reaching the minimum.
- Deleting or closing the account: If you decide to leave the distributor, or the distributor shuts down its service, what happens to the remaining balance differs from company to company; some pay it out in full and some hold it.
- The balance expiring: Some distributor contracts state explicitly that earnings left unclaimed after a set period are treated as forfeited.
What actually happens to money that is held?
The answer depends entirely on the terms and conditions you signed at sign-up. There are three possible fates for your earnings:
- Carried over to the next month: This is the best case, where the balance stays in your account until it passes the minimum.
- Forfeited after a period of dormancy: Some contracts allow the distributor to forfeit the earnings of inactive accounts after 12 or 24 months, and this clause is usually buried in the last pages of the agreement.
- Converted into service credit: In some models, the unpaid balance turns into internal credits that cannot be withdrawn as cash.
Practical steps to protect your earnings
- Read the contract before signing up: Look specifically for words like "unclaimed earnings", "dormant account" or "forfeiture" in the terms and conditions. These words tell you what will happen to your money.
- Track your balance monthly: Don't leave the account unwatched. Log in regularly and make sure earnings are accumulating correctly.
- Choose a distributor with a low minimum, or none at all: Some distributors pay out any amount regardless of size, and that protects you from the problem of held funds.
- Don't delete your account before withdrawing your balance: If you decide to move to another distributor, withdraw your balance first, or check the company's policy on balances when an account is closed.
- Avoid scattering your earnings: If your listener numbers are small, concentrate your distribution instead of spreading earnings across several accounts at different companies, each with its own separate minimum.
The key difference with Mazufa
At Mazufa, fees and deductions follow the current plan and the agreement in force on earnings, and the payout policy is designed to be transparent from day one. Before you choose any distributor, ask one direct question: what happens to my balance if I close my account tomorrow? The answer will tell you a lot about the nature of the relationship.
Summary
The minimum payout threshold is not a simple administrative measure; it is a contractual clause that can cost you real earnings if you don't understand its details. The first step is reading, the second is choosing consciously, and the third is following up continuously.