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.
First: understanding the problem precisely
When you pay a digital distributor a fee to upload your song, you are in most cases paying for the service of sending the file to the platforms, not for a guarantee of acceptance. Platforms such as Spotify, Apple Music and Amazon Music have their own technical and legal standards, and they reserve the right to reject any content that does not meet them. This distinction matters before you can understand what happens to your money.
Second: why do platforms reject songs?
Rejection is not rare, and the reasons are usually clear and published in the platforms' policies. The main ones:
- Third-party copyrighted content without a licence (an uncleared sample, for example).
- Metadata such as the artist name or the ISRC conflicting with previously registered content.
- Audio quality below the minimum required.
- Breach of the platform's content policies.
- The song title resembling content previously reported.
Third: what happens to the fees you paid the distributor?
In most paid distribution cases the upload fee is not refunded, because you paid for the attempt to deliver, not for the outcome of acceptance. But the details differ from one distributor to another, so you should read the terms of service before you pay. Some distributors allow a re-upload once the cause is corrected; others treat the upload as an attempt that has been used up.
In the revenue-share distribution model offered after an application review, as at Mazufa, because you review the offer before signing you know the fees and deductions that apply to your case in the event of rejection, which reduces the financial risk.
Fourth: what about expected earnings?
If the song is rejected before it is published, there are no earnings at all, since the platforms do not start counting plays before actual publication. But there is another scenario: the song is published first and then taken down later because of an infringement report. In that case:
- The platform may freeze the accumulated earnings until the ownership question is settled.
- If copyright infringement is established, the earnings may go to the original rights holder.
- Some platforms hold the amounts for between 30 and 180 days before making a decision.
Fifth: practical steps that protect your money and your songs
- Read the distributor's refund policy before you pay: Look specifically for the clause on "what happens when the platform rejects", not just the general cancellation clause.
- Document ownership of every element in the song: Keep the producer and writer contracts and the sample licences before you upload.
- Review the metadata carefully: Make sure the artist name, the song title and the ISRC data do not conflict with existing records.
- Meet the technical standards: Spotify accepts MP3 files at 320 kbps or WAV/FLAC files, and other platforms' requirements may differ, so check them directly.
- Contact the distributor as soon as you are rejected: Ask for the error code or the reason for rejection in writing.
- Choose a distribution model that reduces your financial risk: Models that do not require payment up front make the experience of rejection less costly.
Sixth: what do you do if earnings are held after a takedown?
If you find earnings held in the distributor's dashboard because of an ownership dispute, these are the recommended steps:
- Send the distributor your ownership documents immediately and don't wait.
- If the dispute concerns a particular platform, contact its artist support team directly through their official portal.
- If the reply takes more than 30 days, document the correspondence and bring in a lawyer specialising in music intellectual property if the amounts justify it.
Summary
Rejection does not necessarily mean losing everything, but it can mean losing time and possibly fees you paid up front. Real protection begins before you upload the song: by documenting ownership, reading the terms, and choosing a distributor whose terms are clear. The lower the cost of uploading is for you, the more you can try again without financial pressure.