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 a UPC and why does it matter to you?
The UPC, or Universal Product Code, is a unique barcode assigned to every album, EP or complete music release. Streaming platforms such as Spotify use this code to identify your release in their databases. Put simply: the UPC is your release's digital identity in the market.
In most cases the distributor issues this code when your music is uploaded. But the important question is: what happens if your subscription with the distributor ends or you stop working with it?
Scenarios for UPC expiry
The UPC itself does not technically "expire", but what happens is that the distributor may pull the release from the platforms if your subscription ends or you close your account. In practice that leads to the following:
- Your release is removed from Spotify and the rest of the streaming platforms within days or weeks.
- The UPC tied to that release becomes inactive on the platforms.
- The track disappears from the public interface, even though listening data may remain stored internally at Spotify.
Do the listening statistics disappear for good?
The track disappears from search and from listings, but Spotify keeps historical listening data internally. The real problem is that if you later re-upload the same track through another distributor, you will get a new ISRC and UPC, which means:
- The new release is treated as an entirely different track.
- Old listening statistics do not carry over automatically to the new release.
- You lose any standing you had built in algorithmic playlists over time.
What is the difference between a UPC and an ISRC?
The ISRC, or International Standard Recording Code, is assigned to each individual track, while the UPC is assigned to the release as a whole (the album or the EP). If your release is pulled, the UPC is affected, but the ISRC for each track remains the artist's in principle, although how that applies depends on the distributor's policy.
Practical steps to protect your music before it is too late
- Keep a copy of the ISRC for every track before leaving the distributor. This code matters for continuity in revenue tracking across platforms.
- Move your releases before you cancel the subscription, not after. Many distributors allow a grace period to pull your files.
- Check the distributor's policy on what happens to the UPC and the ISRC when the contract ends.
- Keep the original high-quality audio files (WAV or FLAC) locally, not just on the distributor's platform.
- Document the release metadata (Metadata) in full: the artist name, the album name, the release date, and the UPC and ISRC numbers.
What do you do if your songs have already been pulled?
If you find that your songs have disappeared from Spotify after your relationship with the distributor ended, the following steps will help you recover:
- Contact the new distributor and explain that you want to use the same ISRC codes if you have them, to limit the impact of losing the data.
- Re-upload the release as soon as possible to shorten the period of absence from the platforms.
- Write to Spotify for Artists if you have a verified artist profile, and tell them about the change so the new release can be linked to your profile.
- Tell your audience directly on social media about the new link.
Choose a distributor that respects your rights
Read the terms and conditions of any distributor before signing up, and specifically the clauses on ownership of the UPC and ISRC when the service ends. Some distributors keep these codes; others make them available to you. Transparency on this point is a core criterion when choosing who to trust with your music.