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 should this question worry you?
The digital music distribution industry has seen a wave of restructuring, closures and acquisitions in recent years. When you depend on a single distribution company to deliver your music to the platforms, you are putting all your eggs in one basket. Knowing what actually happens when a distributor goes bankrupt gives you enough time to act rather than find out too late.
What actually happens when a distributor goes bankrupt?
Bankruptcy is not a single event but a legal process that goes through stages, and its effect on your music differs at each stage:
- Payments stop: The first thing that usually happens is that accounts and pending earnings are frozen. You may find your earnings from previous months held with no clear payout date.
- Music stays on the platforms temporarily: Your tracks will usually stay available on Spotify, Apple Music and others for a while, because the platforms do not remove content the moment a distributor goes bankrupt, but this is not guaranteed in the long run.
- Uncertainty over who owns your contract: In bankruptcy, liquidators or creditors can take over the company's assets, including its contracts. That means your contract may pass to a third party you never agreed to.
- Difficulty withdrawing your music: You may find yourself unable to move your music to another distributor for as long as the company's legal situation is unresolved, because login credentials and channel ownership may be frozen.
Where do your unpaid earnings go?
When a company declares bankruptcy, artists become unsecured creditors in most legal systems, which means they are last in the order of priority when the remaining assets are distributed. You may get part of your earnings, or you may get nothing, depending on the laws of the country where the company was incorporated and the size of its debts.
Practical steps to protect yourself now
- Read your contract carefully: Look for clauses on "termination on bankruptcy" or "transfer of ownership". Some contracts let you exit automatically in these situations.
- Keep copies of everything: Save the original high-quality audio files (WAV or FLAC), the metadata, and the ISRC and UPC codes for every track on your own machine and in independent cloud storage.
- Track your earnings regularly: Don't let them build up for months without review. The less pending earnings sit in the distributor's account, the smaller your potential loss.
- Diversify your distribution sources if you can: Some artists distribute different albums through different distributors, which reduces the impact of any one of them running into trouble.
- Register your works with performing rights societies: Registering your music with performing rights organisations (such as ASCAP, BMI or their equivalents in your country) secures part of your earnings independently of the distributor.
- Watch the financial news about your company: Repeated payment delays, sudden changes of ownership, and widespread artist complaints on forums are all early warning signs.
What to do if your distributor declares bankruptcy now
- Contact the platforms (Spotify, Apple, YouTube) immediately through their support portals and tell them the situation; in some cases you can request a transfer of the channel or the content ownership directly.
- Document all earnings owed to you with screenshots from the distributor's dashboard before the data disappears.
- Consult a lawyer specialising in entertainment law or intellectual property, especially if the amounts are large.
- Move to a new distributor as soon as you are sure you can recover your content without legal restrictions.
Prevention is better than cure
Choosing a distributor with a clear financial record and transparent contract terms is your first line of defence. At Mazufa, we make a point of clear terms of dealing and an easy exit. But whichever distributor you choose, legal awareness and keeping your files well organised are your real protection, and no one can freeze that.