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 “limited releases” model in these plans
Some music distribution companies rely on a model that allows a limited number of releases per year or for the whole duration of the subscription. A number of these companies offer free or low-cost plans with a certain cap on releases. Once you reach that cap, your song does not disappear from Spotify immediately, but what happens next differs from company to company and from case to case.
What exactly happens on Spotify?
When you exceed the allowed limit, there are two common scenarios:
- New releases frozen: You cannot upload a new song until you upgrade to a paid plan or a new cycle begins, if the plan renews. Previously published songs usually stay on the service untouched.
- Songs pulled or taken down: In some cases the company sends a notice that the excess releases will be removed from the services if the plan is not upgraded within a set deadline, which can mean your song actually disappearing from Spotify and the rest of the services.
The crucial difference here is that Spotify itself does not make the removal decision; the decision comes from the distributor. Spotify receives the removal request and carries it out, and that can take from 24 hours to a week.
What does that mean for streaming data and revenue?
If your song is removed from Spotify, then:
- Its stream count stops accumulating immediately.
- The song's links stop working and listeners cannot reach it.
- Revenue accumulated before the removal is usually not lost, but it is subject to each distributor's policy on paying it out.
- Listeners' playlists keep the song's name but show it as “unavailable”.
Practical steps if you have reached the cap
- Check your dashboard immediately: Log in to your account with your distributor and check the messages and notices, since a warning is usually sent before any action.
- Read your plan's terms carefully: Understand whether the limit renews annually or is permanent, and what deadline you have before removal.
- Decide between upgrading and moving: Compare the cost of upgrading with the options from other distributors, since there are distributors that offer distribution on a revenue-share model presented after the application is reviewed and with no cap on releases.
- Always keep copies of your files: WAV-quality audio files, the cover art, and the ISRC numbers for each song. This data belongs to you.
- Move your releases before the removal: If you decide to move to another distributor, start the transfer process before the song is removed and not after, because moving after removal means the stream counter starts from zero.
Do you lose the ISRC number when a song is removed?
The ISRC number (the International Standard Recording Code) is tied to the sound recording itself and not to the service. If you release the song with a new distributor using the same ISRC number, you may recover the streaming history on some services, including Spotify, but this does not happen automatically and may require contacting the new distributor's support team directly.
How do you avoid this situation in future?
- Choose a distributor that does not cap the number of releases from the outset, especially if you plan multiple releases per year.
- Follow the terms of service regularly, because some companies amend their terms without wide notice.
- Choose services that keep full ownership of the song in your hands and make it easy to move releases.
- Don't rely on a plan available under its current terms if music is a real source of income for you; the cost of a song going down is usually higher than the cost of a paid subscription.
Summary
Exceeding the release limit does not necessarily mean the end of your song, but it does mean you face a decision that has to be made quickly. Acting early protects your streams and your revenue. The options are there; what matters is being aware of the terms of service you agreed to from the start.