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 is YouTube Music different from the other platforms?
Most artists think about Spotify and Apple Music when changing distributor, and overlook YouTube Music. The problem is that YouTube Music is tied to the wider YouTube ecosystem, which makes the move more complicated than with other platforms.
When your distributor uploads your song to YouTube Music, YouTube creates what is known as an "Art Track" — an automatic video that represents your song. That video has its own link, and it collects views, comments and data. The core question: what happens to all of that when you move?
The most common scenario: the song is deleted and then put back
In most cases of changing distributor, your song goes through the following stages:
- Your old distributor sends a request to take the song down from the platforms when your relationship with them ends.
- The song disappears from YouTube Music temporarily, and this gap can take from days to weeks.
- Your new distributor uploads the song again, so YouTube creates a new Art Track with a completely different link.
- The views and comments attached to the old link do not carry over to the new one.
Put simply: you start from zero on YouTube Music, even if your song is well known.
What happens to the old links and playlists?
If you shared your YouTube Music song link in earlier posts or put it in the bio of your accounts, that link will stop working after the deletion. Also:
- Any playlist a listener added your song to will lose the reference to it.
- YouTube Studio stats for the old song will stay in the old distributor's account, not yours.
- If you have an official YouTube channel linked, the song's presence in the "Official Artist Channel" feature may be affected.
Is there a way to keep the old link?
In rare cases, the same Art Track can be kept if the move is done through the "Claim" mechanism instead of deleting and re-uploading. But this requires direct coordination between the old and the new distributor, and not every company supports it. Check with your new distributor before starting the move to find out whether it supports this option.
Practical steps to protect yourself before changing distributor
- Document everything: Save your current Art Track links, and record the view counts and stats from YouTube Studio before the move begins.
- Coordinate the timing: Ask your new distributor to upload the song first, before the old one takes it down, to shorten the period it is off the platform.
- Talk to both distributors: Ask explicitly whether ownership can be transferred instead of deleting and re-uploading.
- Update your links as soon as it is back: As soon as the song appears at the new link, update your bio, your pinned posts and your website straight away.
- Tell your audience: A simple post explaining that the song will be back in a few days reduces listener confusion.
What about earnings during the gap?
Any play that happens while your song is off YouTube Music will not be counted for you. Earnings stop when publication stops. For that reason, keeping the gap as short as possible is a financial priority, not just a marketing one.
One last tip: choose a distributor that makes moving easier from the start
Some distributors make the move easy and support coordination with the platforms, while others make it complicated. Before signing with any distributor, read the exit terms carefully: how long does a takedown take? Who controls the original files? Do they support data transfer? These questions save you a lot later.
Changing distributor is a perfectly legitimate decision, but planning ahead is the difference between a smooth move and losing the accumulated digital groundwork you built.