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.
The problem nobody talks about
Many artists decide to move from one distribution platform to another without realising that a wrong step can cost them earnings that took months to collect. The other distributor is one of the platforms whose users complain about the difficulty of recovering all their earnings when they leave, and this problem is a common pattern in the digital distribution industry that every artist should understand before making any decision.
How are earnings collected — and where do they disappear?
When your song is streamed on platforms such as Spotify, Apple Music or YouTube Music, the earnings do not reach your account immediately. The process goes through several stages:
- The platform collects the earnings monthly and transfers them to the music distributor after a period that is usually between 30 and 90 days.
- The distributor holds the money until it reaches the minimum withdrawal or until the set payout cycle.
- Some platforms, such as YouTube Content ID, can take longer because of verification processes.
The problem starts when you cancel your subscription or ask to pull your music before this cycle is complete. Earnings that have not yet reached your account can stay pending, and in some cases they are lost if you do not follow up properly.
The common reasons earnings are lost when leaving
- Cancelling the subscription before receiving the accumulated earnings: Some of the other distributor's plans require your account to be active in order to receive payments, and cancelling the subscription can freeze unwithdrawn earnings.
- Not withdrawing the balance before leaving: If your balance is below the minimum withdrawal and you take no action before closing the account, you may not be able to recover it later.
- Late YouTube Content ID earnings: These earnings arrive late by their nature, and many artists cancel their accounts before they arrive.
- Not reading the terms of service carefully: Some policies state explicitly what happens to unwithdrawn earnings when the account is terminated, but most artists do not read those clauses.
- Overlapping distribution: If you move to a new distributor and re-upload the same songs, conflicts can arise in the ISRC codes that complicate the collection of earnings.
Practical steps to protect your earnings before leaving
- Read the payment and termination policy in full: Review the other distributor's official documentation or contact their support to ask specifically what happens to unwithdrawn earnings when the account is closed.
- Withdraw your full balance first: Before any step, make sure your balance has reached the minimum withdrawal and complete a successful withdrawal.
- Wait for the full payment cycle: Do not rush into cancelling your account. Wait until you have received the last expected payment, and check the earnings reports to make sure there are no pending amounts.
- Keep your own ISRC codes: Record the ISRC codes for all your songs before you leave, since these codes help match the recording and keep tracking going, subject to data matching and platform policy, when you move to another distributor.
- Do not re-upload the songs with different codes: Re-uploading the same songs with new ISRC codes creates duplication that confuses the streaming platforms and loses the historical stream data.
- Contact support in writing: Send an email to the other distributor's team before cancelling and ask them to confirm the steps for recovering any remaining earnings, and keep this correspondence for reference.
What to look for in your new distributor
When choosing an alternative, look for a distributor that gives you full control over your files and your earnings data with no restrictions on withdrawal, and that lets you keep the ISRC codes you own or move them easily. The platform Mazufa for example works on the fees and deductions set out in the offer and the contract and gives artists full transparency in earnings reports, which reduces the risk of money being lost in any future change.
Summary
Losing earnings when changing distributor is not inevitable; it is the result of rushing and a lack of planning. Set aside a week or two to check your balance, read the terms, and withdraw your money before you close any door. A few minutes of reading today can save the earnings of months of work.
Start as an artist or as a label
Choose the artist or label track and submit your details for review. Uploading a release or delivering a catalogue does not begin before the offer is accepted and the contract is signed by both parties and in force.