Industry concepts that apply across every distributor and DSP. These cover the what and why; for how a specific platform handles them, see that platform's page.

Release fundamentals

Single vs. EP vs. Album — the DSPs classify your release themselves and will override what you submit. Single is 1–3 tracks under 30 minutes; EP is 4–6 tracks under 30 minutes, or 1–3 tracks where one runs 10+ minutes; Album is 7+ tracks or 30+ minutes. Misclassification affects where the release sits in your discography, whether you can run a pre-order, and how many editorial pitches you get.

Various Artists & compilations — use Various Artists only when there's genuinely no lead artist. A DJ mix credits the DJ. A two-artist collab credits both. Getting this wrong keeps the release out of the lead artist's discography entirely.

Pre-release mechanics

Pre-order is a purchase (iTunes, Amazon). Pre-add is Apple Music's streaming equivalent. Pre-save is third-party smartlink authorization, used for Spotify and others. Instant Grat tracks only exist where pre-order does — Apple and Amazon — and are album-level only.

One consequence worth planning around: IGT streams accrue to the album, not as a standalone single. If you want a track to chart as a single, don't make it an IGT.

Still being written

These are outlined but not yet complete — we're filling them in over time: Why Was My Release Rejected?, Explicit Content Guidelines & Cleaning, Release Timing & Timezones, Contributor & Credit Roles, and Reporting Infringement to SpaceHeater.