Preparing Metadata Before Creating a Release

Before creating a Release, all Album and Track metadata must be complete, accurate, and entered in the correct Reprtoir fields. DSPs expect metadata to be editorially clean and structurally consistent, and most ingestion systems will flag formatting irregularities, misplaced information, or stylistic inconsistencies.

Metadata must remain strictly descriptive. Titles, Subtitles, contributor names, roles, and version descriptors must follow editorial guidelines and avoid promotional wording, decorative symbols, or unconventional stylization. Reprtoir provides dedicated fields for each element — including Title, Subtitle, Main Artists, Featured Artists, Composers, Authors, and contributor roles — so that data is exported according to the schemas expected by DSPs and distributors.

A significant portion of delivery slowdowns comes from preventable metadata issues. The most common problems include placing version information inside the Title instead of the Subtitle, inserting featuring artists into the Title instead of using the Featured Artist field, adding marketing expressions such as “Official”, “Exclusive”, “HD”, or “New Release”, uploading incorrect artwork or audio formats, or using prohibited characters or decorative typography in public-facing fields. These issues are routinely flagged by automated ingestion systems and may delay or block delivery.

Because Releases inherit all Album and Track metadata automatically, any error left at this stage will propagate across all delivery instances. Preparing clean metadata upstream is the most effective way to ensure smooth validation, faster approvals, and consistent formatting across DSPs.

Preparing Artwork and Audio Files

Before creating a Release, artwork and audio must meet the technical standards required by DSPs. Incorrect dimensions, low-quality masters, or incompatible formats are among the most common causes of ingestion issues. Preparing high-quality media upstream ensures smooth validation across all delivery modes.

Artwork Requirements

Artwork must be square, high-resolution, and final before delivery. DSP ingestion systems will reject artwork that is too small, distorted, improperly formatted, or non-compliant with editorial restrictions.

Recommended technical standards:

Minimum resolution: 1500 × 1500 px (with 3000 × 3000 px strongly recommended)
Accepted formats: JPEG or PNG
Color space: RGB (CMYK files may fail ingestion or display incorrectly)
No artificial borders or letterboxing (white or black bars), watermarks, decorative frames, or excessive graphic text unless they are part of the official artistic design
No trademarks, explicit imagery, nudity, violent content, or any restricted material identified in DSP editorial guidelines

Updating artwork after delivery requires submitting a formal update request.

Audio Requirements

Reprtoir converts audio masters to FLAC 24-bit for delivery to most DSPs. The fidelity of the delivered asset depends entirely on the source file you upload.

For best results:

Upload WAV 24-bit or AIFF 24-bit files (FLAC 24-bit is accepted).
16-bit files are accepted but will be upscaled.
Use consistent sample rates across all Tracks (44.1 kHz or 48 kHz recommended).
Avoid compressed formats such as MP3, AAC, OGG, or M4A, which degrade quality and can introduce fingerprinting inconsistencies.
Ensure masters are free of clipping, silence padding, or mastering artefacts that may trigger DSP quality checks.

High-resolution audio and compliant artwork significantly improve delivery reliability and reduce the risk of DSP rejections or publishing delays.

Updating audio after delivery also requires a formal update workflow..

Delivery Validation Process

When delivering content to DSPs, several layers of validation may occur along the delivery chain. These validations can result in delays, temporary holds, or full rejections if the content fails to meet legal, editorial, or technical requirements. Reprtoir Smart Control is designed to help you detect issues early, but additional checks also occur at the Distributor and DSP levels.

Each stakeholder applies its own rules and uses different tools — including automated systems, machine learning models, fingerprinting technology, and human review teams. The best way to avoid issues is to follow metadata best practices and use Reprtoir’s structured fields as intended.

Below is an overview of how the validation process operates across the delivery chain.

◼ 1. Reprtoir Smart Control

Reprtoir Smart Control performs an automatic validation of any Release before submission.

It checks for:

missing mandatory metadata,
incompatible artwork or audio formats,
identifier inconsistencies,
structural errors between Album, Track, and Release.

Detected issues must be corrected before the Release can proceed.

This automated review reflects real-world DSP requirements and gives you early visibility into potential blockers.

◼ 2. Manual Review Processes

Depending on your delivery mode, a manual review may apply before the DSP receives your content.

Reprtoir Distribution

Every Release submitted through Reprtoir Distribution is manually reviewed by Reprtoir’s content operations team.

The team verifies:

metadata consistency and formatting,
compliance with DSP editorial rules,
correct use of identifiers,
artwork and audio compatibility,
legal or copyright risk,
edge cases involving samples, ambiguous rights, or potential fraud.

If corrections are needed, you receive a clear report before resubmission.

Direct-to-DSP Delivery

Reprtoir does not perform manual checks in this mode. The DSP receives your data exactly as submitted.

Direct-to-Distributor Delivery

Reprtoir does not perform manual checks in this mode. The Distributor receives your data exactly as submitted.

◼ 3. DSP Automated & Manual Validation Systems

Once the DSP receives your Release, two layers of verification generally occur:

Automated Validation

Most DSPs run automated analysis to detect issues such as:

metadata inconsistencies or prohibited terminology,
incorrect casing or formatting,
artwork violations (trademarks, nudity, restricted imagery),
duplicate audio, unauthorized samples, or AI-generated content where prohibited.

These systems are fast and applied to every incoming Release.

Manual Review

In addition to automated checks, many DSPs operate human editorial review teams.

They may manually inspect:

suspicious metadata,
legal or copyright risk,
cultural appropriateness,
brand-sensitive material,
edge cases involving samples, ambiguous rights, or potential fraud.

Because DSP review occurs after delivery, preventing issues upstream — by respecting metadata standards and ensuring clean, compliant assets — is essential to smooth distribution across all delivery modes.

How Best Practices Fit Into the Asset Delivery System

The guidance provided on this page is designed to work seamlessly with all delivery modes supported by Reprtoir. Whether your workflow relies on Reprtoir Distribution, your own DSP deals, or third-party distributors, the same preparation logic applies: high-quality assets, clean metadata, correct contributor roles, and neutral, editorially compliant formatting.

For deeper rules and examples — including capitalization, version descriptors, contributor roles, and language-specific casing — continue with the metadata reference materials linked below.