Home Release Management

Release Management

By Angel Gaitan
• 10 articles

Distributing Music on UGC Platforms: Rules and Tips to Avoid Rejections

Is your music not available on Instagram, Facebook, or TikTok? This might be due to recent changes in their rules to ensure original content and prevent duplicates. Below, we explain what UGC is and why some songs may not be accepted. What are "UGC" platforms? User Generated Content (UGC) platforms allow users to upload and share their own content. These include YouTube, SoundCloud, TikTok, and META platforms (Instagram and Facebook). To maintain a 100% original catalog, these platforms have tightened their policies to prevent repeated or non-exclusive content. Types of content that will be rejected on UGC platforms: Your music is likely to be rejected if it falls under any of the following categories: - Public Domain Works: Recordings, samples, or manipulations of classical or public domain works are not accepted. - Generic Sounds: White noise, songs with a duration of less than a minute, environmental sounds (such as animal noises), phone tones, laughter, movie snippets, or spoken words without music are not allowed. - Use of Commercial Loops or Samples: Beats or sounds from commercial sample packs are not accepted. You can only use loops or samples if they are 100% original. - DJ Mixes, Full Albums, or Compilations: Files containing multiple tracks within a single file, such as DJ mixes, compilations, or full albums, are not permitted. - Non-Exclusive Licensed Content: If you purchased music from soundtrack libraries or production catalogs but do not hold an exclusive license (i.e., you are not the sole distributor), it cannot be distributed. - Soundalike Versions, Covers, or Karaoke/Instrumentals: Imitations of existing songs, cover versions, and karaoke or instrumental versions are not allowed. - Live Versions Too Similar to the Original: If your live version is nearly identical to the studio recording, it may be considered a duplicate and rejected. - Remixes of Songs by Other Artists: You can only distribute remixes if you have the necessary rights or licenses. - Re-recorded, Remastered, or Remixed Versions: You cannot distribute these versions unless you own the original master recording. How to avoid your music being rejected? To ensure your content is accepted on these platforms, follow these recommendations: ✅ Create 100% original content: Avoid using commercial samples or loops unless you have exclusive rights. ✅ Register your music: Make sure you have the distribution rights to your songs. If your music has been rejected by any of these platforms, don’t worry! It will still be available on other major platforms like Spotify. Follow these guidelines and maximize your music distribution! 🎶

Last updated on Nov 12, 2025

How Long Does the Review Process Take in Indiefy?

Review and publication process of your music on Indiefy Once you submit your music, our distribution team listens to it and checks the metadata of your release. This review process includes copyright scans and audio quality checks to ensure everything meets digital store standards. 🎵 We want to give proper attention to each artist, so your release may remain under review for 1 to 2 business days. After this period, the release status will change: - Approved: if no issues are detected, your release will be approved and ready for publication. - Reopened: if minor adjustments are needed, you can make changes and resubmit it. - Rejected: if it doesn’t meet the guidelines, it cannot be published. If your release is approved, you only need to wait for the publication date for the status to change to “Published.” Keep in mind: - Indiefy PRO: your release can be published from 7 days after submission for review, although the exact date depends on your chosen schedule. - Indiefy Basic: your release can be published from 21 days after submission for review, which is the minimum time before publication. If your release is reopened, you can make some changes and resubmit it. If it is rejected, it cannot be resubmitted. Once a release has a set launch date, it cannot be changed, unless you are a PRO user. You can check the status of your release in your distributions profile: indiefy.net/distributions From that point on, it is the stores’ responsibility to publish your music on time. By default, releases are published at 12:00 a.m. CT on the selected release date. However, delays may occur due to the high volume of music they handle. 💡 Tip: It is recommended to plan your release well in advance, ideally with at least one month of lead time. This will allow you to: - Submit your music for Spotify pitching. - Prepare and execute promotion strategies. - Reach a larger audience and maximize the impact of your music

Last updated on Jan 28, 2026

What to Do When Your Release on Indiefy is Reopened?

If the status of your release changed to "Reopened," it means our review team identified an issue that must be resolved before it can be sent to the stores. Don’t worry, this is a normal process. Here we explain how to proceed. Step by Step: How to Fix Your Release 1. Check the notification: You should have received an email about the reopening of the release. 2. Access your release: Go to your distributions profile: indiefy.net/distributions 3. Fix the issues: Select the reopened release and click on the "Fix issues" button. This will allow you to edit all the details. 4. Make the necessary changes: Below, we show you the most common reasons and how to solve them. Common Reasons and Their Solutions 1. Release Data Confirmation (Inconsistencies) Our team needs to verify that you are the legitimate owner of the music, to protect you and other artists. You must complete a verification form where you show the creation process. - Go to indiefy.net/tools, then to "Forms," and you will find the form called “Release Data Confirmation.” - Video requirements: - It must show your production session (DAW – recording software). - The audio must be audible and match the song you are distributing. - Do not use only still images that do not show your full session, nor only audio. 2. Special Content (Traditional, Religious, Public Domain) This is material that does not necessarily infringe copyright; however, its origin is not very clear and it may be considered risky content. 3. Artist Data Confirmation (Social Media) Your social media accounts are missing, or the links are not valid (personal accounts, private accounts, or ones that do not correspond to the artist). Go to your Artist Profile on Indiefy and add or update the links to your official and public social media accounts. 4. Copyright Infringement (Unauthorized Samples) - Problem: The use of third-party samples, beats, or vocals without the proper license was detected. - Solution: - Option A (Recommended): Obtain a valid and certified license from the rights holder and upload it as proof. - Option B: Remove the problematic track or sample from your release. 5. Use of "Free Beats" The use of free beats was detected. Even if they are “free,” they almost always require a license for commercial distribution. Provide the license that the beat’s creator gave you. If the license allows free use, include the document or link that specifies this. Otherwise, you must remove the track. 6. Low Audio Quality - The audio file does not meet the quality standards required by the stores. - What to check and fix: - Mastering quality (avoid noisy, distorted, or cellphone-recorded audio). - Remove long silences at the beginning (>10 seconds) or end (>10 seconds) of the song. - Remove any prolonged silence in the middle of the song. 7. Song Already Released by Another Distributor If your music is already in the stores through another service, you must request the complete removal of that release from the previous distributor. Only after it has disappeared from all stores will you be able to redistribute it through Indiefy. Need more help? If after reviewing this guide you still have questions, our support team is here to help you. Contact us directly at: support@indiefy.net

Last updated on Oct 01, 2025

What does receiving a strike on Indiefy mean?

At Indiefy, we strive to provide the best possible service to all our artists and users. To achieve this, it is essential that every release complies with our guidelines and terms of use. Sometimes we detect suspicious activities or practices that do not comply with our policies. To maintain quality standards and protect both artists and the platform, we have implemented a strike system. A strike is a disciplinary warning applied when a user commits a serious violation of our terms and conditions. Below, we explain the most common cases in which strikes are generated: 1. Copyright Rejection When a user submits a song that clearly belongs to another artist, our systems detect it through databases and verification tools. In this case, the content is rejected, and a strike is applied to the responsible user. 2. Copyright Claim A release may be approved, but later another user could file a claim alleging ownership of the work. In these cases, our team reviews the information, and if the accused artist cannot provide valid proof of ownership, a strike will be applied. If you have legitimate evidence that the content belongs to you, you may appeal the claim. 3. AI-Generated Content At Indiefy, we do not accept content created entirely with artificial intelligence. It is acceptable to use these tools as support for lyrics or instrumentals, but the interpretation must always be human. If a release does not include real artist participation, it will be rejected and a strike will be applied. 4. Invalid Featuring A featuring can only include artists who actually participated in the song. For example, you cannot upload a release and add a famous artist as a collaborator if they did not participate in the recording. In this case, the content will be rejected, and a strike will be applied. 5. Multiple Reopenings of a Release If a release reaches three reopenings due to not meeting the requirements, it will be permanently rejected. This does not generate a strike, but it does result in the rejection of the release. That is why it is very important to carefully review the reopening reasons and make the necessary corrections on time. 6. Artificial Streams Music stores may report suspicious activity such as using paid services to inflate streams or being added to fraudulent playlists. In these cases, a strike will be applied immediately, as this damages both the artist’s credibility and relationships with the stores. We recommend monitoring your analytics closely and avoiding any stream growth services, as they are artificial and do not reflect real growth. Important Information about Strikes - Strikes cannot be removed and will always remain on your account. - If you reach three strikes, your account will be permanently banned. - After the first strike, your account will be automatically frozen. To unfreeze it, you must contact our support team at: support@indiefy.com. The best way to protect your account is to avoid strikes altogether by following the guidelines and ensuring your music complies with our standards.

Last updated on Jan 28, 2026

How to Avoid Rejections on Apple Music: Metadata, Cover Art, and Covers Guide

1. General Principles - All content must be legally authorized for worldwide distribution (or by territory). - The content must be completely original, meaning it must not have any matches in the beat with other songs. For example, using royalty-free beats or those with basic licenses; in these cases, an exclusive license is necessary. - Apple automatically rejects any delivery that contains copyright infringements, unlicensed samples, or serious incorrect metadata. - Other non-allowed content. Content belonging to any of the following musical categories will be hidden: - Subliminal content - Music videos and karaoke ringtones - Karaoke tracks with lead vocals or vocal versions - Ringtones delivered as tracks in music albums - DJ Mix albums delivered as a single audio file - Advertising tracks - Live albums, alternate takes, rare recordings, early recordings, radio broadcasts, interviews, and other albums commonly known as "bootlegs" 2. General Metadata - Album and song titles must be exact (without adding “(Deluxe)”, “(Remastered)”, etc., unless it is part of the official title). - Do not use “(Clean)” or “(Explicit)” in the title; this is indicated with the explicit content label. - Prohibited to include URLs, hashtags, emojis, prices, release dates, or promotional phrases in titles or artist names. - Language: Use the original language of the work (including the original alphabet: Cyrillic, Japanese, Arabic, etc.). 3. Artist Names and Roles Always use first and last name, never add artist name in the credits, and there must always be credits for producer and for performer. 4. Cover Versions - Covers: A legal license must be obtained. The original composer appears as Composer, but the current performer is the Primary Artist. 5. Explicit Content and Censorship - Mark correctly: Explicit, Clean, or No Advisory. - If there is a Clean and Explicit version of the same album, they must be delivered separately. 6. Cover Art Quality - Images must not be low quality, pixelated, misaligned, rotated, or have other quality issues. Additional information. - The cover art must not contain website addresses, logos, QR codes, or references to competitors of Apple Music and the iTunes Store. - The cover art must not contain references to the audio file format, such as Atmos, Dolby Atmos, spatial audio, lossless, high-resolution audio, high resolution, 24-bit, or 192 kHz. - The cover art must not promote another product nor include references to prices such as “Reduced Price”, “Low Price”, “Available for $9.99”, or “For Promotional Use”. - Pornography. The art must not contain pornography nor a URL to a website that contains or links to pornography. - Cultural Sensitivities. The art must not promote hatred based on race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national/ethnic origin, or other identities. - Use of non-original Parental Advisory image.

Last updated on Dec 15, 2025

How to Properly Complete the Release Data Confirmation Form

1️.  Artist name Enter your artist name exactly as shown in the release. 2️. Release name Add the name of the reopened release, without abbreviations or errors. 3️. Video showing the creation process  You must upload a video showing how the song was created. Video requirements: - 3.1 The video must show your DAW or audio editor, including tracks or stems. - 3.2 It must be short, clear, and precise, clearly showing the project. - 3.3 The video must include the original project audio (no external audio allowed). - 3.4 Avoid uploading videos not related to the reopened song. - 3.5 If you used loops or pads, mention the source of the samples and confirm usage rights. - 3.6 Do not upload music videos or talking videos; only the DAW should be visible. - 3.7 Audio, text files or image files are not accepted instead of the required video. 4️. Loops or samples If loops were used, attach an image showing the source, for example a screenshot from Splice. 5️. Contributors If your release includes contributors, add links to their social media profiles to confirm their participation. Form review After submitting the form: - The Indiefy team will review the information You can check the result at: 👉https://indiefy.net/form-submissions You will see if it was: - ✅ Approved: YOU MAY RESEND YOUR RELEASE FOR REVIEW - ❌ Rejected: Check the reason by clicking “View” and correct the information Final recommendation Make sure to submit clear, complete, and accurate information to avoid further rejections and delays.

Last updated on Jan 28, 2026