Many artists stay with a distributor longer than they want because they are afraid of losing their streams, playlist placements and reviews. With the right preparation, you can move your catalogue to a new distributor without taking your music offline.

Why matching matters

Stores recognise a release by its identifiers and details. When the new delivery matches the existing release, platforms can keep the stream history, playlist positions and links together. When the details differ, the store may treat it as a new product, and your history can be split across two versions.

Step 1: Collect your release data

Before you change anything, export or write down for each release:

• The UPC of the release and the ISRC of every track.
• The exact artist name, release title and track titles, including capitalisation.
• The original release date.
• The final audio files and artwork that were delivered.
• Credits, featured artists and genre.

Step 2: Create the release in SpaceMedia

Create the release again with the same artist name, titles, audio, artwork, UPC and ISRCs wherever available. Enter your existing codes instead of generating new ones. Add the original release date so the release keeps its place in your discography.

Step 3: Wait until the new delivery is live

Keep the release active with your old distributor until the SpaceMedia delivery has been approved and is live on the stores. Removing it too early can take your music offline for a while.

Step 4: Remove the release from your old distributor

Once the new version is live, ask your previous distributor to take down their copy. Check the main stores afterwards to confirm that your release, play counts and playlists are still in place.

Tips for a smooth move

• Move one release first. Test the process with a single before you transfer your whole catalogue.
• Collect your last payouts. Make sure you receive any remaining royalties from your old distributor, and note that late reports for past streams may still arrive there.
• Update your links. Point your smartlinks and bio links to the live releases.
• Keep your records. A spreadsheet of codes, titles and dates makes every future release easier.

Moving a large catalogue?

Labels and artists with many releases can compare plans on our pricing page, including plans with migration support. Read ISRC and UPC codes explained to make sure your identifiers are in order, then create your free account to start the move.