Creating a Release in Advanced Mode

What Is Advanced Mode?

It's the complete release-creation form, giving you full control over every aspect of the release: record label, schedule, specific territories, individual platforms, product codes, and legal details.

Unlike Quick Creation, which handles everything in a single wizard, advanced mode splits the process into two parts:

1. A 6-step wizard where you define the release's general information.
2. Two additional sections, inside the release's edit page, where you add artists and upload tracks.

When Should You Use This Mode?

Use it when you need to:

• Choose a record label other than the default one (if your account has permission to do so).
• Distribute to specific territories instead of Worldwide.
• Turn individual platforms on or off one by one.
• Set your own UPC, catalog number, or reference number.
• Configure preorder, early release, or mark the release as a compilation.
• Attach legal or licensing documents.

If you just want to upload a straightforward single with the recommended settings, Quick Creation is faster.

Step 1: Basic Information

This is where you define the release's core data:

• Title and version (optional, e.g. "Deluxe Edition," "Remix").
• Type: Single, EP, Album, or Compilation.
• Record label: if your account has permission to choose a label, you can search for one or create a new one; otherwise, the default public label is assigned automatically.
• Genre and subgenre (they can't be the same) — these determine which platforms will be available later on.
• Language, mood, and country of origin (optional).
• Description of the release (optional, up to 2000 characters).
• Cover art: a square image between 3000×3000 and 5000×5000 px, JPG or PNG, max 36 MB. Avoid borders, store logos, URLs, QR codes, or pricing text — only the title and artist name belong on it.

Step 2: Schedule

• Release date: the platform shows you the earliest date available under your plan; picking an earlier one triggers a warning.
• Original release date: can't be later than the release date.
• Preorder: enable it with the toggle and set a date, which must be earlier than the release date.
• Time zone and digital release time.
• This is a compilation: only shown when the type is Album.
• Early release: only visible if your account and plan allow it, and only when the release date is more than 20 days away. It lets you schedule which platforms — and on what earlier date — the release becomes available ahead of the official release.

Step 3: Territories

Choose between:

• Worldwide: available in every territory (the default).
• Custom: select specific territories, with quick templates (e.g. "Major Markets"), a search box, and "Select All" / "Clear All" buttons.

A summary panel shows how many territories you've chosen, the percentage of worldwide coverage, and a classification (Targeted, Regional, Wide, Global). If you select very few territories, or leave out major markets (US, UK, Germany, France, Canada, Australia, Japan), you'll see a suggestion to review your selection.

Step 4: Platform Distribution

Turn each streaming platform on or off individually. You can only select platforms that:

• Are included in your current plan.
• Are compatible with the genre/subgenre chosen in Step 1.

Platforms that don't meet either condition appear locked, with the reason shown. The "Select All Compatible" button selects everything available under your plan in one click.

Step 5: Codes & Legal

• UPC, catalog number, and reference number: all optional; if you leave the catalog number blank, one is generated automatically when the release is created.
• License type: Copyright or Creative Commons.
• Copyright holder and publishing rights holder: if your account has permission to set these, you can type a name; otherwise, the default company name is used.
• Platform terms & conditions: if any platform you selected in Step 4 requires accepting specific terms, they're shown here. Acceptance is recorded automatically when you save the release with that platform selected.

Step 6: Review

• Validation checklist: a live checklist showing your completion percentage and exactly what's missing in each section (basic information, schedule, territories, platforms, codes & legal, artists, tracks). It's only calculated once the release has already been saved.
• Release summary: a preview of title, artist, type, date, genre, language, and territories.
• License documents (optional): up to 5 files, 10 MB each, in PDF, image, or Word format.
• Spotify-style preview: shows how your release would look on that platform with the current data.

After Saving: Add Artists and Tracks

Once you save Step 1 (using the "Save and Add Artists" button) or finish the wizard, you're taken to the release's edit page, where you'll find two additional sections:

Artists

Add existing artists or create a new one, and assign them one or more roles (Main Artist, Producer, Composer, Lyricist, etc.). If you assign Composer, Lyricist, or Producer to an artist without a legal name on file, you'll see a warning — complete it before submitting for review.

Keep in mind the limit on main artists Spotify will display without grouping them as "Various Artists": 4 for Singles, 3 for EP/Album/Compilation.

Tracks

You can add a track you already have on your account, or upload new files in WAV or FLAC format (up to 99 files per upload). When you upload a new track, the platform automatically copies the release's genre, language, and artists/roles onto each track, and analyzes the audio to extract duration, format, bitrate, and other metadata.

The number of tracks required depends on the release type: Single = 1, EP = 2 to 6, Album = 7 or more.

If you change the release's artists or genre after uploading tracks, use the "Resync" action on each track to update it with the release's current data.

Submitting the Release for Review

Go back to the Summary tab (Step 6) to review the full checklist. The "Submit for Review" button is only enabled when:

• Every required checklist item is passing.
• You've accepted the terms for every platform that requires them.

If the button is disabled, hovering over it shows exactly what's still missing.

If the review team requests changes, the release's status switches to "Requires Changes," and you're shown exactly what to fix. Once you've made the adjustments, use the "Resubmit for Review" button to send it back in.