Distributing Your Cover with Sing2Music

Upload your audio

1. Sign in to your Sing2Music Distribution account.
2. From the sidebar, go to Catalog → Assets → Audio.
3. Click New Audio Asset, top right.
4. Follow the prompts to upload your file.

Add your ISRC and metadata language

An ISRC (International Standard Recording Code) is the unique fingerprint for your recording — it’s how platforms track plays and royalties back to you.

• Already have one? Select Yes and enter it.
• Don’t have one? Select No. We’ll generate one for you automatically.

Then choose the Language you’re using to enter the track’s information. Default is English.

Enter your title and version

Type your Title exactly as you want it to appear on streaming platforms. Spelling, capitalisation, punctuation — what you type is what ships.

The Version field describes what kind of recording this is — “Cover”, “Cover Version”, “Acoustic Cover”, “Saxophone Cover”. It’s technically optional, but we recommend filling it in on every cover. It’s how listeners know what they’re getting, and it appears in brackets after your title on most platforms:

For example: I Will Always Love You (Cover Version)

Credit everyone who played

This section is worth doing properly. Some platforms require it, and it’s how the people on your record get found.

Main Primary Artist — click Add Main Primary Artist and choose your artist name from the dropdown. First time? Follow the prompts to create a new Artist.

Other key artists — use Add Artist for featured artists. Leave it blank if there aren’t any.

Performers — click Add Performer and add everyone who performed on the recording. Add at least one; several platforms require it.

• For a vocal cover, pick a role like Vocals or Lead Vocals.
• Use whichever name each performer prefers — personal name or artist name.
• Create a new Performer if the name isn’t in the list yet, and repeat for everyone on the track.

If you used one of our backing tracks, credit us as a Performer:

• Piano → Sing2Piano
• Acoustic Guitar → Sing2Guitar
• Band → karaoke SESH or Sing2Karaoke

Producer & Engineer Credits — add at least one Producer here, again because some platforms require it.

• Produced it yourself? Add your own name with the Producer role.
• Someone else produced it? Enter their name.
• Add any other production or engineering credits that apply.

Fill in the track details

Genres — pick a Primary and a Secondary Genre.

Preview/Clip Start Time — enter a time in mm:ss to set where previews begin on platforms that support it, like iTunes. Leave it blank if you’re not sure.

Catalog ID — enter one if you have a catalogue system of your own, or want to start one. Optional.

Origin — for most Sing2Music releases, this is Cover Song. Your three options:

• Cover Song — you performed someone else’s song without substantially changing the composition.
• Original Work — you wrote the melody and lyrics yourself.
• Public Domain & Traditional — the copyright has expired or the work is otherwise free of copyright.

Copyright — this is about your recording, not the song underneath it. Enter the year you recorded it and the name of your recording label. No label? Use your personal name or artist name.

Properties — hover the question mark in each box to see what it means. If none apply, select None of the above apply.

Explicit Content — mark it explicit if the lyrics or title include swearing, drug references, or sexual, violent or discriminatory content. Otherwise leave it as Not Explicit.

Lyrics or instrumental

Pick one:

• Contains Lyrics — for anything with singing on it. You’ll also need to choose the language of the lyrics; this one’s compulsory. There’s a box to paste the lyrics themselves, but we don’t recommend it for covers.
• Instrumental — for a recording with no lyrics at all.

Your answer here changes the writer role you’ll select in a moment, so keep it in mind.

Add the writers and publishing details

This is the part people skip, and it’s the part that makes sure the original songwriters get paid. Research the writers before you start — Spotify’s song credits, a quick search, or Genius will usually have them.

1. Click Add Writer and choose an existing Writer, or create a new one.
2. Choose the Role:
   • Selected Contains Lyrics above? Choose Composer & Lyricist.
   • Selected Instrumental? Choose Composer.
3. Add every credited writer. Share % can stay blank — it isn’t compulsory.
4. Choose a Publishing Type:
   • For a cover, select Published (managed by a publisher).
   • Find the publisher using The MLC’s public database — search the song title and the writers’ names.
   • If you’ve genuinely searched and can’t identify a publisher, Copyright-control (self-published) is the last-resort option.
   • Use Public Domain (no publisher) only when the work really is public domain. The Public Domain Information Project keeps a full list.
5. Enter the Publisher Name, creating a new Publisher if prompted.
6. Add the ISWC (International Standard Musical Work Code) if you know it. Optional.
7. Click Create.

That’s your Audio Asset done. Now let’s wrap it.

Right after creating your Audio Asset, click Create Product.

You can also start fresh from Catalog → Products → Digital Releases, then New Release in the top right.

Choose your tracks and artwork

1. Select every Audio Asset that belongs on this release.
2. Need another track that doesn’t exist yet? Choose Upload New Audio from the dropdown.
3. Follow the prompts to upload your Cover Artwork.

Let it pre-fill

Turn on Pre-fill release information from track metadata and the release details populate from a track you’ve already built. For a multi-track release, choose which track to pull from.

Read through what comes across before you continue — release-level details aren’t always identical to track-level ones. If it’s all correct, skip straight ahead to Label.

Check the release details

Metadata Language — the language you’re using to enter release information. Default is English.

Title — exactly as you want it on streaming platforms. Same rule as before: no original artist name in a cover title.

Version — “Cover Version”, “Acoustic Cover”, and so on. Recommended for covers, same as at track level.

Artists — add your Main Primary Artist, plus any featured artists.

Performers — at least one, and include your Sing2Music backing track credit if you used one.

Producer & Engineer Credits — at least one Producer, plus any other credits.

Genres — a Primary and a Secondary Genre.

Label, history, codes and copyright

Label — releasing on a record label? Select Yes and enter it, using Create & Add New Label if it’s not listed. Otherwise select No.

Release History — has this exact product been released before? Select Yes and enter the original release date. Otherwise No.

UPC/EAN/JAN — the barcode for your release. Enter one if you already have it:

• UPC — Universal Product Code
• EAN — European Article Number
• JAN — Japanese Article Number

Leave it blank if you don’t have one and we’ll generate it for you.

Catalog ID — optional, for your own records.

Copyright — the year the release was published, and your recording label’s name. No label? Personal name or artist name.

Click Create.

Right after creating your release, click Set Release Rights.

You can also get there from Catalog → Products → Digital Releases, open your release, then Rights → Release Rights in the sidebar.

1. De-select UGC at the release level.
2. Save your changes.

Here’s why: your Sing2Music licence covers streaming and download platforms — Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon, YouTube Music and the rest. UGC platforms like Facebook, TikTok and Snap work differently, and covers made with our tracks sit outside that. Switching UGC off keeps your release pointed exactly where your licence covers.

1. From the sidebar, go to Distribution → Activity. You can also reach it from the release’s Overview page.
2. Select every platform you want your release on.
3. When the grey menu appears at the top of the list, choose Options → Distribute.
4. In the next window:
   • Review the services you’ve selected.
   • Limit the release to specific territories, if you need to.
   • Adjust download store options as required.
5. Choose when it goes live:
   • Pick a specific release date, or
   • Select As soon as possible.
   • Add a pre-order start date if you want one.
6. Review everything, then click Distribute.

That’s it — your cover is on its way. We’ll take a quick look to make sure everything is looking good to ensure a smooth distribution to each platform. Most platforms take a few days to process, and a couple take longer, so give yourself two to three weeks of runway if you’re releasing to a specific timeline.