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RouteNote Upload Guide

Here’s your complete guide to help you with creating and uploading your release to RouteNote.

Welcome to our Upload Guide, an easy guide to follow when creating your release on RouteNote. If you have any specific or difficult questions, feel free to search your question on our Support Hub, email us at support@routenote.com or use our Contact Us form.

Skip to:

Opening and Starting a New Release on RouteNote

  • Log-in to your RouteNote account
  • Hover over Distribution
  • Select Create New Release

Filling in the Release Data page; UPC and Release Title

UPC: If you leave this section blank, we’ll generate a UPC code for you free of charge. If you’re switching from one distributor over to ourselves, this is where you’ll put your UPC that you were given from your previous distributor. This will help to keep your statistics and play counts within streaming services.

Release Title: Here is where you’ll put your album or EP title. If you’re releasing a single, you’ll put your track title in this section.

Click on Create Release.

Navigating the Release In-progress Main Page

This page is how you can follow progress.
When completing each section, you’ll be taken back here where you can click on the next section.

The steps will show how far you’ve come in creating your release and how far you’ve still got to go.

So click on Album Details to begin!

Filling Album Details

Language: Make sure the language selection is correct, it should match the language of your lyrics (if there are any!).

Album/Single/EP Title: This one should already be done for you. Skip!

Album Version: Put your album version here (e.g. Live).

Artist Name: Your artist name goes here. Select your artist page on Spotify if you’ve got one, and select Create a new profile if you don’t. More artists? Select Add Artist!

Publishing Information

Writers: Please enter the first and last name of the composer(s) of the release. If your release contains lyrics, you will also need to tick the box and enter the first and last name of the lyricist(s). You can add several fields to credit several composers and lyricists. Click here for further help.

Primary Genre: Select your genre (e.g. Reggae). One genre not enough? You can add a second below!

Composition Copyright: Who wrote the song? Put it here! 📌 Please note! this doesn’t have to be the individual songwriter/s real name/s, it can be your band name/artist name. If your release contains a cover song, click here for more formatting rules. Click here for more on the C line.

Sound Recording Copyright: Who owns the sound recording? Top tip: the Sound Recording Copyright line is also known as the P line! If your release is a cover, click here for more formatting rules.

Record Label Name: No label? No issue – you should just enter your artist name! Please note not to use values such as ‘none’, ‘unsigned’, ‘indie’, ‘N/A’ or ‘independent’ as these will be rejected.

Originally Released: If your track has already been released, put that date here. If your upload through RouteNote is the first time it’s been released, put in today’s date. You can also add a Pre Order Date and a Sales Start Date if you wish. If you do choose a Sales Start Date, this will need to be at least 2 weeks away. You can also choose the release time for your release!

Explicit Content: Is your release explicit, non-explicit, or cleaned?

Click on Save and Continue.

Adding Audio

The Track Name is where you put the title for your song. If you’re releasing a single, this title will need to match your album name.

After this, click on Choose File and select the audio file for your first track.
If your file doesn’t reach 100%, click here for our article for further help.

Once you’ve finished uploading all your tracks, you can go ahead and click on Save and Continue.
If not, click Add Track, and follow the same process.

Filling Audio Metadata

Track Name: This one should already be done for you. Skip!

Title Version: Put your title version here. E.g. Radio Edit

Track Number: This one should already be done for you. This will be 1 if your release is a single. Skip!

Artist Name: This one should already be done for you. Skip! More artists on this track? Select Add Artist!

Publishing Information: The original Composer goes in this section. If your track has lyrics, click in the Yes box and add the Lyricist.

ISRC Codes: This will be automatically filled for you. Please note, if you’re switching from one distributor over to ourselves, this is where you’ll put your ISRC given to you from your previous distributor.

Explicit Content: Is your release explicit, non-explicit, or cleaned?

Audio Language: Make sure the language selection is correct!

If you’ve got more than one track, follow these again until all Track Metadata is filled.
Once you’re all done, click on Save and Continue. Then click on either Add More Tracks or I’m Finished to complete!

Uploading Artwork 

Have a read of the provided Style Guidelines, then you can have a further read on what to avoid in your release artwork by clicking here.
If you’re looking for free images to use in your artwork, click here for advice.

Upload your artwork by clicking in the box and locating your artwork in your files, or by dragging and dropping your artwork file. If you get any upload issues, click here to see how it can be fixed.

After it’s uploaded, click Save and Continue.

Filling the Manage Stores Section 

Here you can select which stores and territories you wish to distribute to.

Make sure the stores you want to distribute to have been ticked.
If you want your release on all stores, just make sure the Select all stores box has been marked.
Please note! if your release contains a cover song, you’ll need to format this page in a certain way. Follow the guidelines here.

Then you can select Pricing, if you wish to do so. Most of our artists leave this part as it is, Standard!

After this, you can go ahead and select which territories you wish to include or exclude. Search up each territory by typing or clicking in the box and selecting. You can either select to include or exclude the territories.

Please note! for Worldwide distribution, don’t add any territory information – just leave this part as it is!

Once you’ve made your selections, click Save and Continue.

Adding Localisations

In this section you can add localisations if you wish to! Adding a localisation means to add a translation of your details.
Don’t want to? No worries, just skip this section!

Click the Add Localisation button and choose your language. After selecting your language you’ll be taken to a new details page to fill in your Album and Track details in your chosen language.
Ensure all the information is correct and click Save and Continue.

Finalising the Release and Sending to Moderation

All you need to do now is review your release and make sure everything’s looking good, then have a look through RouteNote’s Terms and Conditions and ensure you accept our Artist/Label Agreement, and tick the box to state that you understand and accept. Please note, these terms must be accepted upon use of the site and releases cannot be submitted without your agreement to these.

After that, you can go ahead and select either Distribute Free or Distribute Premium. You can find out more about the price of premium here, but if you’d like some more information on both plans, click here.

Well done! Mission accomplished.

Be sure to look out for any responses from our Moderation team – If there are any issues with your release, they may ask you to fix them or ask for further information.

You’ve reached the end of our Upload Guide, but our Support team are always there to give you a helping hand in future if needed. Reach out by emailing us at support@routenote.com, use our Contact Us form, or by creating a ticket.

Please see RouteNote’s Upload Guide in video format below!

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