Adding Tracks
This guide explains how to add and configure tracks for your release on LabelGrid, including audio requirements, metadata fields, and contributor information.
Before You Start
Make sure you have:
- A release created - You need an existing release to add tracks to
- Audio files ready - WAV, AIFF, or FLAC format (lossless only)
- Track information - Title, ISRC (optional), artist credits
Important: LabelGrid only accepts lossless audio formats. MP3, AAC, OGG, and other compressed formats are not accepted for distribution quality.
Accessing the Tracks Tab
- Go to Catalogue → My Releases
- Click on a release to open the edit form
- Click the Tracks tab
From here you can:
- View all tracks on the release
- Add new tracks
- Reorder tracks
- Edit track details
- Delete tracks
Note: You cannot add or reorder tracks on releases that have already been distributed. To make changes, the release must be recalled first.
Adding a New Track
- In the Tracks tab, click + Add Track
- Upload your audio file
- Fill in the track details across the various tabs
- Click Save when complete
Track Editor Tabs
The track editor is organized into tabs:
| Tab | What It Contains |
|---|---|
| Master | Audio file upload, preview settings, composition type, AI disclosure |
| Dolby | Dolby Atmos audio settings (if applicable) |
| Title | Track title and version/mix name |
| Artists | Primary artists, featured artists, remixers |
| Metadata | Genre, copyright info, ISRC, ISWC, explicit content |
| Lyrics | Song lyrics |
| Splits | Master splits and publishing splits (royalty shares) |
| Date and Territories | Override release dates for this track (advanced) |
| Licenses | Mechanical license information for covers |
Viewing Track Details
To view a track’s details without editing:
- Click the eye icon next to the track
- This opens a read-only Track View panel
The Track View panel shows all track information in a summary format.
Audio File Requirements
Accepted Formats
| Format | MIME Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| WAV | audio/wav | Recommended for best compatibility |
| AIFF | audio/aiff | Uncompressed, Mac-native |
| FLAC | audio/flac | Lossless compression accepted |
Rejected Formats
The following formats are not accepted:
| Format | Why Rejected |
|---|---|
| MP3 | Lossy compression |
| AAC/M4A | Lossy compression |
| OGG | Lossy compression |
Why lossless only? Distribution platforms require high-quality source files. LabelGrid transcodes your lossless files to the appropriate formats for each platform.
Audio Specifications
| Specification | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| Bit depth | 16-bit | 24-bit or 32-bit |
| Sample rate | 44.1 kHz | 48 kHz or higher |
| Channels | Stereo | Stereo |
Why higher quality? While 16-bit/44.1kHz meets the minimum requirement, we recommend uploading 24-bit or 32-bit audio when available. Higher bit depth preserves more dynamic range and detail, which results in better quality when platforms transcode your audio to various streaming formats. If you have the original high-resolution masters, use those.
Track Metadata Fields
Title (Required)
| Requirement | Value |
|---|---|
| Max length | 255 characters |
| Multiple languages | Supported via localization |
Do:
- Use the official track title
- Include “feat.” credits in the title when appropriate
Don’t:
- Add promotional text (“NEW!”, “EXCLUSIVE”)
- Include release title in track title
Version Title (Important)
Version information MUST go in this field, NOT in the main track title.
| Requirement | Value |
|---|---|
| Max length | 100 characters |
| Default | Leave empty for original versions |
| Example Track | Title Field | Version Title Field |
|---|---|---|
| Original | Midnight Dreams | (empty) |
| Remix | Midnight Dreams | DJ Shadow Remix |
| Acoustic | Midnight Dreams | Acoustic |
| Extended | Midnight Dreams | Extended Mix |
| Live | Midnight Dreams | Live at Madison Square Garden |
Display format: The platform combines these fields for display - e.g., “Midnight Dreams (Extended Mix)”
Do NOT include in Version Title:
- “Original Mix” or “Album Version” - leave empty for originals
- “Dolby Atmos”, “Lossless”, “24-bit” - format info not allowed
- “Explicit” or “Clean” - use the explicit content flag instead
For remix tracks: You must ALSO assign the remixer in the Artists > Remixers field. The Version Title alone does not credit the remixer.
ISRC (Optional)
The International Standard Recording Code uniquely identifies your track.
| Requirement | Value |
|---|---|
| Format | XX-XXX-00-00000 (dashes optional) |
| Length | 12 characters (without dashes) or 15 (with dashes) |
| Pattern | 2 letters + 3 alphanumeric + 2 digits + 5 digits |
Examples:
USRC17607839US-RC1-76-07839GBAYE0000001
Auto-generation: Leave blank to have LabelGrid generate an ISRC from your label’s pool.
Existing tracks: If transferring from another distributor, use the same ISRC to maintain streaming history.
Dolby Atmos ISRC (Optional)
If you’re delivering a Dolby Atmos version of your track, you can specify a separate ISRC for the spatial audio version in the Dolby tab.
| Requirement | Value |
|---|---|
| Format | Same as standard ISRC |
| When needed | Only if delivering Dolby Atmos audio |
| Uniqueness | Must be different from the stereo ISRC |
Note: The Dolby ISRC is separate from the standard track ISRC. If you’re not delivering Dolby Atmos audio, you can ignore this field.
Track Artists
Artist Roles
| Role | Description | Required? |
|---|---|---|
| Main Artist | Primary performing artist | Yes - at least one |
| Featured Artist | Guest appearances | Optional |
| Remixer | Artist who remixed the track | Optional |
Important Rules
- Each artist can only have one role per track
- An artist cannot be both Main Artist and Remixer on the same track
- Track artists can differ from release artists
Display Format
The system automatically generates display names:
- Single artist: “Luna Martinez”
- Multiple main artists: “Luna Martinez & James Walker”
- With featured artist: “Luna Martinez feat. Sofia Chen”
- Many artists (5+): “Various Artists”
Writers and Contributors
Tracks require contributor information for proper royalty distribution and metadata compliance with DSP standards.
Important: Each track must have at least one role assigned from each of three categories to pass validation. The same contributor can have multiple roles, so a single person can fulfill all three requirements.
Required Role Categories
Every track needs at least one role from each of these three categories:
| Category | Example Roles |
|---|---|
| Performer | Vocalist, Musician, Instrumentalist, DJ, Background Vocalist |
| Composition & Lyrics | Composer, Lyricist, Songwriter, Arranger |
| Production & Engineering | Producer, Mixing Engineer, Mastering Engineer, Recording Engineer |
How to Meet the Requirements
You can fulfill the three-category requirement in different ways:
Option 1: One contributor with multiple roles
- Add “Luna Martinez” with roles: Vocalist (Performer), Composer (Composition), Producer (Production)
Option 2: Multiple contributors with different roles
- “Luna Martinez” as Vocalist (Performer)
- “James Walker” as Composer (Composition)
- “Sofia Chen” as Producer (Production)
Option 3: Mix of the above
- “Luna Martinez” as Vocalist + Composer (covers Performer and Composition)
- “James Walker” as Mixing Engineer (covers Production)
Why is this required? Major DSPs use the DDEX standard for metadata delivery. This standard requires contributor credits from multiple categories to ensure proper attribution and royalty processing.
Writers (Composition Credits)
Writers are credited for the song composition and fulfill the Composition & Lyrics category:
| Role | Description |
|---|---|
| Composer | Wrote the music |
| Lyricist | Wrote the lyrics |
| Songwriter | Wrote both music and lyrics |
| Arranger | Arranged the composition |
Spotify Requirement: Composer and Lyricist fields must use full legal names - not aliases, stage names, or initials. For example, use “Robert James Smith” instead of “R.J. Smith” or “DJ Bobby”. This ensures proper rights attribution with publishing societies.
Writer fields:
- Writer name (from your Writers list)
- Role(s) - you can assign multiple roles to the same writer
- Percentage share (for royalty splits)
Contributors (Performance/Production Credits)
Contributors are credited for performance and production:
| Category | Roles |
|---|---|
| Performer | Vocalist, Musician, Instrumentalist, DJ, Background Vocalist, Soloist |
| Production & Engineering | Producer, Co-Producer, Executive Producer, Mixing Engineer, Mastering Engineer, Recording Engineer, Sound Designer |
Tip: A single contributor can have multiple roles. If someone performed, wrote, and produced the track, add them once and assign all relevant roles.
Adding Contributors
- In the track editor, go to the Splits tab
- Under Publishing Splits, click + to add a writer
- Select the writer from your list (or create a new one)
- Choose their role(s) - you can select multiple roles for the same person
- Set the percentage share
- The validation will tell you if any categories are still missing
Validation message: If you see “Each track needs at least one contributor assigned to the role of Performer, Composition & Lyrics, Production & Engineering” - check which category roles are missing and add them.
Additional Track Settings
Explicit Content
Mark your track as explicit if it contains:
- Strong language
- Sexual content
- Violence
- Drug references
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Off | Clean content (default) |
| On | Contains explicit content |
| Edited | Explicit content that has been edited (censored/radio version) |
Note: Explicit tracks may be filtered or hidden on some platforms and in certain regions.
Genre
| Field | Required? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Genre | Yes | Main genre classification |
| Secondary Genre | No | Additional genre |
| Tertiary Genre | No | Third genre option |
Genres are mapped to platform-specific categories (Spotify genres, Beatport categories, iTunes genres, etc.).
Audio Language
Specify the language(s) of any vocals or lyrics:
- Use ISO language codes
- Multiple languages supported
- Required for DDEX compliance
Preview Settings
Control what fans hear in audio previews:
| Setting | Default | Constraints | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Preview Start | 0 seconds | Minimum: 0 | Where the preview begins |
| Preview Length | 60 seconds | Minimum: 30 seconds | Duration of preview clip |
Tip: Set the preview start to showcase the best part of your track (usually the chorus or drop).
Composition Type
| Type | Description | Additional Requirements |
|---|---|---|
| Original | Your own composition | None |
| Cover | Recording of another artist’s song | Mechanical license required |
| Public Domain | Works no longer under copyright | None (verify public domain status) |
Cover songs: You must have a mechanical license to distribute cover songs. Check “Has mechanical license” to confirm you have the rights.
AI Audio Disclosure
You must disclose if AI was used in creating the audio:
| Option | When to use |
|---|---|
| No AI used | Traditional recording |
| Some AI assistance | AI-assisted production tools |
| Fully AI generated | AI-created audio |
Track Date Overrides (Advanced)
By default, tracks inherit the release date settings from the release. However, you can override these settings for individual tracks - useful for releasing singles from an album at different times.
Accessing Date Overrides
- Open the track editor
- Go to the Date and Territories tab
- Select Override settings instead of “Release default”
Available Override Settings
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Enable advanced release date control | Allows setting track-specific release dates |
| Enable exact release time (GMT 0) | Set a specific time for the track to go live |
| Original Release Date | When this track should be released (can differ from album) |
| Pre-Save / Pre-Order Date | When fans can pre-save this specific track |
Use Cases
Releasing singles before an album:
- Set your lead single to release weeks before the album
- Other tracks use “Release default” to release with the album
Staggered track releases:
- Release tracks one at a time over several weeks
- Build anticipation for the full album
Regional timing:
- Use exact release time to coordinate global releases
- Tracks go live at midnight in each timezone or at a specific GMT time
Note: Track date overrides are an advanced feature. Most releases don’t need them - tracks will use the release’s date settings by default.
Track Order
The order tracks appear in your release matters for albums and EPs.
Reordering Tracks
- In the Tracks tab, drag tracks to reorder
- Or use the track number field to set specific positions
Multi-Disc Releases
For albums spanning multiple discs:
- Set the Disc Number for each track (maximum 50 discs per release)
- Track numbers restart at 1 for each disc (maximum 99 tracks per disc)
Field Reference Summary
| Field | Required | Max Length | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Audio File | Yes | 2GB max | WAV, AIFF, FLAC only |
| Title | Yes | 255 chars | Per language |
| Version/Mix | No | 100 chars | Default: “Original Mix” |
| ISRC | No | 15 chars | Auto-generated if blank |
| Main Artist | Yes | - | At least one |
| Primary Genre | Yes | - | From genre list |
| Explicit | No | - | Default: Off |
| Writers | Recommended | - | For royalty splits |
| Contributors | Yes | - | At least one with roles from each category |
| Preview Start | No | - | Default: 0 seconds |
| Audio Language | Recommended | - | ISO codes |
Common Issues
”Invalid audio file format”
Your file is not in an accepted format. Convert to WAV or FLAC before uploading.
To convert:
- Use a digital audio workstation (DAW) to export as WAV
- Or use a free converter like Audacity
”ISRC format invalid”
Check your ISRC follows the correct format:
- 2 letters (country code)
- 3 alphanumeric characters (registrant)
- 2 digits (year)
- 5 digits (designation)
“Cannot add tracks to distributed releases”
The release has already been distributed. To add tracks:
- Recall the release from distribution
- Make your changes
- Redistribute
”Track artist can only have one role”
Remove the duplicate artist entry and add them with a single role.
What’s Next?
After adding all your tracks:
- Validation and Review - Submit for distribution approval
- Lyrics and Credits - Add lyrics and contributor credits
- Multilanguage Metadata - Add translations for international audiences
- Distributing a Release - Choose your platforms
Need help with track setup? Contact our support team