How to Set Up a Waterfall Release

A waterfall release is a strategy where you release individual singles over time, and each one stacks into a final album or EP. As each single drops, it appears on the growing album tracklist — and all streams consolidate across releases.

This guide walks you through setting up a waterfall release in LabelGrid, from planning your schedule to delivering your final album.

Why Use a Waterfall Release?

Waterfall releases are one of the most effective strategies for building momentum on streaming platforms:

• Sustained visibility — Each single is a new release moment, keeping your artist in front of listeners over months instead of one day
• Playlist opportunities — Every single is a fresh chance for editorial playlist consideration
• Growing album — As singles release, the album tracklist fills up, encouraging fans to save the full project
• Stream consolidation — Plays on the single and the album all count toward the same recording

Tip

This strategy works especially well on Spotify, Apple Music, and other major streaming platforms that support track linking.

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Before You Start

Make sure you have:

• Multiple tracks ready for release (audio files finalized)
• A release schedule planned out (at least 1 month between singles)
• Different artwork prepared for each single and the final album/EP
• Consistent metadata across all releases (artist names, track titles, contributor credits)

Key Requirements

Requirement	Details
Same ISRC	Each recording must use the same ISRC across all releases it appears on
Different UPC	Each release product (single, album) needs its own unique UPC barcode
Different artwork	Each release must have unique cover art
Identical audio	The audio file must be exactly the same across releases

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Step 1: Plan your release schedule

Before creating anything in LabelGrid, map out your full release plan:

1. List all tracks that will be on the final album or EP
2. Choose which tracks will be released as singles
3. Set dates for each single, spaced at least 1 month apart
4. Pick your album release date — this should be after all singles have dropped

Example waterfall schedule:

Release	Type	Date
Track 1 - “First Light”	Single	March 7
Track 3 - “Midnight Run”	Single	April 4
Track 5 - “Golden Hour”	Single	May 2
Full album - “Daybreak”	Album	May 30

Note

You don’t have to release every track as a single. Choose your strongest 2-4 tracks to lead the campaign.

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Step 2: Release your first single

Create and distribute your first single following the normal release process:

1. Go to Catalogue → My Releases and click Add Release
2. Set the release type to Single
3. Upload your track and fill in all metadata (title, artists, genre, contributors)
4. Note the ISRC assigned to this track — you will need it later

Caution

Save the ISRC for every track you release as a single. You must reuse the exact same ISRC when adding these tracks to your album. You can find a track’s ISRC in the track editor under the General tab.

5. Upload your single artwork (unique to this release)
6. Set your release date and select distribution outlets
7. Submit for review and distribute

Repeat this step for each single in your waterfall schedule.

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Step 3: Create your album or EP release

Once you’re ready to release the full project:

1. Create a new release and set the type to Album (or EP)
2. Upload the album artwork (must be different from your single artwork)
3. Add all tracks to the album — including tracks already released as singles

For previously released tracks

When adding a track that was already released as a single:

• Enter the same ISRC that was assigned to the single version
• Upload the identical audio file — the file must be exactly the same, not a remastered or altered version
• Make sure all metadata matches exactly:
  • Track title
  • Artist names and roles
  • Featured artists
  • Composer and lyricist credits

Caution

If the ISRC, audio, or metadata don’t match exactly, streaming platforms may not link the tracks. This means streams would be split across two separate recordings instead of consolidating.

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Step 4: Set track-level date overrides

This is the most important step for a successful waterfall release. For each track that was already released as a single, you need to override its dates so the original single release date is preserved.

The track editor has 9 tabs. The relevant tab for date overrides is called “Date and Territories” (tab 8).

How to navigate the Date and Territories tab

1. Open your album release and go to the Tracks tab
2. Click on a track that was previously released as a single to open the track editor
3. Go to the “Date and Territories” tab

Under “Track Availability Settings” you will see two radio buttons:

• “Release default” — the track inherits all dates from the release (this is the default)
• “Override settings” — the track gets its own independent dates

Select “Override settings”.

Once you select “Override settings”, two toggles appear:

• “Enable advanced release date control” — OFF by default. Tooltip: “Turn this on to set different release dates for specific countries or regions.”
• “Enable exact release time (GMT 0)” — controls whether the pickers show date-only or date+time

Option A: Simple dates (most common)

If your release uses simple dates (no territory-specific scheduling), this is the quickest path:

1. Go to the track’s “Date and Territories” tab
2. Select “Override settings”
3. Set the Original Release Date field to the single’s original release date
4. Optionally set the Pre-Save / Pre-Order Date if applicable
5. Save the track

Option B: Advanced dates (territory-specific)

If your release uses advanced date control with territory-specific scheduling, the track must also use advanced dates:

1. Go to the track’s “Date and Territories” tab
2. Select “Override settings”
3. Turn ON “Enable advanced release date control”
4. Set the Original Release Date at the top of the form
5. Click “Add Date Set” to create a territory-specific date entry
6. In the Date Set, select Worldwide (or specific territories)
7. Set Sale Date Start to the single’s original release date — this is the validity_period_start that controls when the track goes live
8. Fill in the other date fields — Release Display Start, Track Listing Preview, Cover Art Preview, and Clip Preview — set these to the same date or earlier
9. Optionally set Pre Order and Override Live Date on TikTok and Meta Deliveries if needed
10. Save the track

Repeat this for every track that was previously released as a single.

Caution

If the release itself uses advanced date control, the track must also use advanced date control. Setting only a simple “Original Release Date” on the track will be ignored when the release has advanced dates — the track will inherit the release’s dates instead. This is a critical detail that will cause your waterfall to fail if missed.

Note

The track-level date override ensures that the DDEX delivery feed includes the correct original release date for each track. This tells streaming platforms when the recording first became available, which is essential for accurate track linking and chart eligibility.

What happens with past dates

When the album is distributed, any track date that is in the past (like the single’s original release date) is automatically normalized to “today” in the delivery feed. This means the track becomes immediately available on the album — which is exactly the correct behavior for a waterfall release, since the track is already live as a single.

Why this matters

Without date overrides, the platform may treat previously released tracks as new releases on the album date. Setting the override preserves:

• The track’s original release date on the platform
• Chart history and algorithmic recommendations
• Stream count continuity

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Step 5: Distribute your album

1. Select your distribution outlets (use the same outlets as your singles)
2. Set the album release date
3. Submit for review

Tip

Deliver the album at least 72 hours before the release date. This gives streaming platforms enough time to process the delivery and link tracks to their existing single versions.

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How Stream Consolidation Works

When Spotify, Apple Music, and other platforms receive your album, they check each track’s ISRC against their existing catalog. If a match is found:

1. The recordings are linked — the single and album versions are recognized as the same recording
2. Streams consolidate — all plays count toward the same recording, whether listeners played the single or the album version
3. History is preserved — playlist saves, library adds, and algorithmic data carry over

This process is called track linking and happens automatically when the ISRC, audio, and metadata match.

What listeners see on Spotify

• The full album tracklist appears on the album page
• Tracks that haven’t been released yet appear greyed out until their release date
• As each single drops, it becomes playable on the album
• Stream counts accumulate across all releases — they do not reset

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Tips for Success

• Always use the same ISRC for the same recording across all releases
• Metadata must match exactly — title, artists, featured artists, composers, and lyricists
• Use different artwork for each release product (singles and album)
• Use different UPCs for each release product — never reuse a barcode
• Deliver early — submit at least 72 hours before each release date
• Don’t alter the audio — the file must be bit-for-bit identical across releases
• Space your singles at least 1 month apart for maximum promotional impact
• Submit for editorial playlists at least 7 days before each single’s release date

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Troubleshooting

Streams aren’t consolidating across releases

Problem: The single and album versions show separate stream counts.

Solution: Check the following:

1. Verify the ISRC is identical on both releases
2. Confirm the audio file is exactly the same (not re-exported or remastered)
3. Ensure metadata matches exactly — even small differences in spelling, spacing, or contributor credits can prevent linking
4. Allow 24-48 hours after delivery for platforms to process track linking

Track dates aren’t being respected

Problem: A previously released track shows the album date instead of the original single date.

Solution: Check the following in the track editor’s “Date and Territories” tab:

1. Make sure “Override settings” is selected (not “Release default”)
2. Verify the Original Release Date is set correctly
3. Critical: If the release uses advanced date control, the track must also have “Enable advanced release date control” turned ON with a Date Set that includes the correct Sale Date Start. A simple Original Release Date alone will be ignored when the release uses advanced dates — the track will fall back to inheriting the release’s dates.

Album shows the wrong release date

Problem: The album page displays an incorrect date.

Solution: The album release date is separate from individual track dates. Check the album-level release date in the release’s own date settings. Track-level date overrides (in the track editor’s “Date and Territories” tab) only affect individual tracks, not the album itself.

Previously released tracks not appearing on the album

Problem: Tracks from singles don’t show up on the album.

Solution: You need to add these tracks to the album release manually. They are not linked automatically — you must create the tracks on the album with the same ISRC and identical audio file.

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Related guides

• Creating a Release - Basic release setup
• Adding Tracks - Upload and configure tracks
• Advanced Date Settings - Territory-specific scheduling
• Distributing a Release - Submit for distribution
• Lead Times - Platform processing times

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Need help with your waterfall release? Contact our support team