Before a release can move from Draft to submitted, it runs through an automated QA checklist. This exists to catch the most common reasons stores reject releases — catching these before delivery saves you the much longer delay of a store-side rejection weeks later.
What gets checked
- ISRC codes — every track needs a valid ISRC. If you don't have one, we can generate one for you automatically; if you're bringing your own (e.g. for a catalog move), it needs to be correctly formatted.
- Cover art — the 3000×3000 minimum, square-aspect, and content rules covered in the Cover Art Requirements article.
- Audio files — every track needs an audio file attached, in the correct order, with no corrupted or silent files.
- Explicit content flags — if your lyrics contain explicit content, the release (and each affected track) needs to be flagged accordingly, or stores will reject it after the fact instead of us catching it upfront.
- Required metadata — genre, primary language, and primary artist are mandatory fields; missing any of them blocks submission.
What happens when a check fails
You'll see the specific failed check listed on the review step, with a description of exactly what's wrong — not just a generic "error." Fix the flagged issue (re-upload correct artwork, add the missing ISRC, mark explicit content, etc.) and the release automatically re-validates. You don't need to restart the upload wizard from scratch; only the fixed field needs to change.
If a check seems wrong
Occasionally a check can flag something that's actually fine (for example, a cover art format edge case). If you believe a QA flag is incorrect, open a support ticket referencing the release and the specific check — our team can review and manually clear it if warranted.