Releasing AI-generated music: the checklist before you upload to a distributor
Getting an AI-generated track onto Spotify is easy. Getting it there in a form that does not get rejected, turned down, or flagged later is a short checklist. Here it is.
· 6 min read
1. Rights
Check the terms of the generator you used. Paid Suno and Udio plans generally grant commercial rights to the tracks you create; free tiers often do not. Keep a record (screenshot, invoice) of the plan you were on when you generated the track. Distributors and platforms are increasingly asking.
Do not include samples of real artists' voices or names in your prompts or metadata. That is the fastest route to a takedown.
2. The file
- Format: WAV, 16- or 24-bit, 44.1 or 48 kHz. Most distributors accept both; 24-bit/48 kHz is the safe default and what MasteringOne exports.
- Never upload an MP3 to a distributor if you can avoid it. They will re-encode it, and two lossy encodes stack.
- Master it. See the loudness guide — an unmastered −15 LUFS file will play noticeably quieter than everything around it.
- Check the start and end. Trim silence to under a second at the top; make sure the ending does not cut off mid-tail.
- True peak at −1 dBTP or lower. Some distributors run a clipping check; a file that peaks at 0 dB can fail it.
3. Metadata
Artist name, track title, release date, genre, language, explicit flag. Use the same artist name everywhere or you will end up with two artist pages. Some distributors now have an 'AI-generated' disclosure field; fill it in honestly — being flagged later for not doing so is worse.
ISRC codes are usually assigned by the distributor. If you already have one for the track (from a previous release), reuse it.
4. Artwork
3000×3000 pixels, RGB, JPG or PNG, no URLs, no social handles, no 'explicit' logos unless the track is flagged, and nothing that is somebody else's trademark. AI-generated artwork is fine on most platforms; check that it does not contain garbled text.
5. Before you upload
- Listen to the mastered WAV start to finish on a phone speaker and on headphones.
- A/B against a commercial release in the same genre at matched loudness. If yours is clearly darker, thinner or harsher, revise.
- Keep the original generator file, the master and the report together in a folder named for the release. You will want them in six months.
FAQ
Can I put AI-generated music on Spotify?
Yes, through any distributor, provided you have the rights from the generator's plan and the content does not impersonate real artists.
Do I have to disclose that it is AI-generated?
Some distributors and platforms ask; where they do, answer honestly. Policies are changing, so check at upload time.
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