Help
Getting started
Create an account with your email and open New release. Nothing to pay yet. Type your artist name, the song title, the real name of who wrote it, the genre and the language. Tick the box that says the song and the cover are yours. Press Save and add the files. Your release page opens with two upload cards: one for the song, one for the cover.
What your files need to be
- The song: a WAV, FLAC or AIFF file. 44.1, 48, 88.2 or 96 kHz, 16 or 24 bit, mono or stereo, between 30 seconds and 20 minutes, up to 200 MB. An MP3 is not accepted; stores want the full-quality file.
- The cover: a square JPG or PNG, at least 3000 by 3000 pixels, up to 20 MB. No blurry pictures, no text that is not yours, no store logos.
Upload each one from its card. A bar shows the progress. When both are up, we check them for free: the format, the sample rate, the cover size. A few minutes later the page says Your files are ready for the stores, or what to fix.
What it costs
Uploading and the check are free. Sending a song to the stores is $10, paid once for that single; the label then keeps 9% of what it earns. Or go Pro: $10 a month or $100 a year, unlimited singles, 100% of the royalties, review within a day. The release page shows both when it is time to pay, and Billing shows them any time.
Review and delivery
After you press Send it to the stores, a person at the label listens to the song, looks at the cover and reads the credits. That usually takes a few days, or within a day on Pro. Then it is delivered to Spotify, Apple Music, TIDAL, Amazon Music, Deezer, YouTube and the other stores, and the stores take one to two weeks to put it up. Your release page shows the date as soon as it is set, and the Spotify link once it is live.
If something needs a fix
If a file is broken, the cover is too small, or a credit looks wrong, the release comes back to you marked A file needs a change, with a note in plain words that says what to change. Replace the file or edit the details. The check runs again on its own, then press Send it to the stores again. It costs nothing to send again.
Statements and payouts
Stores report streams two to three months after they happen. When a period is reported, a statement appears under Statements with the streams and the amount. On Pro you receive 100% of it. A single sent without Pro shows the amount after the label's 9%, and the line says so. Add your PayPal email under Settings; balances are sent there on the 15th of the month once they reach $20, and smaller balances roll forward. Each statement line shows the day it was paid.
Marketing
From a live release, choose Add marketing. For $20 a month that song gets its own landing page and ads run for you, with the numbers shown on the release page in plain words. It is also pitched to playlists we work with. Nothing is guaranteed and placement is never sold. Stop any month from Billing.
Takedowns
Email support@taprelease.com from your account address with the release name. Stores take one to four weeks to remove it. Royalties earned before removal are still paid to you.
Something else
Email support@taprelease.com. A person answers.