Migrating your catalog from AWAL/The Orchard to another distributor can lead to changes in how your music appears and behaves across various digital service providers (DSPs). Understanding these potential changes is crucial to managing your content effectively and ensuring a smooth transition for your audience.
Below, we’ve detailed the key pieces of metadata that you'll need to transfer your catalog and some details about what you can expect in terms of DSP behavior during the transfer process (including how your tracks may be affected on platforms like Apple Music, YouTube, and TikTok).
Current Metadata
In order to successfully transfer your catalog, you will need to gather metadata for the versions that are currently live on DSPs. You should always talk to your new distributor to confirm what information they need; however, the guide below should generally apply across platforms:
Should Not Change
- UPCs / EAN
- ISRCs
- Product & Track Titles
- Product & Track Versions
- Primary Artist Names
- Featured Artists / Remixers
- Original Release Dates
- Songwriters & Producers
OK to Change
- Product and track P & C lines
- Label Name / Imprint (Except with Dance Music)
- Genre(s) (Except with Dance Music)
- Catalog Number
- Artwork
- Should Change
- Sales Start Date
DSP Behavior During a Catalog Transfer
Apple Music
Curated playlists should generally remain intact as long as the metadata is delivered exactly as it is currently set up at Apple. This means maintaining consistency in track titles, artist names, release dates, and other metadata elements. If you spot any discrepancies or issues during the transition, please get in touch with the AWAL Support Team through the ‘Help’ Tool in your Workstation for assistance.
While personal playlists may be retained, this is not guaranteed and could include the loss of reviews and ratings.
YouTube
Unless excluded from your client agreement, we will deliver audio to YouTube.
Content ID (UGC Monetization)
- For UGC (User Generated Content) purposes with the policy set to ‘monetize’, meaning adverts could be shown when your audio is used by a third party.
- Content ID is not available to all content; if your catalog contains cover versions, compilations, samples, DJ mashups, karaoke, or remastered versions (among others—please check YouTube Content ID Policy), then let us know.
- This also applies to Facebook and Instagram.
YouTube Music (Paid Subscription Music Service)
- When a new distributor delivers to YouTube Music, play counts should merge.
- Curated / editorial playlists should migrate; however, personal user playlists and libraries do not.
YouTube Music (Free Ad-Funded Music Service)
- When a new distributor delivers to YouTube Music, play counts will restart at 0.
- Curated and editorial playlists should migrate; however, personal user playlists and libraries do not.
TikTok
If your new distributor delivers to TikTok, your tracks will be searchable in the TikTok app.
When a catalog recording is delivered through your new distributor, the tracks should merge with the existing tracks if they have been delivered with the same EANs, ISRCs, and Preview Start Times.
However, if the track identifier (ISRC), product identifier (UPC/EAN), or Preview Start Time differ, TikTok will not merge the tracks. In this scenario, when AWAL/The Orchard pulls down our version of the product, any creations made using those clips will remain visible on the platform, but they will become muted, and users will no longer be able to search for or create content with the old sound.
Once the new distributor has delivered the product, the sound will appear in search results, and creators can use it. However, it won't be linked to previous creations of the track.