In order to set up Waterfall Scheduling folow the below instructions.
- Upload your first track as a single release as you normally would with our lead time adhered to. Guide to Timelines
- Once the first single is approved, you should upload another product that contains the existing single and also your second new track. Do this by using the 'Import from Catalog' feature in the Product Builder. This feature allows you to add tracks from your existing catalog, and ensures that the audio, metadata, and ISRCs are maintained so your stream counts link when all instances of the track are live.
- Once the second release has been approved, upload the third release that contains the previous two tracks, and a third new one. Again, use the Existing Tracks feature etc.
- Upload the fourth and all other releases the same way until your final product (album or EP) has been built and approved.
While not required, as each new release goes live, you can request a takedown of the previous release to prevent duplication on the digital services.
Note: With this type of waterfall schedule, we’d advise you don't request a takedown until relavant tracks have been removed from any editorial playlists for obvious reasons.
Waterfall Releases: Best Practices
There are a few things to keep in mind when setting up a ‘waterfall’ release schedule:
- Your release’s metadata must match any text on the artwork and vice versa. Each product must be treated as an individual release which means you won't be able to use the final EP/album artwork across all releases if it contains text that does not match the metadata of each release.
- You’ll need to set a release date in accordance with our Guide to Timelines for each release.
- If you’re planning to use Spotify’s Playlist Tool, you must keep in mind that the tool only allows you to submit one unreleased track at a time for playlist consideration. This means you should submit your earliest release through the tool first and once that release is live, you can submit for your next release.