You've made something worth releasing. Maybe it's been sitting in a folder for months while you figured out the logistics. Maybe you've released before and the process was messier than it needed to be — too many tools, too much back-and-forth, too much time spent on everything except the music.
melabel is built to change that. This path walks you through everything you need to go from zero to your first release out in the world — with your website live, your Smart Link ready, and your team in the loop. Most artists get there in a single session.
Step 1: Set up your workspace
Your workspace is your home base in melabel. Before you do anything else, take five minutes to get it oriented around you.
→ How the workspace is organizedA quick read that maps out the four feature areas and how they connect. Worth doing before you dive in.
Once you've got the lay of the land, check your plan. Some features — like calendar sync, advanced analytics, and collab access — are gated by plan tier. You'll see [Pro] or [Pro+] badges throughout these docs wherever that applies.
Step 2: Upload your first release
This is the most important thing you'll do in melabel, so we built the most thorough section of the docs around it. Before you hit upload, run through the checklist.
→ Preparing your release (checklist)Cover art specs, audio format requirements, metadata — everything that gets a release approved on the first submission, not the third.
Then when you're ready:
→ Uploading your music→ Setting release details→ Choosing DSPs and territories
One thing worth understanding before you distribute: ISRC and UPC codes. An ISRC (International Standard Recording Code) is a unique identifier for each individual recording — think of it like a fingerprint for your track. A UPC (Universal Product Code) identifies the release as a whole. You'll need both for distribution. melabel can generate them for you, or you can bring your own.
→ ISRC and UPC codes — what they are and how to get them
Step 3: Build your website
Your music is on DSPs. Now fans need somewhere to land that's actually yours — not an algorithm's homepage, not a third-party profile you don't control.
melabel gives you a full artist website with your catalog built in. You can have something live in under an hour.
→ Setting up your artist website→ Adding your music catalog to your site→ Custom domain setup — connect your own domain so it lives at your own domain, not a melabel subdomain.
Step 4: Create a Smart Link
A Smart Link is a single link that routes each fan to their preferred streaming platform automatically. Instead of posting five separate links every time you release something, you post one — and it handles the rest.
→ Creating a Smart Link→ Customizing your Smart Link page
Once your Smart Link is live, it's the link you put everywhere: bio, posts, email, wherever fans are finding you.
Step 5: Meet Tansen
Tansen is melabel's AI. It's not a separate tool you have to go find — it's available wherever you're working in the product. Writing release descriptions, drafting social copy, planning a campaign, figuring out what to prioritize next. Tansen moves with you.
→ What Tansen can help with→ How to use Tansen (prompt tips)
Step 6: Invite your collaborators
Music rarely happens alone. If you've got a manager, a producer, a publicist, or anyone else in your corner, you can bring them into your workspace with the right level of access — without giving them access to everything.
→ Inviting your team→ Inviting external collaborators
Where to go from here
Once your first release is out and your workspace is set up, the rest of melabel opens up at your own pace. A few areas worth exploring next:
- Projects — plan your next release with tasks, milestones, and timelines all in one place
- Analytics — understand where your streams are coming from and who's listening
- Campaigns — build a rollout strategy around your next release, not just a release date
You've already done the hardest part — making the music. melabel handles the rest. Let's get it out there.