Release rejected — common reasons

If your release has been rejected by one or more DSPs, this page explains the most common reasons and what to fix before resubmitting.

Missing or incorrect metadata

DSPs have strict metadata requirements. Common rejection triggers:

• Title field contains extra information — the release title should be the title only; edition notes like "(Deluxe Edition)" go in the designated version field
• Artist name mismatch — the primary artist name must match exactly what's already on the DSP under your profile. Inconsistent capitalisation or spacing causes rejections
• Missing ISRC — all tracks require a valid ISRC code. melabel auto-assigns ISRCs; don't leave this blank or enter invalid codes
• Missing or incorrect genre — primary genre is required. Some DSPs reject submissions where the genre doesn't match the audio content
• Release date too soon — most DSPs require at least 3–5 business days of lead time. Spotify and Apple require at least 7 days for editorial consideration

Audio issues

• Clipping — audio that peaks at or above 0 dBFS is rejected by most DSPs. Re-export with -1 dBFS headroom
• Incorrect format — see Audio upload errors for supported formats
• Track length too short — tracks under 30 seconds are rejected by most platforms

Cover art issues

• Resolution too low — minimum 3000 × 3000 pixels, JPEG or PNG
• Explicit content in artwork — nudity, offensive imagery, or platform-specific branding (e.g., Spotify, Apple logos) is not allowed
• Text covers too much of the artwork — excessive text overlay can trigger rejection on some platforms
• Wrong aspect ratio — artwork must be a perfect 1:1 square

Rights and ownership issues

• Sampling without clearance — if your track contains a recognizable sample, you need clearance documentation
• Copyright claims on similar titles — if your title closely matches an existing release, some DSPs may flag it. This is a review flag, not always an outright rejection
• Incorrect copyright year — the ℗ year should reflect the year the master was first recorded, not the current year

What to do

1. Review the rejection reason shown in your melabel distribution dashboard
2. Fix the flagged issue in your release draft
3. Resubmit — there's no penalty for resubmission after fixing a legitimate issue

If the rejection reason isn't clear, email support@melabel.io with your release name and the error shown.

→ Audio upload errors

→ Release stuck in processing