Losing access to a music distribution account can create more problems than losing the ability to upload new releases.

Your distributor may also hold information about:

  • Recording identifiers
  • Original release dates
  • Songwriters
  • Contributors
  • Artwork
  • Royalty statements
  • Store delivery history

If an account closes or a service changes, recovering that information can become difficult.

A proper catalogue export protects your ability to manage, license and redistribute your music in the future.

Start with a complete release inventory

Create a spreadsheet containing every release associated with the account.

For each release, record:

  • Artist
  • Album or single title
  • Track title
  • Release type
  • Original release date
  • Current distributor
  • UPC
  • ISRC for each recording
  • Master owner
  • Selected territories
  • Current platform URLs

Do not rely only on album-level information.

Every recording should be identifiable.

Save your masters

Download or locate the highest-quality audio files available.

Ideally, retain the final WAV masters supplied for distribution.

Do not assume that an MP3 downloaded from a streaming platform can replace the original master.

Also preserve:

  • Instrumentals
  • Clean versions
  • Alternate mixes
  • Live recordings
  • Remasters

Keep different versions clearly labelled.

Preserve the artwork

Save the original artwork files.

If possible, preserve both:

  • Final store-ready artwork
  • Original editable design files

Also keep any relevant photography or designer licences.

This can be useful if you need to rebuild a release later.

Export contributor and songwriting information

For every track, record:

  • Primary artist
  • Featured artists
  • Songwriters
  • Producers
  • Performers
  • Publishing information
  • Composition ownership shares

Distributor metadata and publishing registrations are different systems.

Preserve information relating to both where available.

Keep your ISRCs

An ISRC identifies a particular sound recording.

If you redistribute the same master, you will generally want to preserve the existing ISRC where appropriate.

Do not assign a new code simply because the distributor has changed.

Keep the codes in a spreadsheet independent of your distribution account.

Download royalty statements

Royalty statements provide useful historical information.

Save:

  • Monthly statements
  • Annual totals
  • Territory breakdowns
  • Platform breakdowns
  • Payment confirmations
  • Outstanding balances

Do this even if the music is no longer generating significant revenue.

Historical income may matter for catalogue valuation, financing or future disputes.

Save your platform URLs

Keep links to the releases on:

  • Spotify
  • Apple Music
  • YouTube Music
  • Amazon Music
  • Other important services

Also save relevant artist-profile identifiers.

These help your next distributor understand where the catalogue previously appeared.

Check your contracts

Keep copies of:

  • Distribution agreement
  • Master ownership agreements
  • Producer licences
  • Sample licences
  • Publishing arrangements
  • Revenue-sharing agreements

A catalogue is more than the audio.

The rights documentation matters too.

Use a sensible folder structure

For example:

Artist Name / Release Title / Masters

Artist Name / Release Title / Artwork

Artist Name / Release Title / Metadata

Artist Name / Release Title / Rights

Artist Name / Release Title / Statements

This makes the archive easy to navigate.

Keep more than one copy

Use at least two independent storage locations.

A local drive and secure cloud backup are a practical combination.

For valuable catalogues, maintain a third copy in a separate location.

Verify the archive

Do not assume the export is complete because every folder contains files.

Open random masters.

Check identifiers.

Confirm the artwork is usable.

Compare the exported track count against the original catalogue inventory.

Final thoughts

Your distributor is an important service provider.

It should not be the only place where your music business exists.

A complete catalogue archive gives you more control over distribution changes, licensing opportunities, royalty disputes and future catalogue investment.

Create it while your account is still accessible.