You finally release your song and then notice something is wrong.

Maybe the artwork needs changing.

Maybe a songwriter is missing.

Maybe you mistyped the track title.

The good news is that many parts of a digital release can usually be updated after it has gone live.

The important distinction is between changing the release’s metadata and changing the actual recording.

What can normally be changed?

Depending on your distributor and the stores involved, you may be able to update information including:

  • Release title
  • Track title
  • Artist information
  • Artwork
  • Genre
  • Songwriter information
  • Label information
  • Store selections
  • Other metadata

RouteNote allows approved releases to be updated from the Discography section of an account. Those changes go through review before being sent to the selected platforms. RouteNote currently advises that approved updates may take around 7–14 days to appear across stores.

Can you change the audio?

This is where things become more complicated.

Stores generally do not treat a completely different audio file as a simple metadata edit.

If you want to replace the recording itself, you may need to upload a new version.

Examples include:

  • A new mix
  • A new master
  • Different vocals
  • A longer version
  • Removing part of the song
  • Replacing a corrupted file
  • Adding or removing tracks from a release

RouteNote’s current guidance says approved audio cannot simply be replaced. A new version must instead be uploaded before the old version is removed.

What about changing artwork?

Artwork can normally be updated without creating a new recording.

Make sure the new image still meets your distributor and store requirements.

Avoid:

  • Unauthorised logos
  • Social-media handles where prohibited
  • Streaming-platform logos
  • Misleading artist information
  • Copyrighted images you do not control

The new artwork may not appear everywhere simultaneously.

Can you correct an artist name?

Metadata corrections are possible, although artist-name changes can be more complicated than fixing a spelling mistake.

A full rebrand may affect artist-profile mapping across Spotify, Apple Music and other services.

Before changing a name, check whether:

  • You are fixing an error
  • You are changing capitalisation
  • You are moving to an entirely new identity

A complete artist-name change can require more coordination than a simple typo correction.

Can you add missing songwriters?

Yes, where the distributor supports metadata updates.

You should correct missing contributors as soon as possible.

Accurate songwriter information matters for:

  • Credits
  • Publishing administration
  • Mechanical royalties
  • Rights matching
  • Music-industry databases

RouteNote now includes dedicated Publishing Details fields for composers and lyricists in its release metadata.

Don’t edit immediately before release day

Last-minute changes can cause delays.

If your release is already approved and scheduled to go live, changing it can trigger another review.

RouteNote specifically warns that editing within 24 hours of approval can temporarily interrupt the delivery process.

If the mistake is minor and the release is only hours away, it may sometimes be safer to let it go live first and then submit the correction.

Check everything before uploading

The easiest edit is the one you never need to make.

Before submitting:

  • Listen to every file
  • Check titles
  • Check artist spelling
  • Check songwriter names
  • Check artwork
  • Check explicit tags
  • Check release dates
  • Check ISRCs
  • Check existing artist profiles

Digital distribution is flexible, but correcting mistakes across twenty platforms takes longer than fixing them before submission.