An AI music distributor checklist is not the same as a general release checklist. This is the pass you do inside the submission flow, when a distributor asks for fields that can create review delays: title, version label, artwork, explicit lyrics, rights, credits, samples, cover-song status, and AI-use information.
DistroKid, TuneCore, CD Baby, and similar services do not all use the same wording. The shape is still familiar. If the form makes the reviewer wonder who owns the track, what the artwork contains, whether a sample is licensed, or how AI was used, the release can slow down.
This is practical release hygiene, not legal advice. If rights are unclear, speak with a qualified lawyer. For the distributor form itself, your job is simpler: make every answer plain enough that the song does not look careless.
Match the exact release version to the distributor form
Start with the audio file that is actually going out. AI music projects often have too many final files: new master, better vocal, fixed intro, cleaner export, radio edit, extended mix. Do not open the distributor form until one file is clearly marked as the release version.
Check these fields against that file:
- artist name spelling
- song title spelling
- version label, such as radio edit, remix, acoustic version, or extended mix
- primary genre and secondary genre
- release date and preorder date if used
- language and explicit-content status
- ISRC if you are reusing one
The boring mistakes are the ones that make a submission look suspicious. A title on the artwork that does not match the form. A file called final-v7-new-master while the form says radio edit. An explicit lyric that is not marked explicit. Fix those before submission.
Separate original songs, covers, remixes, and sampled tracks
Distributor forms care about the type of release. Treat this as a hard question, not a vibe question.
If the song is original, keep a short note that says who wrote or directed the lyrics, melody, arrangement, and final edits. If it is a cover, check the distributor's cover-song flow before upload. If it is a remix, be clear about the original work and permissions. If you used a sample, loop, stem, purchased vocal, or sound pack, save the license or source record beside the release file.
AI-assisted music can make this messier because the line between generated, edited, sampled, and covered can feel blurry. The distributor does not need a philosophy essay. It needs accurate answers to the fields it asks.
Write one clean AI-use answer
Before the distributor asks, write a private AI-use answer in plain English. Keep it short enough to paste or adapt.
A useful note might cover:
- which tool helped create the music, such as Suno, Udio, or another system
- whether lyrics were written, edited, or generated
- whether vocals, instrumental parts, cover art, or video scenes used AI
- who selected the final version and made edits
- who controls the artist account and release rights
Do not overclaim. Do not hide the parts that matter. If the distributor asks whether AI was involved, answer the field directly. If it asks for rights or originality information, answer that question rather than pasting a generic AI disclosure.
YouTube's generative AI disclosure guidance is useful because it shows the same direction platforms are moving in: plain answers beat vague wording. Distributor fields may differ, but your own release notes should be clear before upload day.
Check artwork against distributor review risks
Cover art is a common place for easy rejection or delay. Before uploading, inspect it as if you were reviewing a stranger's release.
Look for problems such as:
- artist or title text that does not match the form
- platform logos, pricing, QR codes, or social handles
- blurred, low-resolution, or stretched artwork
- brand names or celebrity-like faces you cannot justify
- parental advisory labels that do not match the explicit-content field
- AI artifacts in hands, text, instruments, or faces that make the release look rushed
For an AI-assisted release, the artwork has to do more than look pretty. It has to support the submission. If the distributor form, artwork, YouTube thumbnail, and first frame all tell a different story, the release feels unfinished.
Make credits and splits easy to defend
If collaborators are involved, finish the credits before submission. Do not leave this for the moment when the distributor asks for songwriter, producer, publisher, label, or royalty split details.
For a solo AI-assisted track, your private note can be simple. For a collaboration, write down who contributed lyrics, vocals, arrangement, mixing, mastering, cover art, video direction, or final release decisions. If a royalty split exists, save the agreement or confirmation in the release folder.
Keep receipts for paid tools, licensed samples, purchased voices, stock assets, or contractor work. You may never need them. If a distributor or platform asks a question, they save you from reconstructing the release from memory.
Prepare the distributor evidence folder
Create one folder for the submission, not a giant archive of every experiment. The point is to answer likely review questions fast.
Include:
- final audio file
- final cover art
- lyrics if the track has lyrics
- credits and contributor roles
- AI-use note
- sample, cover, remix, or voice-license records where relevant
- artwork source or prompt notes if they help explain the image
- screenshots or exports that show final versions
This folder is not for marketing. It is your calm answer bank if the submission gets paused, questioned, or sent back for edits.
Use distributor review time for visual launch assets
Once the distributor submission is clean, use the waiting period well. This is where SceneLore fits. The distributor may only need audio and cover art, but the launch still needs a watchable world around the song.
Prepare the assets that help the release feel finished when it clears review: a full music video for the strongest track, a YouTube thumbnail, one vertical clip, a still image for socials, and a short description that matches the submitted title and artist name.
Keep those assets separate from the distributor evidence folder. One folder helps review. The other helps promotion.
Distributor-specific pre-submit checklist
- Final audio file is the exact version being submitted.
- Artist name, title, version label, and artwork text match.
- Explicit lyrics are marked correctly.
- Cover, remix, sample, and licensed-asset status is clear.
- Songwriter, producer, publisher, and collaborator credits are ready where needed.
- Royalty split notes or agreements are saved if collaborators are involved.
- AI-use answer is written plainly before the distributor field appears.
- Artwork has no logos, promo text, mismatched title text, or obvious AI artifacts.
- Proof files are saved in a small distributor evidence folder.
- SceneLore launch assets are planned separately from the distributor submission.
A distributor submission should not feel like a bet that no one asks questions. Make the answers easy, then use the review window to build the video, thumbnail, and clips that help the song arrive like a real release.
FAQ
What should AI music creators check before submitting to a distributor?
Check the final audio, artist and title spelling, version labels, cover art rules, explicit lyrics, cover or remix status, samples, credits, royalty splits, AI-use answers, and proof files before pressing submit.
Can distributors reject AI-assisted music?
A distributor may reject or delay a release if the submission creates rights, metadata, artwork, disclosure, or ownership questions. The safest move is to answer the form plainly and keep proof files ready.
Should AI music creators mention Suno, Udio, or other tools in distributor notes?
Answer the distributor's fields honestly. If a field asks how the music was made or whether AI was involved, use a short factual note that explains what the tool did and what you controlled.
Turn the finished song into a release package
Bring the finished track and cover direction into SceneLore, then create the video, thumbnail-ready frames, and short clips while the distributor review is running.
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