Transferring Your Catalog

Updated July 2026.

Switching distributors doesn’t mean losing your playlists, saves, or streaming history. You migrate to LabelGrid by re-uploading each release with the same ISRC and UPC and matching metadata, confirming it is live, and only then taking it down from your old distributor — so your music stays online and your streaming history stays intact throughout. This guide explains the exact order to follow.

Transfer at a glance

Follow these steps in order. Never take your catalog down from your old distributor before your LabelGrid releases are confirmed live.

Step	What you do	What LabelGrid does	Typical duration
1. Upload to LabelGrid	Re-create each release using the same ISRCs/UPCs and exact metadata; set original release dates	Validates the release and prepares it for delivery	Depends on catalog size
2. Deliver	Submit for distribution (do not take down from your old distributor yet)	Delivers to your selected stores	Delivery to stores: 1–3 days
3. Go live	Wait while stores match by ISRC/UPC and merge with your existing catalog	Tracks per-store delivery status in your dashboard	Store processing: a few days
4. Verify	Confirm status shows Delivered/Live and check placements on Spotify, Apple Music, TikTok, and Meta	Surfaces delivery status per outlet	—
5. Take down old	Request takedown from your old distributor; ask them to remove Content ID too	—	Old-distributor takedown: 1–3 weeks
6. Monitor	Watch for 2–4 weeks; ignore expected duplicate warnings during overlap	—	Overlap resolves automatically

Note

Total timeline is typically 2–4 weeks. Delivery and store-processing durations vary by platform — see Distribution Lead Times.

---

How Catalog Transfers Work

Streaming platforms identify your music by unique codes:

• ISRC (International Standard Recording Code) - identifies each track
• UPC (Universal Product Code) - identifies each release/album

When you upload to LabelGrid using the same ISRC and UPC codes with matching metadata, platforms recognize it as the same content. Your playlist placements, saves, and streaming counts stay intact.

---

The Right Migration Order

The order matters. Follow these steps exactly to avoid losing your streaming history.

Step 1: Upload to LabelGrid First

Do NOT take down from your old distributor yet.

Upload your releases to LabelGrid with:

• Same ISRCs and UPCs from your old distributor
• Exact metadata match (artist names, track titles, album titles)
• Original release dates to preserve your discography timeline

Step 2: Wait for Delivery

Give LabelGrid time to deliver to streaming platforms:

• Delivery to DSPs: 1-3 days
• DSP processing: 2-5 days to go live

Platforms match your content by ISRC/UPC and merge it with your existing catalog.

Step 3: Verify Your Releases

Before taking anything down, confirm in your LabelGrid dashboard:

• Delivery status shows “Delivered” or “Live”
• Releases appear correctly on Spotify, Apple Music, etc.
• Check that playlist placements are preserved

Step 4: Take Down From Old Distributor

Only after your LabelGrid releases are live:

• Initiate takedown from your old distributor
• Takedowns typically take 1-3 weeks to complete
• Brief overlap is normal and expected

Step 5: Monitor the Transition

Over the next 2-4 weeks:

• Verify playlists and saves transferred correctly
• Check your artist profile links
• Ignore duplicate content warnings during overlap (they resolve automatically)
• Pay special attention to Meta, TikTok, and YouTube Content ID — see platform-specific migration notes below

Total timeline: 2-4 weeks

---

Why Upload First?

Taking down before uploading creates a gap where your music is offline. This can cause:

• Lost playlist placements
• Broken artist profile links
• Reset streaming history
• Confused listeners who can’t find your music

Uploading first with matching codes ensures a seamless handoff.

---

Using Your Existing Codes

Most Distributors: You Own the Codes

If you came from DistroKid, CD Baby, TuneCore, or similar services, you typically own your ISRC and UPC codes. You must reuse these exact codes in LabelGrid.

Requirements for successful transfer:

• ISRCs and UPCs must match exactly
• Artist names must be spelled identically (including capitalization)
• Track titles must match character-for-character
• Album titles must be identical

Rare Exception: Distributor-Owned Codes

Some distributors retain ownership of codes they assign. If you can’t reuse your codes:

• LabelGrid will assign new codes
• Your streaming history will reset (treated as a new release)
• Playlist placements will be lost

Check your old distributor’s terms of service to confirm code ownership.

Tell LabelGrid Who You’re Transferring From

When your recordings are already live through a prior distributor, set the Transfer from Distributor field (on the release form’s Settings tab) to the original distributor’s name. It’s also settable through the public Releases API as transfer_from_distributor (optional, up to 255 characters).

This field locks once the release is distributed, so set it before or at submission. Align the LabelGrid release date with the original so the same ISRC doesn’t carry two conflicting dates (this reinforces the Release Date Changed guidance below).

---

Planning a large migration? Check the submission cap first

A rolling submission cap may apply to your account and can be reached during a big migration — see Release & catalog limits for how it works. Contact support before you start a large migration so we can set up a temporary bypass window. For uploading many releases at once, see the Bulk Upload Guide.

---

Finding Your Existing Codes

• Check your old distributor’s dashboard (usually in release details)
• Export catalog data if available
• Contact their support for a bulk code export

---

Metadata Must Match Exactly

Streaming platforms validate ISRC/UPC against your metadata. Mismatches cause errors and can break the transfer.

Field	Requirement
Artist name	Exact match including capitalization
Track titles	Character-for-character match
Album title	Must be identical
Featured artists	”feat.” vs “ft.” matters

Example: If DistroKid shows “DJ Smith”, use “DJ Smith” on LabelGrid—not “Dj Smith” or “DJ SMITH”.

---

Distributor-Specific Notes

DistroKid

• ISRCs/UPCs: Customer-owned ✓
• Takedown speed: 1-2 weeks
• “Leave a Legacy” customers: Content stays live until you manually take it down

CD Baby

• ISRCs/UPCs: Customer-owned ✓
• Takedown speed: 2-3 weeks
• Sync licensing deals may need separate handling

TuneCore

• ISRCs/UPCs: Customer-owned ✓
• Takedown speed: 1-2 weeks
• Annual fees stop, but you still need to request takedown

Other Distributors (Amuse, Ditto, etc.)

• Check your old distributor’s terms for ISRC ownership
• Most distributors assign customer-owned codes

---

Platform-Specific Migration Notes

Most streaming platforms (Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, Deezer) handle migrations smoothly — they match by ISRC/UPC and merge content automatically. However, Meta, TikTok, and YouTube Content ID require extra attention during the overlap period.

Meta (Instagram & Facebook)

During a distributor switch, both distributors temporarily have active content for the same tracks on Meta, which can create temporary conflicts.

What can happen:

• Your music may be temporarily unavailable in the Instagram/Facebook music library while the conflict is active
• Revenue from your music may be disputed until the overlap resolves

What to do:

• Confirm your releases are available on Instagram/Facebook before requesting takedown from your old distributor
• If your music temporarily disappears, don’t re-upload — wait for the old distributor’s takedown to complete
• Contact LabelGrid support if your music hasn’t returned within a week of your old distributor confirming their takedown

TikTok

TikTok matches your music using a combination of ISRC, UPC, and the preview clip start time. Getting this right is critical during migration.

What can happen:

• If the metadata on your new delivery doesn’t match exactly (including ISRC, UPC, and preview start time), TikTok may treat it as a completely new sound instead of merging with the existing one
• This means your existing usage history, viral momentum, and sound page could be lost permanently
• Your old sound may be muted while the new delivery is processed

What to do:

• Make sure your ISRC, UPC, and all metadata match exactly when uploading to LabelGrid
• Verify your music appears on TikTok before requesting takedown from your old distributor
• If your sound page doesn’t carry over properly, contact LabelGrid support — we can investigate

YouTube Content ID

YouTube Content ID requires the most attention during migration. Both distributors may be claiming the same content simultaneously, which can temporarily affect revenue.

What can happen:

• Both distributors may be claiming the same content, creating conflicting claims
• YouTube may hold revenue from videos using your music until the conflict is resolved
• Revenue held during the overlap is typically released once the conflict clears

Timeline:

• New claims take 3-7 business days to process
• Conflicting claim resolution varies and may require coordination between distributors

What to do:

• When requesting takedown from your old distributor, ask them to confirm they will also remove your content from Content ID
• If issues persist after the old distributor’s takedown is complete, contact LabelGrid support — we can help resolve it
• Don’t re-upload or create duplicate deliveries during the overlap

Beatport

Beatport handles distributor changes differently from other platforms. Instead of the standard upload-then-takedown process, Beatport transfers your label account directly at the platform level.

What this means for you:

• You do not need to take down your releases from your previous distributor — your Beatport label will be transferred during the migration process
• However, you must re-upload all your Beatport releases through LabelGrid with the same metadata (ISRCs, UPCs, artist names, track titles, release dates)
• This re-upload ensures that all royalties from your Beatport label are correctly attributed going forward

Timeline:

• The label transfer process typically takes about one week
• In some cases it can take longer, depending on your previous distributor

What to do:

• Enable Beatport on your label — either when creating a new label or by editing an existing label to add Beatport as a platform. LabelGrid automatically handles the transfer process from there
• Once the transfer is confirmed, upload all your existing Beatport releases through LabelGrid with identical metadata
• Keep all ISRCs, UPCs, and metadata exactly the same as your original releases
• Contact LabelGrid support if you need help during the process

Platform overlap summary

Platform	Overlap Risk	Resolution Time	Action Needed
Spotify / Apple Music	Low — merges automatically	1-3 weeks	Monitor only
Meta (Instagram/Facebook)	Medium — temporary conflicts possible	Varies	Wait for old distributor takedown to complete
TikTok	Medium — metadata must match exactly	Varies	Ensure ISRC/UPC/metadata match exactly
YouTube Content ID	Higher — conflicting claims, held revenue	Varies, may need support	Ask old distributor to remove from Content ID
Beatport	Low — label transferred directly	~1 week	Re-upload all releases through LabelGrid

Caution

During the overlap period, do not panic and do not re-upload your content. Re-uploading creates duplicate entries that are harder to resolve. Wait for your old distributor’s takedown to complete — conflicts resolve automatically in most cases.

---

Common Issues

ISRC Mismatch Errors

Cause: Same ISRC with different metadata (artist name, title, or duration)

Fix: Double-check that all metadata matches exactly across both distributors

Duplicate Content Warnings

Cause: Release temporarily live at both distributors (expected during overlap)

Fix: This is normal — warnings clear automatically within 1-3 weeks after takedown completes. For Meta, TikTok, and YouTube Content ID, see platform-specific migration notes for additional details.

Artist Profile Not Linking

Cause: Artist name spelled differently between releases

Fix: Match the artist name exactly, including features and spacing

Release Date Changed

Cause: Some platforms may display the new delivery date instead of the original

Fix: Always set “Original Release Date” during upload. Major platforms (Spotify, Apple Music) respect original dates when ISRC matches.

Re-uploading the Same ISRCs (After a Takedown)

Cause: You’re re-uploading a recording you previously distributed through LabelGrid under the same ISRC.

Fix: This is recognized as your own catalog when the ISRC, title, and metadata all match the original — no extra action is needed. If any of those don’t match the original, it’s flagged for review. Contact support if a legitimate re-upload is held up.

Consolidating a Recording That Has Two ISRCs

Cause: The same recording ended up with two different ISRCs and you want to merge them.

Fix: Self-serve ISRC reassignment or swapping isn’t available — once a recording is delivered, its ISRC is locked (this is an Apple Music requirement). To consolidate, pick the canonical ISRC, take down the duplicate, and re-upload under the canonical one. To preserve or merge an existing ISRC, contact support.

---

Before You Start: Checklist

Preparation:

• Confirm you own your ISRCs and UPCs (check old distributor terms)
• Export all your ISRC/UPC codes from your old distributor
• Export complete metadata (artist names, titles, release dates)
• Verify your LabelGrid plan has capacity for your catalog
• Upgrade your plan if needed

During migration:

• Upload to LabelGrid with exact same ISRCs/UPCs
• Match all metadata exactly
• Set original release dates
• Do NOT take down from old distributor yet

After delivery:

• Confirm delivery status is “Live” in LabelGrid
• Verify releases appear on streaming platforms
• Verify releases are live on TikTok and Meta specifically (not just Spotify/Apple Music)
• Check playlist placements are preserved
• Then request takedown from old distributor
• Ask old distributor to also remove your content from YouTube Content ID
• Monitor for 2-4 weeks until overlap resolves
• Keep records of ISRCs, delivery dates, and takedown request dates

---

FAQ

”Will my streams and playlists carry over when I transfer to LabelGrid?”

Yes, in most cases. When you re-upload each release to LabelGrid using the same ISRC and UPC with matching metadata, streaming platforms recognize it as the same content and keep your existing streams, saves, and playlist placements. Upload to LabelGrid first, confirm it is live, then take the catalog down from your old distributor.

”Do my ISRCs and UPCs stay the same?”

They should. You reuse the exact ISRCs and UPCs from your old distributor. Most distributors (DistroKid, CD Baby, TuneCore) assign customer-owned codes you can keep. A few retain code ownership; if you cannot reuse your codes, LabelGrid assigns new ones and the streaming history resets. Check your old distributor’s terms.

”Is there downtime during the transfer?”

No downtime is required if you follow the correct order. Because you upload to LabelGrid and confirm your releases are live before taking anything down from your old distributor, your music stays available throughout. A brief overlap where both distributors have the release is normal and resolves automatically.

”Can LabelGrid import my catalog via DDEX?”

Yes, for API-plan customers. LabelGrid supports DDEX ERN import (versions 3.8.2, 4.3.0, 4.3.1, and 4.3.2) so distributors can deliver catalog into LabelGrid using the DDEX standard. LabelGrid supports these DDEX versions but is not a DDEX consortium member. For most artists, standard upload with matching ISRCs/UPCs is the simplest path.

”Do I need to take my catalog down from my old distributor first?”

No — do the opposite. Upload to LabelGrid first and confirm your releases are live on the stores, then request takedown from your old distributor. Taking down first creates a gap where your music is offline, which can cost you playlist placements and reset streaming history.

”How long does a catalog transfer take?”

Plan for about 2 to 4 weeks end to end. Delivery to stores takes 1 to 3 days, stores process the release over a few days, and takedown from your old distributor typically takes 1 to 3 weeks. A short overlap during that window is expected.

---

Related Guides

• Creating a Release - How to upload releases with existing codes
• Monitoring Deliveries - Track your delivery status
• Lead Times - How long delivery takes per platform
• DDEX Import and Export - Catalog import via the DDEX standard (API plans)

---

Need Help?

Migrating a large catalog or running into issues? Contact our support team for personalized assistance.