Migrating Your Catalog to Revelator

Modified on Tue, 23 Dec at 2:04 PM

This article outlines the high-level catalog migration process and what to expect.

Your Onboarding Manager will review the full workflow with you during onboarding and handle the detailed steps together.

Getting Started

Before we can begin, please review the required steps below and collect all deliverables. The Revelator team handles most migrations, but all deliverables are required before we can proceed.

Ingestion Methods

Choose the ingestion method that fits your situation:

1. Upload via Revelator UI

Use this method for small catalogs. Log in to a Child Account and manually create releases in the dashboard. We generally recommend this method for catalogs with fewer than 50 releases, depending on your internal workflow.

2. DDEX Delivery from Your Previous Distributor

DDEX is the most efficient way to ingest catalog (metadata, audio, and artwork).

We accept DDEX deliveries from distributors such as CI, FUGA, AudioSalad, Believe, Sonosuite, and others.

Contact Support to request Revelator’s SFTP credentials
Provide these credentials to your distributor
Confirm the delivery schedule and scope of migration

3. Catalog Ingestion Worksheet

Use this if DDEX delivery is not available.

Open the Catalog Ingestion Sheet

Fill out all metadata fields
Add asset links (Dropbox, FTP, etc.)
Follow the instructions and the ‘Sample Data’ tab for guidance

Metadata Requirements

To ensure successful track linking and preserve playlist placements, do not modify the following fields when migrating:

For Tracks:

ISRC
Audio
Track Length
Title
Title Version
Artists
Lyrics Language
Parental Advisory status

For Releases:

UPC
Track Count
Metadata Language

Additional required metadata:

Territorial restrictions
Non-default pricing
Future release dates (if applicable)

Artist ID Requirements

If you are using Revelator’s Spotify or Apple deals (or are part of Spotify’s Preferred Provider Program):

You must provide:

Spotify Artist URIs for:

Primary artists
Featuring artists
Remixers

Apple Artist IDs for:

Primary artists
Featuring artists
Remixers
“With” artists
Composers (for classical music only)

If IDs are missing, we can assist with a lookup after ingestion, but we will require you to fill in any gaps.

Provide Delivery History

We require a delivery history export from your previous distributor showing:

UPC
DSP name
Whether each release is currently live

This helps us avoid duplicates and conflicting deliveries. Most distributors can generate this export from their dashboards.

UGC DSP Requirements (Facebook, Lickd, Snap, TikTok & YouTube CID)

These DSPs are special services that do not authorize all sound recordings. Please review and ensure that you understand this article. You will also greatly benefit from reading the “Relevance for Distribution” section of this article to see how Track Origin & Track Properties make it easier for you to determine whether a track is appropriate for a UGC DSP.

If you are using Revelator’s deals to distribute to UGC platforms:

Tag each track with the correct Track Origin and Track Properties
We can provide a spreadsheet template for batch tagging if needed

If you are switching from your own UGC deals, you must also provide:

Ineligible content report (Facebook/Meta)
Invalid reference report (YouTube)
Violative content report (TikTok)

Failure to comply with UGC policies may result in DSP blocks or rejected deliveries.

Migration Scenarios & Checklists

Choose the checklist that matches your situation.

Scenario A: Using Your Own Deals (Switching Supply Chain Only)

You are keeping your DSP contracts, but want Revelator to manage delivery.

Confirm catalog ingestion method (UI, Sheet, or DDEX)
Provide delivery history
Confirm feed switch from your previous supply chain provider
No takedowns required unless instructed
Confirm redelivery timeline with Support
Tag UGC metadata if relevant

Scenario B: Switching from Your Own Deals to Revelator’s Deals

You are moving from your own DSP contracts to Revelator’s DSP deals.

Provide delivery history
Provide Spotify URIs and Apple Artist IDs
Tag UGC metadata (Track Origin and Track Properties)
Submit UGC reports from TikTok, YouTube, and Meta (if available)
Confirm takedown schedule after successful track linking
Review DSP-specific procedures (see full Notion guide)

Scenario C: Migrating from an External Distributor to Revelator

You are migrating from another distributor (e.g. FUGA, The Orchard).

Confirm ingestion method (DDEX, Sheet, or UI)
If using DDEX:
- Request a DDEX export from your previous distributor
- Contact Support to get Revelator’s SFTP credentials
- Share those credentials with your distributor
Provide delivery history and metadata
Provide asset files (audio and artwork) or direct access links
Tag UGC metadata and submit any relevant content reports
Coordinate redelivery and track linking with Support

Redelivery and Track Linking

Once ingestion is complete:

Our team will redeliver your catalog to the appropriate DSPs
If you prefer, you can use the Batch Distribute tool in the Parent Account
To confirm Spotify track linking:
- Search for the release on Spotify
- Compare play counts between the old and new versions
- If the counts match, you may proceed with takedowns
- If the counts do not match, notify us and share the relevant ISRCs or Spotify URIs

Do not issue takedowns if your previous distributor used Revelator. Always contact Support first.

Note: Some DSPs such as iHeartRadio, iMusica, KKBOX, Nuuday, and YouTube Music do not preserve stream counts after migration.

Final Checklist Before You Begin

Ingestion method selected and confirmed
All metadata matches previous delivery
Spotify URIs and Apple IDs included (if using our deals)
Delivery history provided
UGC tagging completed (if applicable)
UGC content reports submitted (if applicable)

Not sure which scenario applies to you?

Review the examples above and match based on whether you’re:

Migrating from another distributor
Switching delivery method (but keeping your own deals)