Getting Your Music Ready to Share or Sell
Start With a Master Copy
If you are recording and mixing your own music, export your finished mix as a WAV file. If you are creating music with an AI platform, download your finished song as a WAV file rather than MP3. WAV is uncompressed and lossless, meaning nothing is stripped out to reduce file size. This is your master copy: the source file everything else gets made from. Back it up somewhere separate from your main computer. An external drive is ideal.
If you ever want to re-edit or reformat the song later, you’ll want that WAV to work from.
Choose Your Formats
WAV files are too large for most customers to download comfortably. While WAV files can retain metadata, it is not reliable enough to count on — you’ll need to convert to one or both of the following:
MP3 — Smaller file size, universally compatible, slightly lower quality due to compression. 192 kbps is a workable minimum, but 320 kbps is recommended. Good for most listeners.
FLAC — Compressed but lossless. Quality is nearly indistinguishable from WAV. Smaller file size than WAV, but still larger than MP3. Preferred by audiophiles and serious music buyers.
A free program like EZ CD Audio Converter or Mp3tag handles both formats well and is recommended for the next step.
Add Metadata
Metadata is the information embedded in the file itself — artist name, song title, album, year, cover art, and more. Most music players and storefronts read from metadata, not from filenames. Without it, your music may appear without a title or artist name.
For MP3 files, Windows lets you edit metadata directly in the file’s Properties window, but using a dedicated program is faster and less error-prone.
For FLAC files, DO NOT edit metadata manually through Windows Explorer. Doing so will corrupt the file and cause serious problems beyond just the file itself — Windows Explorer becomes difficult or impossible to use while corrupted FLACs are present. Making matters worse, the Delete function becomes unreliable at this point: you may only be able to execute one deletion before having to restart your computer. If all your FLAC files are in the same folder, you can select them all and delete in one action. If they are spread across multiple folders, you will have to delete, restart, delete, restart — and even that may not go smoothly. Always use a dedicated program like Mp3tag or EZ CD Audio Converter to add or edit metadata on FLAC files.
Upload to YouTube Before You Sell
Before putting your music up for sale, upload it to YouTube — even as an Unlisted video. There are two reasons for this.
First, YouTube runs a copyright check on every upload. If your song passes without being flagged, that’s a useful signal that it’s in the clear.
Second, your upload establishes a dated record that you created the song and when. If a naming conflict or similarity dispute ever arises, that timestamp is evidence. Note: if you later change a Private or Unlisted video to Public, the public-facing date changes — but your original upload date remains visible in YouTube Studio.
Do not upload duplicate copies of the same video, even to a different channel. YouTube will flag duplicate content regardless of where it is uploaded.
Copyright
Under U.S. copyright law, a work is protected the moment it is created and fixed in a tangible form. You do not need to register it. However, registration with the U.S. Copyright Office is required before an infringement lawsuit can be filed, and registration within three months of release allows you to pursue statutory damages. For music you care about protecting, registration is worth doing. You can find more information and register your work at copyright.gov.
If your music is being performed publicly — streamed, played on radio, used in film or video, or performed live — you may want to consider joining a Performance Rights Organization (PRO). A PRO collects royalties on your behalf when your music is used in these ways. ASCAP and BMI are the two largest in the United States and both offer plain-English explanations of how it works on their websites: ascap.com and bmi.com.
This is general information, not legal advice. Consult a lawyer for your specific situation.
Selling Your Music
If you’re selling through your own website, you can offer as many formats as you choose — MP3, FLAC, WAV, AIFF, Ogg Vorbis, or others. How many formats to offer is up to you. That said, MP3 and FLAC together cover the vast majority of listeners, from casual to audiophile, and are a reasonable stopping point for most sellers.
Note for AI music creators: Bandcamp prohibits AI-generated music. The major streaming platforms (Spotify, Apple Music, etc.) have varying and evolving policies — check each platform’s current terms before distributing.
Tools
For all musicians:
Mp3tag — Free. The most straightforward tool for adding and editing metadata on MP3 and FLAC files. Handles album art, track titles, artist names, and more. Recommended.
EZ CD Audio Converter — Free version available. Converts between audio formats and handles metadata. Useful for converting WAV files to MP3 or FLAC and tagging them in one step.
Audacity — Free. A basic audio editor that can trim, clean up, and adjust volume levels on audio files. Not a full DAW, but useful for simple edits without needing one. Note: Audacity does not support album art — use Mp3tag or EZ CD Audio Converter for that.
For traditional musicians:
DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) — This is where you record, arrange, mix, and export your music. There are many options at various price points, from free to industry-standard professional software. If you don’t already have one, research what fits your workflow and budget before committing.
For AI music creators:
Your AI platform’s download settings — Before downloading, check whether your platform offers WAV downloads and enable them. Not all platforms offer WAV by default, and some require a paid tier for it. Always download WAV where available.
AI music creators can use a DAW just like traditional musicians. If your platform offers stem downloads, a DAW lets you edit individual elements — vocals, instruments, percussion — separately. Even without stems, a DAW can be useful for trimming, layering, or further processing your mixed-down tracks.
Read your platform’s Terms of Service carefully before selling anything
Platforms vary significantly in what they claim regarding your music. Before uploading anywhere, check carefully which rights you are retaining and which you are signing away — including ownership, distribution rights, and royalties. Pay attention to any exclusivity clauses that restrict where else you can sell or distribute the same music, and note what percentage of sales or streams the platform takes. These terms vary widely and are not always clearly stated.
For AI musicians – Free plans on most AI music platforms do not permit you to sell music or other outputs generated through them — a paid subscription is typically required. Platform policies also change. As of this writing, Udio has disabled downloading entirely, confining generated music to their platform. Check your platform’s current terms before distributing or selling anything you’ve made with it.
Questions about releasing music through West Harbor Publishing? Contact us.