Transferring Releases from Another Distributor

When you first join Kudos for distribution, you will need to set up any existing back-catalogue in our system so that it can be re-delivered to digital services.  If your catalogue was previously available via another distributor then we recommend the following procedure:

1. Set up your full catalogue on the Kudos portal ASAP – ensuring the audio, ISRC, UPC and original release date match those that would have been supplied by the previous distributor.
2. When you are ready for Kudos to deliver your catalogue submit them to you label manager for approval.
3. Once all your releases have been submitted and approved by your label manager, instruct your previous distributor to send take-downs for your full catalogue.  It is advisable to allow 5-7 days overlap to avoid downtime.  This also allows streaming services enough time to generate the links between duplicate tracks which are necessary to keep your playlist positions etc.

If your existing catalogue is small, it’s advisable to set up the products on the portal through the normal procedure.  However, if you have a large catalogue you may wish to speak to your label manager about arranging a bulk import.  There are two methods we support for importing release data:

1. Using the Kudos spreadsheet template
2. Delivery of a DDEX ERN Batch

 Importing Release Data Using the Kudos Spreadsheet File

The template file can be downloaded below and includes full instructions.

Your entire catalogue can be supplied as a single file.  However, you may supply individual files for each releases if you prefer.  Note that, although the template will create your releases in our system and can be used to complete the majority of the required metadata, you may still need to log into the portal to confirm your release data, complete any missing fields and submit for label manager approval.

 Importing Media Assets with Kudos Spreadsheet File

There are a number of options available for supplying your media assets along with a spreadsheet for a bulk import.

1. Bulk Supply Paths / Public URLs – You can use the columns on the spreadsheet to define a file path for each track.  This may be a public URL where our server can access each individual file (such as a direct link to a file in Dropbox) or you can use any common method arranged with us beforehand to supply a bundle of files and then use this column to define the path and filename of the asset that corresponds to each track.  (This is the recommended method).
2. Bulk Supply with Naming Convention – Alternatively, you can leave the Filepath columns blank and supply a set of files alongside your spreadsheet that strictly follow the file naming conventions defined below.
3. Portal Upload – Often the easiest option is to supply all the metadata on the spreadsheet in order to create the structure of the releases in our system, and then simply upload the assets manually on the portal afterwards, as you complete, check and submit your releases.

If you wish to rely on using the naming convention for file imports, then you should make sure your audio and image files are named to the following specification, otherwise they will not be found by our importer.  Note that it is not necessary to follow any particular naming convention if the file paths are are provided in the spreadsheet file or uploaded to the portal.

• Cover art images must be named with the UPC and have a jpg or png extension.
  For example, “5050580000018.png”
• Audio tracks must be named with the ISRC or with the UPC and track number “{UPC}_XX” (where XX is the 2-digit track position) and have a flac, wav or aiff extension.
  For example, “GBXYZ1600001.wav” or “5050580000018_02.flac”
• Asset files should be placed in the same directory as the corresponding metadata spreadsheet file.

Note that audio and image files will fail to be imported unless they meet the minimum specifications as detailed here.

DDEX is an industry standard format for describing digital products using XML when being passed between systems.  If your release data is already held by another distributor or a catalogue management/delivery service (such as CI), you may be able to arrange for your catalogue to be delivered directly to Kudos as a DDEX batch.

While there may be a charge associated with this service, it offers an efficient way of providing Kudos with a comprehensive set of metadata for your releases.  Often releases can be submitted directly for approval by your label manager without further amendment.  It also ensures consistent data between the Kudos database and any previous versions of your products and there is a much lower chance of manual error than with setting up releases manually or via the spreadsheet.  This is the preferred option where possible, particularly for larger catalogues (50+ releases).

Contact your label manager if you want to explore importing your catalogue using this method.  Our technical team will then need to contact the supplier to set up the data feed.