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What is a waterfall release, and how can I create them?

Sammy
  • Updated

A waterfall release is not a type of release, but a release strategy used to build momentum and excitement around your project.

In a waterfall strategy, instead of dropping an entire EP or album all at once, you release tracks one by one while continuously adding to the previous releases. Here's an example for a 5-track EP:

  1. Week 1: Release the first track as a single.

  2. Week 2: Release the first and second tracks together.

  3. Week 3: Release the first, second, and third tracks together.

  4. Week 4: Release the first, second, third, and fourth tracks together.

  5. Week 5: Release the full EP with all five tracks.

Each new release contains the new track plus all previously released tracks. This approach helps keep your fans engaged over a longer period and boosts visibility on streaming platforms like Spotify and Apple Music.

 

Can I set up a waterfall release on UnitedMasters?

Yes! UnitedMasters has a tool that will allow you to waterfall your releases by adding existing live releases to an upcoming album.

Important:

  • Pre-Releases on Apple Music: Apple offers a pre-release feature (where fans can see a full album but only stream available tracks as they're released). This is a different setup and is currently only available to PARTNER artists at UnitedMasters. Learn more about Apple's pre-releases here.

  • YouTube does not support "Waterfall" releases. Every new release that goes to YouTube, even if they have the same ISRC, won't carry over streams. 

  • Waterfall Tips: Make sure your track metadata (titles, ISRCs) stay consistent across releases to ensure smooth linking on DSPs (Digital Service Providers).

 

Creating a waterfall release

To create a waterfall release, simply log into your account on a computer and find the release with which you'd like to start your waterfall in the 'Music' section. This can be a single or a longer project; however, please be advised that, at this time, you can only create a waterfall release from another release that has already been approved & delivered.

Once you've found your preferred release, simply click the three dots on the right-hand side of the release module, and select 'Waterfall Release'. Confirm on the box that pops up, and a new release will be created for you that waterfalls from your chosen release!

 

Frequently Asked Questions

What does a waterfall release look like?

The waterfall release will look like a new release with a few important changes:

  1. Any tracks carried over from the original release will be automatically added to the new release and locked - you cannot remove these tracks from the release if a waterfall is created from them.

  2. An empty track will be added to get you started on adding further tracks to the waterfall release!

 

What will the waterfall release include and not include?

The waterfall release will include the following information copied from the original release:

Included in waterfall release ✅ NOT included in waterfall release ❌
  • Artist name and contributor details
  • Release details (Genre, labels, P + C lines)
  • Original cover art and license (if attached)
  • All original tracks plus one additional empty track slot display
  • All original track details (ISRCs, audio files, licenses, metadata)
  • Release type set to “New Release”
  • Any original splits will be copied into waterfall release
  • Release Title (will be empty)
  • Release Date will not be set
  • UPC – this field will be blank

Instead of having to re-enter all the data for your new waterfalled release, it will be copied over from the previous version! The only things you'll need to add manually are listed in the section on the right above.

We do not recommend adding an existing UPC to the waterfall release - one will be assigned once the new release is approved & delivered.

 

What fields can I add or change, and which ones are locked?

Artists should be able to make the following changes:

  • New release title
  • Can change the cover art and include licenses
  • Audio files for new tracks (that were not pulled in via waterfall), including uploading an audio file for the new empty track slot
  • Metadata for new tracks (that were not pulled in via waterfall)
  • A new release date selection

Users cannot modify:

  • Existing track audio files 
  • Existing track ISRCs
  • Original track titles and metadata
  • Splits associated with original tracks

The reason certain sections are locked is to ensure that any necessary data is carried over once DSPs ingest this new version of any previously-uploaded tracks. For example, it is necessary when re-uploading a track to make sure the ISRC matches the original version - this helps make sure your stream counts stay intact!

 

 

 

 

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