01
ERN Delivery Packaging
Releases are packaged in DDEX ERN (Electronic Release Notification) format — the standard that Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music and other major DSPs accept for distributor submissions.
DDEX Distribution
DDEX-compliant music distribution
Industry-standard DDEX delivery infrastructure for labels, distributors and catalog owners — structured metadata workflows, automated QC and direct DSP routing to 30+ global streaming platforms.
What DDEX infrastructure covers
Every layer of compliant music delivery
DDEX compliance isn't just about file format — it covers the completeness of metadata, the accuracy of rights data, the timing of delivery and the handling of DSP responses. SMG's infrastructure manages all of it.
02
Pre-Delivery QC
Audio quality, metadata completeness and artwork specifications are reviewed before any delivery is sent. DDEX deliveries that fail QC are held and corrected — not sent to platforms in a defective state.
03
Metadata Validation
ISRC codes, UPC barcodes, artist credits, genre tags, language fields, copyright lines and content flags are all validated against DDEX requirements before packaging.
04
DSP Routing
Delivery is routed to each DSP's DDEX ingestion endpoint according to their specific format requirements. Different platforms have different DDEX profile requirements — SMG handles these variations.
05
Delivery Status Tracking
Each delivery is tracked through to platform confirmation. Processing failures, DSP-specific rejections and timing issues are handled operationally by SMG's team.
06
Revenue Report Ingestion
DSP revenue reports (DDEX DSR format) are ingested and processed through LUNA Accounting — feeding royalty calculations and artist statements with accurate per-platform data.
Why DDEX compliance matters
Non-compliant deliveries are a common cause of failed releases
Streaming platforms receive thousands of releases daily. Deliveries that don't conform to DDEX specifications — whether through missing metadata fields, incorrect file formats, or malformed packaging — are rejected automatically. For labels managing multiple simultaneous releases, a single rejected delivery can delay a release by days or weeks. SMG's DDEX infrastructure is designed to prevent rejections at source through rigorous pre-delivery QC.
FAQ
DDEX distribution questions
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Need DDEX-compliant distribution?
Contact SMG to discuss your catalog, delivery requirements and how our DDEX infrastructure can support your release operations.