So you’ve written, recorded and distributed your audio track, but now you want to distribute a music or lyric video? Don’t worry, here at Horus Music, we’ve got you covered! 

We’ve put together a short help guide that takes you through each step of the video release process.

If you need immediate support or advice, please contact the team on 0116 253 0203 or email us at al*@***********co.uk 

Uploading your release 

Similar to distributing an audio release, navigate to the menu on the left hand side of the page, go down to ‘Releases’ and click ‘New Video Release’. Here, you will be taken through the start of the upload process.

Product level metadata 

At the next stage, you will need to input the details for your new release. This is called the ‘Product Level Metadata’, which refers to the metadata for your video release.

Any field that has an asterisk (*) are mandatory. If you don’t have a barcode or catalogue number, leave the field blank; our system will automatically generate a code and fill it in for you. 

When you’re uploading your release’s artwork (aka the video thumbnail), ensure that it’s in accordance with the guidelines on the right hand side of the page. For example, artwork is required to be a 1920px by 1080px JPEG file at 300DPI. 

Once you have uploaded the thumbnail, click ‘save and continue’ to progress with your upload. 

Here’s a breakdown of the fields you will need to fill in on the product level metadata. 

Title: This will be the name of your video release. At this stage, don’t include any type of description, for example, ‘Uncut version’, ‘explicit version’, etc. or add anything to do with the artist; this information can be added later. 

This information can be included later in the process. 

Version Description: This is for if your video has an alternative version. For example, a remix or uncut version. If your new release is the original version, you can leave this section blank.

Video Versions: This is where you can state what kind of video your release is, for example, if it’s an acoustic session or a ‘Live at…’ 

This field isn’t mandatory, so you can leave it blank. 

Video Duration: This is where you will input the total duration of your video release. You should submit the video duration in hh:mm:ss, for example, 00:02:30. This is a mandatory field for online stores. 

Video Language: Here, you will be able to add the language that features within the video. If you are adding more than one language, add them as a list separated by commas. 

What type of video release is this?: This is where you can submit the category of video that your release falls under. If you can’t find the one that fits your video release best in the drop down list,  you can add it into the ‘video version’ field. 

Artists: This is for the main artists in the video; you should list all performers in the video on a separate line. 

If you are part of a band, you only need to put the band’s name. Once you’ve input each artist’s name, they should appear in grey boxes (pictured below). You can remove an artist by clicking ‘X’ at the end of their name. 

Featuring Artist: If there is only one artist in the release, you can leave this field blank. In this field you can add all the featured artists in the section. 

Barcode: A barcode or UPC (Universal Product Code) is used to identify videos, similarly to how you would for a physical product in a store that is scanned at the checkout. 

If you already have a barcode assigned to your release, you should submit it here. If you don’t, our system will automatically generate one for you as you submit the final release. 

Licensed territories to include: In this field, you can add the territories to include. If you want your release to be available worldwide, select ‘world’. 

Licensed territories to exclude: Here, you can include all the territories you don’t want your video to be released in. If you want your video released worldwide, leave this section blank. 

For any territories you want to exclude, you should format them in their ISO code format (an internationally recognised code) . You can find a full list of the ISO codes here. 

Original release date: This is the date you’d like your release to be available in the stores. You can add this in the following format dd/mm/yyyy, or use the calendar date picker. 

Providing you have done this in advance, this will be the date that your release will be available in stores. 

Note: on VEVO, you are able to specify what time you would like your release to go live, if you would like to take advantage of this, get in touch with the team on al*@***********co.uk and state what time you would like it to be released. If you would like a YouTube Premiere to be activated for your VEVO our team can also help set this up too! 

(P) Holder and (P) Year: Under (P) Holder state the copyright holder of the video and in (P) Year add the year that they have held the copyright from. This could be a number of individuals, depending on your situation. If the video was completely self-produced and the master rights aren’t owned by a label, you can add your own name.

If you are signed to a label and they own the master rights to the video, add them here. 

Label: If your release is being released through a label, this field is where you should enter that information. If you don’t have a label, you can leave this field blank.

Genres: In this field labelled ‘Main Genre Primary’, add the main genre that your video falls into. If there is more than one genre, you can add them under the ‘Main Genre sub’ field. 

In the ‘Alternative Genre Primary’ field, add any genres that your video falls within. Again, if there are any other alternative genres that your release falls into, you can add them to the ‘Alternative Genre sub’. 

If you wish, you can only fill in the ‘Main Genre Primary’ and ‘Alternative Genre Primary,’ but if you add more relevant genres, it can increase the likelihood of your video release appearing in stores. 

Explicit content: If your video release contains explicit language, violent content or adult themes (such as drugs, drug use, sex or swearing – this isn’t an exhaustive list), mark the field ‘yes’.

If you don’t select yes and your release contains explicit content, you risk having your release taken down from stores. Furthermore, incorrectly marking this field can affect which stores your video release appears in. We also reserve the right to refuse any content we deem to be inappropriate for release. 

Artist/ Group name: This field refers to how your artist name will appear on VEVO and YouTube. This will autofill from the information provided in the ‘Artist’ field if left blank. 

Artist/ Group label name/ Rep owner: If your video is being released through a label, add this information here. If you aren’t releasing your video through a label, put your artist name here. 

VEVO Channel Name: In this field, you can add your VEVO channel name. If you don’t have a VEVO channel, add your desired name here. 

You are allowed 16 characters, then ‘VEVO’ on the end, for example ‘sixteencharacterVEVO’.

You aren’t allowed to add any special symbols, punctuation or numbers into your VEVO channel name. 

VEVO channels are only available for artists; label channels aren’t allowed. 

NOTE: Setting up a VEVO channel can take up to two weeks (and in some cases, can take longer depending on busy periods) for VEVO to create your channel. 

ISRC: An ISRC is the second code that is needed by stores to track your release, you only need to enter this if you have your own international standard recording code (ISRC), if you don’t have one, our system will automatically generate one for you. 

This code should be different to the ISRC for your audio release, if one already exists. 

GRid: GRid is another code used to track a release. If you don’t have a GRid code, you can leave it blank. 

Video producers, video mixers, composers, lyricists: If you want to credit producers, video mixers, composers, or lyricists, you can list them in this field. 

Lyrics: If your video includes lyrics and you would like them available in stores, it’s important to note that not all stores will display lyrics. 

Upload your video file.

Once you’ve filled out the product level metadata, make sure you click ‘save and continue’. You will then be taken to the ‘edit video release’ page. 

This is where you will upload your video release. When selecting your file, ensure that it’s an .mp4 or .mov with the dimensions 1920x1080px or 1280x720px. 

Once your video release has been uploaded, you will be able to download, upload and delete the file. Ensure you click ‘save and continue’ when the files are uploaded, and you’re happy with it. 

Selecting your video release package 

We offer a range of different video release packages for you to choose from. 

  • VEVO Starter  Package: If you’re distributing to VEVO only and do not have a VEVO channel, select this package. Also includes delivery to TIDAL, JioSaavn, Netease, Joox, Vibe, Music is Vivid.
  • VEVO+ Package: This package sends your video release to your existing channel. The artist receives 100% of royalties earned.  Also includes delivery to TIDAL, JioSaavn, Netease, Joox, Vibe, Music is Vivid.

If you’d like to add custom profile photos, banners, and a biography, select this package. 

  • Apple+ Video packages: This package sends your new release to Apple iTunes. Apple has strict requirements when adding videos to releases. You can learn more about this here. Also includes delivery to VEVO, TIDAL, JioSaavn, Netease, Joox, Vibe, Music is Vivid.

Submitting your video release 

Once you’ve selected your package, you’ll move on to submitting your release. Make sure to check over your metadata and ensure that its all correct, your artwork, video file, package, and the total costs. 

At this stage, you will be prompted to fill in your user profile, if you haven’t done so already! 

Once you’ve checked everything over, you can select ‘submit’.

What happens next? 

Sign up for Horus Music to distribute your music and videos to over 150 digital streaming platforms. If you need support in uploading, get in touch with one of our team on 0116 253 0203 or email us on al*@***********co.uk