Getting your music onto major streaming platforms can seem daunting, but with Hankad, it’s a straightforward process built for independent artists. This guide walks you through each step of uploading your tracks, ensuring your music is ready to reach a global audience.

1. Prepare Your Files

Before you begin the upload process, you need to prepare your music and artwork.

  • Audio Files: Your tracks should be in WAV format, with a sample rate of 44.1 kHz and a bit depth of 16 or 24-bit stereo. This ensures the highest audio quality for distribution.
  • Cover Art: Use a JPEG image for your album or single cover art, and make sure it is exactly 3000×3000 pixels. Your artwork should be clean, professional, and clearly include the song or album title and artist name. Avoid adding unnecessary text like “produced by” or other logos.

2. The Hankad Upload Process

Once your files are ready, you can start the upload. Follow these steps to get your music from your computer to the world.

Log In and Start a New Release First, log in to your Hankad account. If you’re a new user, you’ll need to sign up. From your dashboard, find the “upload” button in the top navigation bar. Click it, then select “create new release” to begin.

Add Your Tracks and Metadata Next, you’ll upload your audio files and add all the necessary information.

  • Upload Audio: Click “upload” to select and import your WAV audio files from your computer or phone.
  • Enter Track Details: After your tracks upload, click on each one individually to add key information:
    • Original Title: Enter the exact title of your song.
    • Primary Artist: Select the main artist from your existing list or create a new artist profile.
    • Additional Artists: Include any featured artists or collaborators.
    • Composer: Enter the full original names of the composers.
    • Genre: Choose the genre for your track.
    • Explicit Content: Indicate if the track contains explicit lyrics.
    • ISRC: You can either provide your own International Standard Recording Code or let Hankad generate one for you.
    • Ownership: Confirm that you own the rights to the track.

Once you have entered all the metadata, confirm the details to proceed.

Arrange Your Track List (Optional) If you’re uploading an album or EP, you can arrange the order of your tracks. It’s often a good idea to place your strongest track at the top. You also have the option to bundle specific tracks together for purchase. After arranging them, move on to the next step.

Set Revenue Splits (Optional) Do you have collaborators who are entitled to a share of the revenue? If so, you can set the percentage splits for each artist or contributor here. If this doesn’t apply to you, simply deactivate this option and continue.

Add Product Information Many of the fields in this section will be automatically filled. However, you’ll need to manually add a few key pieces of information:

  • Catalog Number: This is your unique product sequence number (for example, your artist name followed by a sequential number like “Annayia 001”).
  • Artist Name: Type your artist name manually or click “get artists from tracks” to auto-populate.
  • Barcode UPC: Provide your own Universal Product Code or have Hankad generate one.
  • Label: This is a crucial step. If you are an independent artist, your artist or group name will serve as your label. If you represent a record label, use its official name. If you haven’t created a label yet, click “create new label” and upload your logo (ideally a 2400×2400 pixel JPEG). For future uploads, you can simply select your previously created label.

Upload Your Cover Art Now it’s time to upload your prepared cover art. Remember, it must be a 3000×3000 pixel JPEG file. Ensure your artwork is simple, clean, and professional. It should clearly display the song or album title and the artist name. Double-check that it does not contain any unnecessary text or logos, as this can lead to rejection from streaming platforms.

Choose Your Release Speed and Finalize Hankad gives you two options for release speed:

  • Fast Lane: Your music will be delivered to stores within 7 days.
  • Standard Release: This option takes 3-4 weeks and is ideal for planning promotional campaigns and pre-sales.

You can also add a product description or set territory/shop limitations if you wish. Once you’re ready, move on to the final review.

Review and Release This is your last chance to review all the information you’ve entered. Carefully check all the details to prevent any errors or rejections from streaming platforms. When you are confident that everything is correct, click the “release” button.

Congratulations! You have now completed your music submission. You can upload another product or return to your Hankad dashboard to monitor your streams, sales, product status, and revenue.

For a visual guide, you can watch the full step-by-step video tutorial here: How to Upload Music on Hankad