Non-DDEX Ingestion Template

Overview

The non-DDEX ingestion workflow provides an alternative delivery route for suppliers who are unable to deliver content via DDEX Electronic Release Notification (ERN). Instead of XML-based DDEX messages, you can send a CSV metadata file to Content Partnerships at [email protected], alongside your audio and artwork assets.

Cut downs and stems are not supported through this ingestion pipeline.

Multi-disc and nested track structures (e.g. Disc 1 / Disc 2) are not supported. Each release must be submitted as a flat list of tracks in the desired sequence.

The Template

The metadata template should be edited and sent as a CSV file. Each row in the CSV represents a single track within a release. All tracks belonging to the same release must share consistent release-level values (e.g. release_title, label_name, artwork_file_name).

Track order in the final release follows the sequence of rows in the submitted CSV. No reordering is applied during ingestion - please ensure your CSV reflects the intended track order before sending it to Content Partnerships.

The latest version of the template is available here. Please note that access will need to be granted, and then you will be required to make a copy of the template before populating it.

Field Reference

The table below summarises all fields and their requirements.

Validation and Errors

The following issues will block ingestion and must be resolved before Content Partnerships can process your delivery:

• Audio filename does not match any uploaded file
• ISRC does not conform to the required format
• CSV is malformed (missing headers, encoding issues, etc.)

Sending Your Delivery

Once your CSV and assets are ready, send them to your Content Partnerships manager.

Please note:

• Audio files that do not have a matching row in the CSV will be ignored - Content Partnerships will notify you of any omissions
• Re-sending a CSV for a previously delivered release will fully replace the prior metadata snapshot - partial updates are not supported

Field Descriptions

Track Fields

audio_file_name - The filename of the audio asset, including the file extension. Must exactly match the name of the file you are sending. Matching is case-insensitive. Only lossless audio formats are accepted: WAV, AIFF, and FLAC.

recording_title - The primary title of the recording, used as the main display identifier for the track across the platform and downstream services.

recording_version_title - An optional subtitle used to distinguish this recording from other versions of the same track, such as Instrumental, Acoustic, or Radio Edit.

isrc - The International Standard Recording Code for this recording. Format: 2-letter country code + 3-character registrant code + 2-digit year + 5-digit designation. Hyphens are not permitted (e.g. GBUM72400123, not GB-UM7-24-00123). If not supplied, Content Partnerships can arrange ISRC generation on request.

track_deal_start_date - The date from which this recording should be commercially available. Format: YYYY-MM-DD.

recording_year - The year the recording was made. If not provided, falls back to the year in track_deal_start_date.

genre - The primary genre of this recording. Free-form text input is accepted. For guidance on accepted genres and best practices, refer to the Genre Guidelines.

main_artists - The primary performing artist(s) for this recording. Separate multiple artists with a comma.

featured_artists - Any featured artist(s) on this recording. Separate multiple artists with a comma. Leave blank if not applicable.

explicit - Indicates whether the recording contains explicit content. Accepted values: Yes or No. Defaults to No if omitted - please ensure this is appropriate for your content.

territory - The territory or territories in which this recording should be made available. Please note all content being made available for sync opportunities requires worldwide availability. Defaults to worldwide availability if not specified.

Release Fields

release_title - The title of the release. Must be identical across all rows belonging to the same release.

release_artist - The primary artist credited to the release. Use Various Artists for releases featuring multiple main artists across tracks - individual track-level credits are still maintained in main_artists.

artwork_file_name - The filename of the artwork asset for this release, including the file extension. Send it alongside your audio files as part of the same delivery. Each release must reference a uniquely named artwork file, even if the underlying image is shared with another release. Requirements: JPG. Minimum 1400 × 1400 px · Maximum 20 MB · Must be square.

upc - The Universal Product Code (EAN/UPC) for this release. If you have an existing UPC, supply it here and ensure it is consistent across all track rows. If not supplied, Content Operations can arrange UPC generation on request.

label_name - The name of the label releasing this content. Also used in the auto-generated ℗ and © lines if not provided.

release_genre - The primary genre of the release. For mixed-genre releases, use the majority genre across tracks. Not inferred from track-level genre values. For guidance, refer to the Genre Submission Guidelines.

Support

If you have any questions about the template or your delivery, contact Content Partnerships.