How to Prepare Your Catalog for Music Library Submission
Updated July 21, 2026·7 min read·by the TrackTag team
Getting into good production music libraries is a numbers game you win with professionalism: curators accept the catalogs that are easy to publish. Great music arrives every day. Great music with clean files, complete metadata and proper versions arrives rarely. Here's the checklist that puts you in the second group.
File preparation: the non-negotiables
Before any library hears a note, your files say whether you're professional:
- •WAV, 48kHz/24-bit (most libraries' master spec; keep 44.1/16 alternates if requested)
- •Consistent naming: "Artist - Track Title - Version.wav", no "final_v3_REALFINAL.wav"
- •Clean starts and tails: no clicks, no cut reverb tails
- •Loudness in the library's requested range (typically around -14 to -16 LUFS for streaming-oriented catalogs; check each library's spec)
- •No unlicensed samples or loops you can't clear in writing
The versions libraries actually want
A submission of ten strong tracks with full alternates beats fifty tracks with none. Standard expectation per track: the full mix, a 60-second cut, a 30-second cut, a loopable bed, and stems or an instrumental/no-melody version. Editors buy flexibility; alternates are what make a cue usable in a real edit.
The metadata sheet: where submissions live or die
Nearly every library asks for a spreadsheet alongside the audio: one row per track with title, composer and publisher splits (with PRO and IPI numbers), BPM, key, genre, moods, instrumentation, keywords and a description. Curators copy this sheet into their database: the less they have to fix, the faster you're published.
This is the step that takes days by hand for a real catalog and minutes with batch AI analysis. TrackTag Studio generates the descriptive fields (BPM, key, genre, moods, instruments, energy, keywords, descriptions) for hundreds of tracks in one run and exports XLSX with a field picker, so you can match each library's required columns exactly. You add the business fields (splits, PRO registrations) and the sheet is submission-ready.
Rights hygiene before you submit
Metadata gets you published; paperwork gets you paid. Before submitting anywhere:
- •Register every track with your PRO (ASCAP/BMI/PRS etc.): libraries will ask for registration details
- •Know each library's exclusivity terms; never send an exclusive library tracks already placed elsewhere
- •Keep a master sheet tracking which tracks are with which libraries under which terms
- •Have split agreements in writing with any co-writers before the track earns a cent
Tag your whole catalog with AI
BPM, key, genre, moods, instruments and keywords: 35+ fields per track, exported ready for libraries.
Open TrackTag Studio →Frequently asked questions
What metadata do music libraries require with submissions?
A spreadsheet with one row per track: title, composer/publisher splits with PRO and IPI numbers, BPM, key, genre, moods, instrumentation, keywords and a short description. Batch AI tagging (e.g., TrackTag Studio) generates the descriptive fields; you supply the rights data.
How many tracks should I submit to a music library?
Quality and completeness beat volume: 10–20 strong tracks with full alternates (60s, 30s, loop, instrumental/stems) and a clean metadata sheet outperform a large dump of full mixes only.
What audio format do production libraries want?
Almost universally WAV at 48kHz/24-bit for masters, with consistent professional file naming and clean tails. Always check the individual library's spec sheet before submitting.