Glossary / Release

Industry terms

Back catalog

A back catalog is all of an artist's or label's older releases, the songs that are no longer new but keep earning and finding listeners.

Also called: back catalogue, catalog, catalogue, older releases

By Aulto · Last reviewed

Why does the back catalog matter?

Every new fan who likes your latest song goes looking for what came before. Older songs keep collecting streams and royalties for years, and a catalog full of songs gives algorithms more to recommend.

How do you get more from older releases?

Give them new moments: a live or acoustic version, a remix, a lyrical video, an anniversary post, or a sync placement in a show or ad. Pin an older song when it fits a season or a trend, and put your best older songs in a playlist on your profile.

What should you check?

That the metadata, credits and artwork are still right, that you know who owns each master, and that every release is still live. A song that quietly went down is a song that earns nothing.

Example

A Bengaluru indie band notices a 2019 song rising after a reel used it, so they add it to their bio page and post a stripped-back live take of it.

Doing it with Aulto

You can make an Aulto smart link for any older release by pasting its Spotify or Apple Music link, or its ISRC or UPC.

See how it works →

  • Streaming royalties

    Streaming royalties are the money streaming services pay out when your music is played, split between the owners of the recording and the owners of the song.

  • Master recording

    The master recording is the final, released version of a recorded song, and whoever owns it owns the rights to that specific recording.

  • Metadata

    Metadata is the information attached to a release: title, artist names, credits, language, genre, release date and codes like the ISRC and UPC.

  • Album

    An album is a full-length release: a set of songs put out together as one project, longer than an EP.

  • Artist Pick

    Artist Pick is the slot at the top of a Spotify artist profile where the artist pins one thing they want listeners to see first, such as a new song, a playlist or a show.

  • Content ID

    Content ID is YouTube's system that scans every upload against reference files from copyright owners and puts a claim on any video that matches.

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