Delivering releases

Releases arrive as DDEX ERN 4.3 NewReleaseMessage batches in your S3 bucket, one release per batch. The sample package is a complete, valid example: start by copying its structure.

Batch layout

20261101120000000/                     ← batch ID: any unique folder name (we suggest a UTC timestamp)
├── aria-rel-sample-0001.xml           ← the ERN (exactly one .xml besides BatchComplete)
├── resources/
│   ├── 01.wav  02.wav  03.wav         ← audio, referenced from the ERN by relative URI
│   ├── night-drive-video.mp4          ← music video (optional)
│   └── cover.jpg                      ← front cover
├── phyzi/
│   ├── phyzi.json                     ← Phyzi sidecar (required)
│   └── print/drive-art.png            ← print files listed in phyzi.json (optional)
└── BatchComplete_20261101120000000.xml   ← empty file, uploaded LAST

Upload BatchComplete_<batchId>.xml last. Nothing is read until it lands, so a half-uploaded batch is never picked up. It can be empty.
One release per batch. You can also use DDEX's "release folder" layout, with the ERN, resources/ and phyzi/ in a sub-folder of the batch. URIs and phyzi/ resolve relative to the ERN's folder.
Every URI is relative to the ERN's folder, e.g. resources/01.wav. No http://, absolute paths or ...
Re-using a batch folder name re-processes it. For a new version, use a new batch ID.
Your credentials can write and read, not delete. The bucket is versioned, so overwriting a file is safe.

Results arrive as webhooks (release.received, then release.validated or release.rejected). You can also check GET /v1/deliveries/{batchId}. To check an ERN without uploading anything, use POST /v1/validate (see Validation errors).

Updates and takedowns

Update: send a new batch with a full NewReleaseMessage for the same release ID. The latest validated batch wins, and its audio and art are the ones used for any new master orders. ERN 4 has no separate "update" message type.
Takedown: send a PurgeReleaseMessage with PurgedRelease/ReleaseId/ProprietaryId. The release is marked taken_down and new orders for it are refused. Orders already placed aren't affected.

What the ERN must contain

Everything below is checked against the official ERN 4.3 schema and Phyzi's rules.

Release

Field	ERN location	Notes
Release ID	`Release/ReleaseId/ProprietaryId`	Your stable ID, e.g. `aria-rel-123`. Letters, digits, `. _ : -`. Keep it the same across updates. `Namespace` is free text (we use `aria`).
Type	`Release/ReleaseType`	`Album`, `EP` or `Single`
Title	`Release/DisplayTitleText` (+ `DisplayTitle/TitleText`)
Artist	`Release/DisplayArtistName` + `DisplayArtist` (role `MainArtist`)	Artists are `Party` entries in `PartyList`
Genre	`Release/Genre/GenreText`	Free text
Label	`Release/ReleaseLabelReference`	Required by the schema. For independent artists, use a party named `Independent` or the artist's name.
Explicit	`Release/ParentalWarningType`	`NotExplicit`, `Explicit`, `Unknown`…
Track list	`Release/ResourceGroup`	See below
Cover art	an `Image` with `Type` `FrontCoverImage`	Referenced from the release's `ResourceGroup`

Optional: ICPN (UPC/EAN) next to the ProprietaryId, PLine, CLine, ReleaseDate, SubGenre.

Track list

Group tracks per disc in ResourceGroup/ResourceGroup (attribute ResourceGroupType="Component") and give each ResourceGroupContentItem a SequenceNumber, 1…n with no gaps or repeats. A single flat ResourceGroup (one disc) is fine too. The cover can be a content item of the top-level group.

Each track (`SoundRecording`)

Field	ERN location
Title	`DisplayTitleText` (+ `DisplayTitle/TitleText`)
Artist	`DisplayArtistName`, e.g. `Artist feat. Guest`, plus `DisplayArtist` entries (`MainArtist`, `FeaturedArtist`)
Duration	`Duration` (ISO 8601, e.g. `PT3M12S`)
Explicit	`ParentalWarningType`
Audio file	`SoundRecordingEdition/TechnicalDetails/DeliveryFile/File/URI`
MD5	`…/File/HashSum` with `Algorithm` `MD5` and `HashSumValue` (lowercase hex)

Optional: SoundRecordingEdition/ResourceId/ISRC, a track ProprietaryId, PLine.

Music videos (`Video`, optional)

Add a Video to the ResourceList (for example Type ShortFormMusicalWorkVideo) and put it in the track list like a track, usually after the audio. Videos share the disc's SequenceNumbers, so three tracks and a video are numbered 1–4. Required: DisplayTitleText, DisplayArtistName + DisplayArtist, Duration, ParentalWarningType, and VideoEdition/TechnicalDetails/DeliveryFile/File with URI and an MD5 HashSum. The sample package includes one.

File requirements

	Accepted
Audio	WAV (PCM) or FLAC, 44.1 kHz or higher, 16 or 24-bit, any channel count
Video	MP4 or MOV, H.264, HEVC or ProRes (H.264 MP4 plays on the most fans' devices)
Cover art	JPEG or PNG, square, at least 3000 × 3000, RGB (not CMYK)
Print files	PDF, PNG, JPEG, TIFF, AI or PSD (any file; we check the MD5)

Every file in the ERN or phyzi.json must be in the batch, and its MD5 must match. Files that nothing references are ignored and produce a warning.

It has to fit on the drive

A Phyzi holds about 7.36 GB. Each track goes on the drive twice, as the lossless file plus an MP3 copy, and the videos and cover go on once. A typical album of 16-bit WAVs uses well under 1 GB; music videos are what usually hit the limit. Bigger releases are rejected with release.too_large, and every validated release reports estimated_drive_bytes.

`phyzi/phyzi.json`

DDEX has no place for print art or your copyright check, so they go in a small sidecar:

{
  "schema": "phyzi.partner-batch/1",
  "release_id": "aria-rel-sample-0001",
  "copyright_check": {
    "passed": true,
    "checked_at": "2026-11-01T11:58:00Z",
    "provider": "aria"
  },
  "print_files": [
    { "role": "drive_art", "path": "phyzi/print/drive-art.png", "md5": "be4e2d2a2a542f7f6061be5ee773adaf" }
  ]
}

Field	Required	Notes
`schema`	yes	Always `phyzi.partner-batch/1`
`release_id`	yes	Same as the ERN's release `ProprietaryId`
`copyright_check.passed`	yes	Must be `true`. We only manufacture releases that passed your copyright check.
`copyright_check.checked_at`, `.provider`	no	For our records
`print_files[]`	no	`role` is `drive_art` (printed on the USB drive) or `box_art` (custom box packaging); `path` relative to the ERN's folder; `md5` required

If an artist has no print art yet, leave print_files empty. Print art gets settled at the proof step of the master order, which the artist approves before anything is printed.