Open standard v0.1Artist-owned release data

Open Release Packet

A portable music release standard for the information artists should never have to lose: metadata, tracks, credits, rights, splits, artwork, audio references, platform targets, and review status.

It does not bypass DSP approvals or pretend Chosen Masters can deliver everywhere today. It makes the artist's release record exportable first, then lets delivery adapters compete around that artist-owned source of truth.

Build a packetDownload schemaRead open letterSearch registry
open-release-packet-v0.1.jsondeliveryEnabled: false
{
  "standard": {
    "id": "org.openreleasepacket",
    "version": "0.1.0"
  },
  "packet": {
    "source": "chosen_masters",
    "deliveryStatus": "portable_packet_only"
  },
  "release": {
    "title": "Example Single",
    "primaryArtistName": "Independent Artist"
  },
  "targets": {
    "platforms": ["spotify", "apple_music", "youtube_music"],
    "deliveryEnabled": false
  },
  "extensions": {
    "nft": {
      "enabled": true,
      "mintStatus": "planned",
      "chain": "Base",
      "contractStandard": "erc1155"
    }
  },
  "portability": {
    "adapterStatus": {
      "manualReview": "supported",
      "soundExchangeIsrc": "authorized_channel_required",
      "dspDelivery": "not_configured"
    }
  }
}

Packet sections

standardpacketreleasetrackscontributorsrightsofficialRegistrationopenIdentifiersassetstargetsregistryextensionsportabilityvalidation

Why this matters

Legacy distro funnels make the dashboard the source of truth. The Open Release Packet makes the artist's exportable release record the source of truth.

Legacy gate-kept funnel

  • Release metadata is trapped inside one private dashboard.
  • Artists retype the same credits, splits, and ownership details across services.
  • Catalog transfer depends on the platform being cooperative.
  • Delivery status and release data are mixed together, so leaving a distributor can mean losing the working record.

Open Release Packet

  • Export the release record before any distributor touches it.
  • Keep credits, splits, rights, files, UPC/ISRC needs, and target platforms together.
  • Use one source packet for manual review, distributor APIs, DDEX exports, or archival records.
  • Attach planned or minted NFT metadata without handing the release record to an NFT platform.
  • Download audio NFT metadata JSON from the same release packet.
  • Show collaborators exactly what was prepared at submission time.
  • Move toward another delivery partner without rebuilding the release from zero.
  • Give developers a stable shape to build validators, importers, and adapters around.

What users get now

The dashboard can already build, validate, save, submit for internal review, and export a v0.1 packet as JSON.

Release metadata and identifiers

Track list with ISRC needs

Cover art and audio references

Credits, contributors, and splits

Target platforms without fake delivery claims

Auto-created drafts from public uploads

Rights completion checklist

Human-readable bundle ZIP export

Waveform fingerprint status

Optional stem evidence

Opt-in public registry data

NFT / collectible extension metadata

Validation checklist before review

Ecosystem roadmap

The standard becomes more powerful as other tools can read it. Chosen Masters can build the first implementation, but the format should be useful outside Chosen Masters too.

v0.1: Portable Packet

Live in dashboard

Export artist-owned JSON with release metadata, track data, rights, assets, platform targets, and validation status.

v0.2: Stronger Assets

Next

Add checksums, file size, MIME type, audio format, cover dimensions, and storage references so packages are easier to verify.

Direct Sales

Next

Let artists publish and sell from Chosen Masters using the packet as the source record, without waiting for DSP delivery.

v0.3: Approvals

Planned

Add collaborator approvals, signatures, split confirmation, and audit history before a release is sent anywhere.

NFT Extension

Added

Record planned or minted NFT/collectible metadata beside the release and export audio NFT metadata JSON with release context.

Adapters

Access needed

Generate SoundExchange, MLC, GS1/UPC, DDEX ERN, CSV/PDF review packets, SFTP batches, and distributor API payloads from the same source record when access exists.

Future open-source ideas

Independent validators that tell artists what is missing before submission.
Distributor importers that accept the packet instead of forcing another form-fill.
Label review queues where teams can approve the same artist-owned packet.
Royalty and split tools that consume the rights section without owning the release.
Archival tools that preserve what was submitted, when, and by whom.
NFT marketplaces or minting tools that can read release context without owning the music metadata.
DDEX converters that translate the packet into approved delivery feeds when access exists.

Developer package

The repo-ready project includes a schema, example packet, README, MIT license, and a dependency-free validator CLI. It can become a standalone GitHub repo so other distributors, labels, and creator tools can implement the same packet shape.

open-release-packet/README.md

open-release-packet/schema/v0.1.schema.json

open-release-packet/examples/minimal-open-release-packet.json

open-release-packet/bin/validate.js

Example JSONSchema JSON