How to Share Unreleased Music With a Record Label Using Private Links
Prepare and test private listening links for a record label submission, with clear versions, realistic privacy limits, and a plan for replacing broken links.
The short answer
Share unreleased music through the label's requested channel using a private listening link you have tested outside your own account. Identify the artist, focus track, and version, keep unnecessary files out, and explain the release status. Treat a secret link as shareable access, keep it stable during review, and plan how to replace it.
Three things to know
- 01
Follow the recipient's current submission instructions before choosing a host or sending a link.
- 02
A private track and a working secret link are different checks. Test the exact destination as a recipient would, including on a phone.
- 03
Anyone holding a secret link may be able to listen. Limit what you share, record the version, and consider who loses access before changing the link.
What belongs in a private-link pre-send check?
Use this constructed checklist on the exact message or form submission. Keep the actual secret link in your private records, not in a public post or example.
- 01
Submission fit
Confirm the current recipient instructions accept the channel, recording status, and type of music you are sending.
- 02
Correct recording
Match artist, title, focus track, and version to the audio that actually plays.
- 03
Recipient playback
Test the copied destination while signed out and on a phone before sending the submission.
- 04
Sharing boundary
Remove unrelated files and decide whether shareable link access is appropriate for this recording.
- 05
Maintenance owner
Record who maintains access and which pending recipients need notice if the link changes.
- 06
Correction plan
Keep a permitted follow-up route and explain any meaningful version or access correction clearly.
What should you check before choosing a listening link?
Start with the label's current submission page: accepted channels, music eligibility, requested format, and whether it wants a link or an uploaded file. A technically working link does not override those instructions. Velveteen Records currently separates playlist consideration through SubmitHub from inquiries about releasing with the label, which lead to its contact route. Its submission page also says it does not accept AI-generated music. Read the live requirements before sending anything. This guide explains private listening access for a label conversation; it does not establish that every label accepts the same host or type of recording.
How does a SoundCloud secret link differ from a public track URL?
SoundCloud's Help Center says a private track does not appear on the public profile and cannot be searched for within SoundCloud. Its sharing guide says the secret listening link includes an extra token at the end of the track URL, and anyone with that link can listen. Use the track's Share control to copy the actual secret link instead of guessing a URL from the title or removing its final characters. Check that the track itself is set to private. A link that works while you are signed in as the owner is not enough evidence that the recipient can open it.
From our networkMake music. Keep the business in tune.
Invoices, expenses, and music business accounting. Keep the paperwork together.
Meet ClefWhat should the listener see when the link opens?
Make the first screen answer three questions: whose music is this, which song should I hear first, and which recording am I hearing? Use a clear artist name, track title, and version or status note. If sharing several songs is allowed, identify the focus track and check each item rather than assuming the collection settings prove access to every recording. Keep unrelated demos, stems, personal documents, and commercial paperwork elsewhere. An evaluation link should lead to the intended audio, not require the recipient to search a working folder for the right master.
How do you test the exact link before sending?
Copy the link from the message or form field you intend to send, then open it in a browser session signed out of the hosting account. Repeat on a phone and confirm that the intended audio plays. Check the title, version, privacy setting, and any unexpected sign-in, permission, or download step. Do not rely on a preview card or waveform alone. If the destination requires a named invitation, verify the recipient details and use that approach only when it fits the submission instructions. Keep account passwords and unrelated folder access out of the exchange.
What does a private link actually protect?
A secret link limits discovery, but it is not a promise that only one named person will hear the recording. SoundCloud explicitly says anyone with its secret link can listen, so someone can forward that access. Choose material you are authorized and comfortable sharing for evaluation, and avoid adding sensitive documents to the same destination. A request not to forward the link communicates your preference; it is not a technical barrier or a substitute for any necessary agreement. If sharing depends on confidentiality or disputed permissions, get qualified music counsel involved before sending the material. This is practical guidance, not legal advice.
How should versions and access changes be handled after sending?
Keep a private submission log with the destination, date, recording version, and who is responsible for maintaining it. Avoid silently replacing a demo with a materially different mix while a conversation is underway. If a correction matters, explain what changed and which version should now be heard through an allowed follow-up channel. SoundCloud's current privacy guide says resetting a secret link invalidates the old link and cannot be reversed. Before a reset, identify everyone who still needs access and plan to share the replacement. Do not disable a pending evaluation link merely to tidy a folder.
What does a constructed private-link handoff look like?
Constructed example, not a Records requirement or client story: an artist has permission to share a finished, unreleased song called Northbound for label evaluation. They upload the intended mix privately, copy its secret link, and test playback while signed out and on a phone. The submission identifies the artist, Northbound, mix v3, unreleased, and the intended release window. The artist records the link and version privately. If mix v4 later fixes a meaningful error, they explain the correction rather than leaving the recipient unsure which recording the original submission described.
What should you do if the recipient reports a broken link?
Reproduce the problem with the exact submitted URL outside your owner session. Check for a missing secret token, a changed or removed track, an expired invitation where the host uses one, or a link reset. Fix the access issue without making the music public simply to bypass it. Test the replacement, then send one clear correction using the recipient's permitted channel and identify the affected track. A repaired link restores a chance to listen; it does not establish that a label has reviewed the music or will respond. Continue the artist's release planning independently of a submission outcome.
Frequently asked questions
- Should I attach a WAV file instead of a listening link?
- Use the format the recipient requests. Do not add a large attachment or a full asset folder when the submission instructions call for a listening link.
- Can I publish the secret link in my social bio?
- Doing that distributes listening access to people who see the post or bio. If the purpose is a private label evaluation, keep the destination within that intended exchange.
- Does a play count tell me which label employee listened?
- A count alone does not identify a particular reviewer or establish a label decision. Avoid using it as proof that a named person heard or approved the song.
- Should every label get a separate upload?
- Only if that helps your process and complies with the host and recipient requirements. Separate uploads create extra versions and links to maintain; do not mistake them for guaranteed confidentiality.
- Can I send a revised song after the first submission?
- Check the recipient's follow-up rules first. If a meaningful correction is allowed, name the change and the version rather than repeatedly resending minor updates or implying a reply is owed.