Catalog Transfer Standard 1.0: What It Means for Labels

The problem CTS solves

Switching music distributors has historically been one of the most operationally painful tasks for independent labels. When a label moves from Distributor A to Distributor B, it needs to transfer its entire catalogue — release metadata, ISRCs, track listings, artwork, audio files, deal terms, and territory availability — from one system to another. Without a standard format for this transfer, labels typically face: manual re-entry of metadata, high error rates in the transferred data, inconsistencies between what was delivered in the old system and what arrives in the new one, and a risk of ISRCs being incorrectly re-assigned or metadata being lost. The Catalog Transfer Standard 1.0 addresses this directly.

What CTS 1.0 is

The DDEX Catalog Transfer Standard 1.0, published in 2022, is a standardised XML message format for exporting and importing music catalogue data between distribution systems. It extends the DDEX framework to cover catalogue-level data exchange, providing a common vocabulary for the full set of data that defines a music release in a distribution system. A CTS 1.0 export from a source distributor contains all the metadata a receiving distributor needs to replicate the catalogue accurately.

What CTS 1.0 covers

A CTS 1.0 message package includes:

• Release metadata: title, version, UPC, label, copyright year, original release date, format, and all territory-specific release information.
• Resource metadata: all tracks with ISRCs, contributor credits, duration, language, and technical audio specifications.
• Deal information: territory availability, distribution channel (streaming, download, physical), retail pricing, and availability periods.
• Party information: label, artist, and rights holder details formatted for clean import into the receiving system.
• Rights data: copyright and neighbouring rights information as registered at the time of transfer.

Why adoption matters

CTS 1.0 only realises its value when both the source and receiving distributors implement it. As of 2024-2025, adoption is growing among B2B distributors and enterprise-level systems, but is not yet universal. Consumer-facing distributors (DistroKid, TuneCore) have not publicly announced CTS 1.0 implementation. This means that for most independent artists and small labels switching between consumer distributors, catalogue transfer still involves manual re-entry or distributor-specific export formats. For labels working with DDEX-compliant B2B distributors, CTS 1.0 support should be a specific requirement in distributor evaluation.

Practical implications for labels switching distributors

Even without full CTS 1.0 support at both ends, labels switching distributors can take steps to preserve catalogue integrity:

• Maintain your own ISRC registry: keep a master spreadsheet of every ISRC you have assigned, linked to release, track, and the ISRC registrant. This is your authoritative source regardless of what a distributor's system shows.
• Export all metadata before switching: request a full export of your catalogue metadata (in whatever format your current distributor provides) before initiating the switch.
• Deliver the same ISRCs to the new distributor: ensure each track is delivered with the same ISRC it was previously released under to preserve streaming history attribution.
• Verify ingestion at DSPs: after re-delivery via the new distributor, check key releases on each major DSP to confirm metadata is correct and ISRC attribution is intact.

Code Group Music maintains ISRC registries and catalogue metadata as part of its label services. For labels considering a distributor switch, a catalog assessment ensures the transition preserves your metadata integrity. Start at codegroupmusic.co.uk/#catalog-assessment.

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