AirTrax guide
A spreadsheet or AirTrax? Pick what helps you get the song out.
A spreadsheet can work well for a short release checklist or a few contacts. AirTrax gives your release plan, contacts, files, notes and dates a home together. If you are starting a label, the Label plan also gives you a shared place to work. Start with the setup you can keep up with.
By AirTrax · For artists and people building labels · Updated
What does each one help you do?
| What you need | A spreadsheet | AirTrax |
|---|---|---|
| Remember what is left before release day | Make a list and tick off the finished tasks. | Keep tasks in a release campaign and important dates on your calendar. |
| Keep track of people you want to contact | Add names, links and notes in your own columns. | Find industry contacts, save your notes and connect people to a release. You still send emails yourself. |
| Find the right master or cover art | Paste a link to the file stored somewhere else. | Keep files in your Asset Locker with notes and release details. Keep a separate backup too. |
| Manage releases for your label | Share the sheet and check its permissions. | Invite people with a code and choose which artists’ work they can see or help with. |
| Work out custom numbers | Build your own formulas and charts. | Review the income you have recorded for your label. Use a separate tool for detailed accounting and payments. |
| Try it without paying | Check your spreadsheet provider’s free plan. | Artist and Label accounts are both free now. See the pricing page for future plans. |
If your spreadsheet works, you do not have to replace it
One song, a few tasks and a folder you can find might be all you need right now. A spreadsheet becomes harder to keep up with when dates change, links go missing or everyone has a different copy of the plan.
Try AirTrax when you keep asking the same questions: Where is the latest mix? Did we follow up? Who is handling the cover? You can still use a spreadsheet for budgets or calculations that suit it better.
Try it with one song
- Pick your next release. Keep your existing sheet so nothing gets lost.
- Create a campaign: a place for the tasks, contacts and files for that release.
- Add three things you need to do next, such as approve the mix, choose the artwork and prepare a pitch.
- Put important dates on the calendar and add the files you need.
- After a week, ask whether finding things and keeping the plan updated feels easier.
For example: your engineer sends a new mix
In a spreadsheet, replace the old listening link and note which mix still needs your approval. In AirTrax, add the new file and update the task or note for that song. If you are working with a label, check that the right people can see it.
Whichever tool you use, make it clear which version is ready. A file named “final_final_3” is not much help when someone else is trying to send your song out. This is an example, not a customer success story.
What to know before you choose
This guide is written by AirTrax. It compares everyday spreadsheet use with our own tools; it is not an independent ranking. AirTrax helps you organize the work around your music. You still need a distributor to send songs to streaming services, and you handle payments and accounting separately.
Both plans are free now. When paid plans launch, new Artist accounts will cost $10/month and new Label accounts $20/month. Existing accounts will keep free access. Check the pricing page for the current offer.
Can I keep using my spreadsheet?
Yes. Try AirTrax with one song while keeping your original sheet. There is no automatic two-way sync with every spreadsheet, so choose one place to keep your main release plan up to date.
Do I need a label to use AirTrax?
No. The Artist plan is for running your own music career. The Label plan is there when you want a shared place for the artists and people you work with.