Melissa Bianco – Official Website

Games, Songs & Other Stories

From Finished Lyrics to Release

You’ve written the lyrics. Now turn them into a recording, get it ready for stores, and make sure the credits and release details follow the song wherever it goes.

Find a walkthrough

  1. 1 Make the recording in Suno
  2. 2 Prepare the files for DistroKid
  3. 3 Upload the release to DistroKid
  4. 4 Register the work with Broadcast Music Inc
  5. 5 Make a lyric video with DistroKid Vizy
  6. 6 Build a release or artist page with HyperFollow
  7. 7 Create covers and reference art with ChatGPT
  8. 8 Make a music video in OpenArt Director
  9. 9 Generate short clips in Grok Imagine
  10. 10 Upload and schedule a video in YouTube Studio
  11. 11 Set up Spotify for Artists and add a Canvas
  12. Additional walkthroughs from the FAQ

1 Make the recording in Suno

  1. Save a clean copy of your finished lyrics. Make a second copy for Suno if you want to change line breaks for pauses or add performance cues.
  2. Open Create, switch to Custom, and paste your lyrics. Use the style field to describe the sound you want, such as tempo, instruments, vocal delivery, and mood.
  3. Generate a few versions. Listen with the written lyrics in front of you. Check for skipped lines, changed words, and an ending that cuts off. A sung “movin’” can be a performance choice while the written lyric stays “moving.” A missing line is worth a separate check. Pronunciation tip. If Suno sings “read” the wrong way, write “red” or “reed” in the Suno copy to cue the sound you want. Once you have the take you like, put “read” back in the lyrics you publish.
  4. Choose the final version and download the best-quality audio available to you. Keep the original download, the final master, and the approved lyrics together.
  5. Check your plan at the time the track was generated. Suno grants commercial use for tracks made while subscribed to Pro or Premier. Free-plan tracks are for noncommercial use. Upgrading later does not automatically grant commercial rights for an earlier recording. Suno may grant exceptions for specific tracks. Commercial-use permission and copyright registration are separate questions.

Sources — Using your own lyrics · Commercial distribution · Upgrading after creating a song

2 Prepare the files for DistroKid

FileWhat to prepare
AudioOne final file per track. A 16-bit, 44.1 kHz WAV is a typical choice. DistroKid accepts WAV, MP3, M4A, FLAC, AIFF, and WMA, up to 1 GB per file.
Cover artOne square JPG for the release. Aim for 3000 × 3000 pixels. DistroKid lists 1000 × 1000 pixels as the minimum. Export in RGB.
LyricsKeep a clean text copy for the separate lyrics step. Check the written words against the recording and resolve or document deliberate differences.
Release detailsHave the artist name, exact titles and track order, label, release date, writer names, and any existing recording ISRCs ready.

Open the exported files before uploading. Play the beginning and ending of each master, and make sure the artwork is sharp and free of URLs, store logos, and prices.

Sources — Audio file requirements · Artwork requirements

3 Upload the release to DistroKid

  1. Start a music upload. Choose the stores, enter the number of tracks, and connect the release to your existing artist profiles where applicable.
    • For an album, use any copy or apply-to-all option the form offers when the answer is the same for every track. Review each track for exceptions before submitting.
    • For my releases, I leave Roblox and Snapchat off unless I can confirm I have the rights their terms require. Roblox asks for control of the recording and publishing rights. Snapchat has a separate publishing rights grant.
  2. Enter the artist name, release title, label, and release date. Upload the cover and add the tracks in album order.
  3. Enter the songwriter’s real name in the songwriter fields. Use the artist name for the performing artist and the label name for the label field.
  4. Review the AI credits by contribution. For a track with lyrics you wrote and Suno-generated vocals and instrumentals, disclose the generated audio and any generated composition that applies. Leave the AI lyrics credit off for lyrics you wrote yourself.
  5. If an earlier single is appearing on the album, look up the original ISRC and compare the audio and metadata before using it. The ISRC identifies the recording. The UPC identifies the release. A changed recording needs its own review even if the lyrics are identical.
  6. Review the titles, audio, credits, artwork, release date, and selected stores before submitting. Save the release UPC and track ISRCs to your tracker. Check the live listings after release.

Sources — DistroKid upload help · DistroKid AI credits · Roblox rights requirements · Snapchat distribution

4 Register the work with Broadcast Music Inc

  1. Gather the work title, any alternate titles, writer and publisher information, agreed shares if there are collaborators, and release details.
  2. In BMI Online Services, open Work Registration. Search your existing registrations first, especially when a single later appears on an album or a track has a new mix.
    • If the new mix or arrangement is another recording of the same underlying work, use the existing BMI entry. If it goes by a different title, request an alternate-title update using the BMI work number. For a version with changed lyrics or other changes to the composition, confirm how BMI wants it registered.
  3. Enter the human writers and their actual contributions. If you wrote the lyrics yourself, identify yourself as the lyric writer. BMI says AI tools and their providers do not qualify as writers.
  4. Answer any AI disclosure questions using the actual contributions. BMI distinguishes partially AI-generated works that meet its human-creativity threshold from prompt-only works. If a field requires you to describe music authorship or choose a share you’re unsure about, ask BMI how it wants that case entered.
  5. Review the title, writers, shares, publisher information, and recording details. Save the registration confirmation with your release records.

BMI work registration is for performance royalties. Federal copyright registration has its own application and deposit process.

Sources — BMI AI guidance · BMI work registration terms · Updating an existing BMI work

5 Make a lyric video with DistroKid Vizy

  1. Open Vizy or use the Vizy shortcut beside your track in DistroKid. Sign in and select the exact recording, especially if you have a radio edit and an album cut.
  2. Pick a template that supports synced lyrics. Choose a landscape version for a full YouTube video or a vertical version for a short clip if offered. Preview the visual style before buying multiple sizes.
  3. Add the synced-lyrics option. If you need to prepare synced lyrics first, go to the release in DistroKid, add or review the plain lyrics, then use its lyric-sync workflow. Follow the sung timing and check each chorus, repeated line, and final line.
  4. Preview what the tool lets you review. Check readability over light and dark areas, title spelling, version, and framing. Confirm the total at checkout. DistroKid lists $8.99 for the first five minutes plus $5 for synced lyrics on supported templates, or $13.99 before tax for one qualifying video. Additional runtime and extra sizes can change the total.
  5. Download the finished file from DistroKid → Videos once the email arrives. Watch it through with sound. If a line is wrong, verify whether the source lyrics or the sync needs correcting before paying for another render. Use the YouTube Studio steps below to publish it.

Sources — Vizy help · DistroKid synced lyrics

6 Build a release or artist page with HyperFollow

  1. For a DistroKid release, open the album in your DistroKid dashboard and copy its automatically generated HyperFollow link. It can collect Spotify pre-saves before release and add service links when they become available.
  2. For a general artist page, go to HyperFollow, enter the username you want, and click Claim Page. Follow the sign-in or account setup shown. A manually claimed page uses links you add and maintain yourself.
  3. Open the HyperFollow dashboard → Edit, or choose Customize → Edit this page on an auto-generated release page. Confirm the artist name, title, date and image. Use the release cover on a release page and a recognizable artist image on an artist page.
  4. Add or reorder links. Put the main action first: pre-save or listen for a release, music catalog for an artist page. Add direct links to your preferred services, your album or lyrics page, and your social profiles. Use the embedded video field for a public YouTube video you want people to see there.
  5. Save and open the public page on your phone or in a private browser window. Tap the links, confirm they go to your version of the song, and check again on release day. Share the public page URL in bios and descriptions.

Sources — Getting started with HyperFollow · Editing and embedding links

7 Create covers and reference art with ChatGPT

  1. Decide what you’re making before you prompt. Use 1:1 for cover art, 16:9 for a YouTube thumbnail or landscape starting frame, and 9:16 for a vertical starting frame. Keep the cover artwork and the video reference as separate files.
  2. In ChatGPT, ask for an image or open Images. Attach a reference you have permission to use. Explain what should carry over, such as palette, framing, or clothing. Identify what should change for this song.
  3. Start with a text-free image if you want consistent album typography. Leave space for the title and artist. If you ask ChatGPT to add text, supply the exact wording and inspect every letter before exporting.
  4. Choose one image and revise it in small steps. Select the region to edit if the change is local, and describe the details you want kept. For a recurring character, save an approved face reference and a full-body reference showing the outfit. For a location, save an establishing image with the lighting and palette you want across shots.
  5. Download the approved image. Add type in Canva or your preferred editor if needed. Export the distribution cover as 3000 × 3000 RGB JPG, and check both the actual file dimensions and the thumbnail-size view. Keep an unlettered version for animation, vertical crops, and thumbnails.

Cover prompt

Create square cover art for [song]. Show [one subject] in [setting], with [palette and lighting]. The feeling is [mood]. Use the attached image for [specific visual traits]. Keep [top/bottom] clear for typography. Make the main subject recognizable at thumbnail size. Leave the image text-free.

Reference prompt

Create a clean full-body reference of the person in the attached portrait. Keep their face, age, hairstyle, coat, and boots consistent. Use even lighting and a simple background. This image will be used to keep the same person recognizable across a music video.

Sources — ChatGPT Images · DistroKid cover specifications

8 Make a music video in OpenArt Director

  1. Open Director → Music Video. Upload the final song and tell Director to use it as the soundtrack. Provide time ranges for the intro, verses, choruses, bridge and ending. If the song runs beyond the length your workspace supports, plan sections and assemble them in your editor.
  2. Pick the main output first. Start with 16:9 for a full YouTube video or 9:16 for a video designed around vertical framing, where the workspace offers that choice. Describe the story in a few sentences and identify one recurring visual motif.
  3. Attach approved character and location references. Reuse them through Characters & Worlds where available. Ask for a scene-by-scene storyboard with time ranges, framing, and the action in each shot. Review it before asking for a full render.
  4. Test one representative shot or a short chorus segment. Use the shortest practical duration and the least expensive usable model or draft resolution the interface offers. Compare the displayed credit estimate before approving generation. Where there is no inexpensive preview option, test a still or a short clip in a separate project first.
  5. Review the test at normal speed and frame by frame. Check the face, clothing, hands, props, direction of movement, and whether the shot cuts on time. Keep the successful settings and references. When a shot fails, revise that shot in chat or use the timeline controls available in your workspace.
  6. Build the video in sections and review the cut against the song. Use cutaways and held images where they serve the story. Export the approved cut, then check the final soundtrack, picture, opening, and ending before upload.
DecisionStarting point
What to testOne shot with the hardest continuity problem
Draft qualityCheapest model and lowest usable preview resolution offered
Where to spend moreApproved shots where motion or detail matters
Retry limitSet a cap before you start. For example, try two revisions, then simplify the action or use a cutaway
BudgetTrack actual credits spent on tests and revisions. Reserve part of the budget for fixes before committing to the whole song

Director brief

Plan a 16:9 music video using my uploaded master as the soundtrack. At [time], introduce [subject]. At the first chorus, bring back [motif]. At the bridge, switch to [visual change]. Use the same face, coat and color palette throughout. Give me a timed shot list and storyboard first, then pause so I can approve one test shot. Keep dialogue and generated music out of the cut.

Sources — OpenArt Director walkthrough · Music video workspace · OpenArt credit information

9 Generate short clips in Grok Imagine

  1. Open Imagine in Grok and start a video. For continuity, attach a still and choose First frame if you want the clip to begin on that image. Use Reference for a visual guide or Loop when the shot should start and end on the same image, where offered.
  2. Crop the still to the target framing before animating. Use landscape for music-video footage and vertical for a Short or Canvas. Set a short duration if the interface offers a choice. A shot that only needs a few seconds is easier to review and cut.
  3. Prompt one action and one camera move. Say which details should stay fixed. If the subject drifts, simplify the movement and reuse the same starting image.
  4. Watch the result through. Check faces, hands, object movement, and the last frame. Save the usable take with a shot number. Remove generated audio in the edit if the song master will play underneath.
  5. Import the clips into Canva or DaVinci Resolve, put the song on the timeline first, and trim the visuals to the beat or lyric. Make a separate vertical cut if the landscape crop loses the subject.

B-roll prompt

Start on the attached image. The camera slowly moves forward along the path. The person stays facing away and the coat moves lightly in the wind. Keep the same outfit, lighting and landscape. One continuous shot with no cuts, dialogue or text.

Canvas prompt

Use the attached vertical image as the starting and ending frame. Keep the camera still. Let the water ripple gently and bring the scene back to the starting composition. Keep the middle of the frame clear of text.

Sources — Grok Imagine attachment modes · Grok Imagine Loop

10 Upload and schedule a video in YouTube Studio

  1. Prepare the export. Use a landscape 16:9 MP4 with H.264 video and AAC audio as a practical starting point. Keep the edit’s original frame rate. For a Song Moment intended as a Short, export a separate vertical 9:16 cut and check text placement on a phone.
  2. Prepare the thumbnail. For a regular video, use a 16:9 JPG or PNG. YouTube recommends 3840 × 2160, with a 640-pixel minimum width. Its current help lists a 50 MB desktop limit and a 2 MB mobile limit for video thumbnails. A JPG under 2 MB is a convenient file to keep. Use one clear subject and check text at phone size. For Shorts, prepare a usable frame inside the video and use the thumbnail controls available for that upload.
  3. Start the upload. Sign into the right channel in YouTube Studio, choose Create → Upload videos, and select the export. Keep the upload private while reviewing it if you need more time.
  4. Fill in Details. Enter a title such as Melissa Bianco — [Song] (Official Lyric Video). Use Official Music Video, Visualizer, Song Moment, or Behind the Song only when that describes the upload. The title limit is 100 characters. Paste a tailored description of up to 5,000 characters, upload the thumbnail, add the album or series playlist, and set the audience and any applicable age restriction based on the video.
  5. Open Show more. Set language and category as appropriate. Add a small set of relevant tags. Complete the AI use or Altered content disclosure when applicable, including AI-generated music featured in the video. Review any paid-promotion, comments, and other settings relevant to the upload.
  6. Add video elements. Review subtitles or upload a caption file if you have one. Check automatic captions against lyrics or speech. For eligible full videos, add an end screen or card that leads to the next relevant video or playlist. For a Short, use Related Video if available to point to the full version.
  7. Review Checks and Visibility. Review any copyright or other flags, and watch the processed video. Choose Schedule and set date, time and time zone, or choose the visibility you want now. Save, confirm the status in Content, and test the public URL once it is live.

Description templates

Music video, lyric video, or visualizer

[One sentence about the song or the scene this version captures.]
[Song] by Melissa Bianco, from [Album].

Listen: [HyperFollow link]
Read the lyrics: [direct song lyric link]
Behind the Song: 

Lyrics: Melissa Bianco
Music and vocals: AI-generated with Suno [when applicable]
Video and artwork: [accurate credits]
Half Pint Productions

Song Moment

A little piece of [Song], from [Album].
[One line about why this moment stands out.]
Full song: [link]

Use the Short’s Related Video setting to send viewers to the full upload.

Behind the Song

Here’s where [Song] came from and why [specific detail] ended up in it.
Listen to the song: [link]
Read the lyrics: [direct lyric link]
Explore the album: [album page]

Tags template

Use the exact artist, title, album and format, plus a genuine spelling variant if helpful. Example for a lyric video:

Melissa Bianco, Wooden Faces, Wooden Faces Melissa Bianco, Miles Before Today, Wooden Faces lyric video, Half Pint Productions

Put these in the Tags field. YouTube says tags play a limited discovery role and can help with common misspellings. Spend more time on a clear title, thumbnail, and opening lines of the description.

Sources — YouTube Studio uploads · Encoding · Thumbnails · Tags · AI disclosure

11 Set up Spotify for Artists and add a Canvas

  1. Deliver the audio to Spotify through DistroKid. Open Spotify for Artists, sign in, and claim or request access to the correct artist team. If your first release hasn’t gone live, ask your distributor for the artist link or URI you need to identify the correct profile.
  2. Check Music → Upcoming once the release is delivered. Verify the title, artist mapping, date and tracks. If pitching an eligible unreleased song, choose it there and submit the pitch at least seven days ahead for Spotify’s stated Release Radar benefit. Describe the song’s genre, mood and release plans accurately.
  3. Prepare a 3–8 second, 9:16 loop. Spotify lists a height of 720–1080 pixels and accepts MP4 or JPG. A 540 × 960 MP4 is a practical moving Canvas. Keep the focal point near the center. Try a seamless loop, a deliberate cut, or a forward-and-reverse motion. Skip rapid flashing and leave space for Spotify’s playback interface.
  4. On the web, go to Music → select the track → Add Canvas. On mobile, select the track under Music and choose Edit Canvas. You need the appropriate artist role and team access. Upload, preview and save. Confirm the result in the Spotify mobile app after it’s live.
  5. Update the artist bio, images, links and Artist Pick as appropriate. If release metadata is wrong, check the distributor submission. A full Spotify music video is a separate workflow with its own eligibility and upload options.

Sources — Spotify for Artists help · Canvas specifications · Adding a Canvas · Pitching an upcoming release

Additional walkthroughs from the FAQ

Make a Song Moment or Behind the Song video

  1. For a Song Moment, pick one lyric or musical hook that stands on its own. Build a short vertical edit around it and send viewers to the full song or video.
  2. For Behind the Song, jot down what sparked the song, one concrete story, and what listeners can hear differently after knowing it. Record a test clip to check light and sound. Film the short version, then cut pauses and tangents.
  3. Add captions, check legibility on a phone, and export from Canva or DaVinci Resolve. Publish through Studio using the matching description. Link it from the album page and the corresponding lyrics entry.

Make a physical CD through Kunaki

  1. Prepare one audio file per track and choose the Audio CD project. Kunaki lists WAV, MP3, AAC, WMV and M4A and an 80-minute audio capacity. Use the final album sequence and check how track gaps affect transitions.
  2. Prepare the disc and packaging artwork as JPGs using the dimensions for the selected case. Kunaki asks for RGB art at 300 DPI for print and masks the disc shape itself.
  3. Upload audio and artwork, preview the virtual CD and packaging, then order a proof. Listen for track order and gaps, and check the print before sharing a sales link. Save the physical release date separately from the digital release date.

Source — Kunaki Audio CD and artwork instructions

Send a song to curators

  1. Pick one track, a working listening link, a short pitch, and a budget. Decide whether you want feedback, coverage, or playlist consideration.
  2. In Groover, start a campaign, enter your track details, and choose individual curators whose outlets match the song. Review your selections and the total before sending.
  3. For Musosoup, review the campaign terms and currency before paying, then assess offers individually against your budget. Record what you accepted and the actual cost. Skip offers that promise guaranteed streams.
  4. Keep the pitch simple: what the song sounds like, what makes it specific, its release date, and where to listen.

Sources — Groover campaign preparation · Musosoup

Keep the dated master lyrics, actual first release details, track versions, and notes on any sung words that differ. Verify the appropriate filing route and deposit with the Copyright Office before certifying or paying, especially when the recording includes AI-generated vocals and music. Keep BMI registration, distribution permission, and a federal lyrics claim documented separately.

Source — U.S. Copyright Office guidance on AI-generated material