Unreleased tracks in DJ sets: “ID – ID” explained, and how to protect a promo from leaks

Look at the tracklist of almost any big set and you will see it: “ID – ID”. Artist unknown, title unknown. For a producer that is often good news, because it usually means an unreleased track made it into a set. It also means your promo is out in the world before release, which gives you two jobs: following its support, and keeping it from leaking.

What “ID – ID” means

• “ID” stands for a track nobody has identified. Tracklists are written by listeners, so anything they can’t name goes in as ID.
• “Artist – ID” means the artist is known (often because the DJ said so) but not the title.
• “ID?” in the comments under a clip is a fan asking what the track is.

An ID is usually unreleased: a promo, a DJ’s own edit, or music the DJ made and hasn’t finished. Recognition apps can’t help, because an unreleased track isn’t in their catalogue yet. To follow one anyway, see how to track DJ support for unreleased promos.

Why DJs keep tracks as IDs

• It’s their secret weapon. A track only they play is part of what makes their sets theirs.
• The label asked them to wait until the release is announced.
• It’s their own track, not finished or not signed yet.
• They don’t know the title. A file called “master_v7_final.wav” gets played as an ID forever.

Respect it. If a DJ is keeping your track an ID, don’t name it in the comments under their clips without checking with them, or with your label, first.

When fans ask “ID?” about your track

A clip full of “ID?” comments is a sign of demand. Decide with your label whether to answer now or later. If you reveal it, reply once from your own account with the title and the release month, or a pre-save link if there is one. Never post a download link in the comments.

How promos leak

• A download is shared in a group chat, then passed on again.
• Someone rips the track from a set recording or a livestream and uploads it, as an ID or under a made-up title.
• A copy ends up on a public upload site before release.
• The producer posts the full track as a “preview”.

A copy shared between a few DJs isn’t always a disaster; sometimes it is how a track spreads. It becomes a problem when a full, downloadable copy goes public before release.

How to protect a promo

• Private links, not public uploads. Use a private stream. Many services let you switch downloads off or set links to expire.
• Downloads only for DJs who will play it. Others can stream.
• One link per DJ, or per small group, so you can tell where a copy came from. Many promo platforms do this for you.
• Watermarked promo copies. Some services add a mark to each copy: an audible voice tag on the stream, or a hidden mark in the download that identifies who it was sent to.
• Clear file names and tags, with your artist name, the title and “promo”.
• Small, staged sends instead of one big send to everyone. See what to send DJs with your promo for timing.
• Short public previews. Post a clip, never the whole track.
• An end date. Expire download links once the release is out.

A clear ask works with most DJs: “Unreleased, please keep it to your sets until [month].” One line in the promo message is enough.

If it leaks

1. Save the evidence: the link, the date and the account that posted it.
2. Work out where it came from. A per-DJ link or a watermark can tell you which copy it was. A rip from a set sounds different from a clean file.
3. Tell your label or distributor first. They may have their own way of handling it.
4. Ask for removal through the platform’s copyright report form. Most large platforms have one for rights holders. File only if you, or your label, own or control the rights.
5. Talk to the source privately and calmly, if it was a DJ who passed it on. Most leaks are carelessness, not bad intent.
6. Don’t argue in public comments. It only sends more people to the copy.
7. Think about the timing. If the leak shows real demand, an earlier announcement or pre-save may turn it to your advantage.

If a platform’s form isn’t enough, a music lawyer can advise on what else is possible where you are. The options depend on the country.

When a tracklist names it wrongly

Before release, a listener may guess, and your track ends up in a tracklist under someone else’s name, or someone else’s track under yours. Most tracklist sites let users suggest a correction. Once the track is announced, submit the right artist and title with a link to the release or the pre-save page. Until then, decide with your label whether to correct it or leave it as an ID.

Following an ID after it’s out there

An unreleased track has no catalogue entry, so its plays are found in clips, recordings and comments, not in charts. Our guide on knowing if a DJ played your track covers where to look, and how to be sure the ID in a clip really is yours.