[FEATURE REQUEST] Pending Approval Cron

[Klastic]

Is your feature request related to a problem? Please describe.

Currently, the process of preparing an approved release for distribution is manual, involving several steps that are time-consuming and prone to human error. This manual process can delay the distribution of new music and increase workload.

Describe the solution you'd like

I propose the implementation of a cron job that automates the process once a release is approved. This cron job would perform the following tasks:

1. Check the Approval State: Regularly check if any releases have been approved but not yet processed for distribution.
2. Stamp Cover Art: Automatically stamp the cover art with our brand logo and the catalog number.
3. Push to Platforms: Once the cover art is updated, push the release data to SoundCloud and our distribution partners.
4. Update Status: Change the release status to "Pending Distribution" once all steps are completed.

Technical Specifications:

• The cron job should run at a regular interval, e.g., every hour.
• It must have access to the database to check the approval status and update it post-processing.
• Integration with external APIs (SoundCloud, distribution platforms) to push the release data.
• Secure handling of credentials and sensitive data during interactions with external services.
• Logging and error handling mechanisms to track the progress and catch any issues during the automation process.

Describe alternatives you've considered

An alternative could be to continue with the manual process, but this is less efficient. Another option is to semi-automate parts of the process, though this still requires manual oversight and can lead to inconsistencies.

Additional context

Automating this process would significantly speed up the time to market for new releases, reduce the administrative burden on our team, and minimize the risk of errors during release preparation. This would not only enhance operational efficiency but also improve artist satisfaction with our distribution speed.

Benefits

• Efficiency: Reduces time and effort required to prepare releases for distribution.
• Accuracy: Minimizes human error in data entry and processing.
• Scalability: Supports scaling our operations without proportional increases in overhead or manual work.

[Klastic]

Encountered an issue with using Node Canvas for stamping covers, resolved by upgrading to Node v20.x. Cover stamping is now integrated into our system. Every night at midnight, we automatically check for pending releases. If a cover hasn't been stamped, the system will stamp it and update the cover field in the database.

[Klastic]

Ran into an issue when pushing the distro push script. Sadly Vercel's functions cannot handle it. I will need to setup a lambda function that will trigger for this step.