1SELECT — Name the version you are finishing
Choose one exact version. Record its filename, link or identifier and the reason it is the strongest foundation. If you are still comparing several plausible versions, the project is not at the capstone yet.
Required proof: one named primary version + one sentence explaining why it advanced.
Still undecided? Compare versions →
2RESOLVE — Fix only the blockers that matter
Run a final listener-focused quality pass. Protect the strongest elements. Fix local problems locally. Replace or regenerate only when the foundation itself is wrong. Do not reopen every creative decision because the project is close to done.
Required proof: no known issue that materially defeats the intended use—or a documented decision to hold instead of pretending it is finished.
Run the Human-Quality Pass → · Repair one blocker →
3DOCUMENT — Make the project traceable
Capture the important source material, platform/model details, prompts or instructions where relevant, selected and rejected versions, human writing/performance/editing/arrangement decisions, permissions, collaborators, significant revisions and the evidence that supports the finished asset.
Required proof: a current Creator Project Record that points to the actual files—not a memory of what happened.
Complete the Creator Project Record →
4VALIDATE — Check the exact asset against its intended use
Separate creative quality from rights, permission, disclosure, metadata and delivery questions. A song can sound excellent and still be unready for a particular public or commercial use. Validate the exact version you intend to use.
Required proof: one documented readiness outcome for the exact asset: repair, hold, ready for the intended use or ready for a defined test.
Open the Release Readiness Gate →
5PACKAGE — Put the finished project in one usable place
Collect what another person—or your future self—would need to understand and use the project without reconstructing it from scattered tabs and downloads.
Package what applies:
final audio or approved master · lyrics · artwork · credits · metadata · source/project files · prompt or generation evidence · permissions/licenses · contribution record · backups · version notes.
6DECIDE — Give the finished work a real next job
Completion creates options. Choose one instead of automatically assuming every song must go to distribution.
Next use: hold/archive · share privately · publish on your owned platform · portfolio/demo · release/distribute · use as the foundation for artist/creator identity · begin a larger project.
Your next decision should describe what you will do with this completed asset—not another vague intention to “keep working on it.”