How To Release Music on Spotify (Step-by-Step Process) (2024)

Caleb J. Murphy

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How To Release Music on Spotify (Step-by-Step Process) (1)

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Photo credit: Reet Talreja

Even though Spotify’s streaming payouts are currently atrocious, your music still needs to be available on the platform.

Why?

Your music needs to be where people listen to music. If it’s not, they’ll move on to the next artist.

Spotify is a great way for new fans to discover your music, thanks to playlists and Spotify radio.

So here’s how to release music on Spotify, the step-by-step process…

Make Sure Your Music Is Ready

Spotify and other Digital Service Providers (DSPs), like Apple Music, Amazon Music, etc., have standards. Your song has to meet a certain level of professional production and loudness.

And the gatekeepers for this level of quality are the digital distributors (more on those below).

So you have to ensure your music is produced well, mixed professionally, and mastered to industry standards.

You also need good-looking album art. Most music distributors require the album art or cover photo to have a certain level of quality. Not pixelated. And the name on the cover has to match your artist’s name.

Basically, the artwork has to meet the quality standards of the other albums you see on Spotify.

Also, metadata. You need to have it readily available. This is song info you’ll be entering during the distribution process. Things like genre, BPM, songwriters, publishing owners, artists your music sounds like.

Lastly, you need to make sure everyone involved in the creation of your song/album is clear about their ownership (or non-ownership) of the music and that they’ve signed any appropriate agreements. This includes session musicians, songwriters, producers, and publishers (if you’re working with one).

Choose a Digital Distributor

The next step is to choose a digital distributor. These are the companies that deliver your music to Spotify and other DSPs.

You cannot submit your music directly to Spotify. You have to go through a distributor because they partner with Spotify.

How Much Does It Cost To Release a Song on Spotify?

It depends on the digital distributor you choose. Some charge nothing upfront but will usually take a higher commission of your streaming royalties. Some will charge you an annual fee of up to $50. And there are prices everywhere in between.

How Long Does It Take To Distribute Your Music?

It’s best to submit your music to your chosen distributor at least four weeks before your Spotify release date. This ensures your music will be live on release day, and it gives you time to submit to official Spotify playlist editors (more on those below).

The Top Digital Distributors

There’s a lot of debate about what digital distributor is the best. But like a lot of things, “best” will be different depending on your budget and what features are important to you.

I highly recommend you check out this in-depth review of digital distributors from Ari’s Take. There’s even a spreadsheet that breaks down each distributor’s features and prices.

But for now, here’s a quick rundown of what I think are some of the best distributors, based on my experience and research…

CD Baby

CD Baby was the first digital distributor for indie musicians, so they’re definitely a reliable player in this field. Even though 2020 was rough for them, about 800,000 artists and labels use them for distribution.

Here are the main things to know about CD Baby:

  • Distribution fees for a single: $9.95 + $5 for a UPC
  • Distribution fees for an album: $29 + $20 for a UPC
  • 9% commission
  • Offer Spotify pre-save campaigns
  • Delivery to Spotify in 1-2 weekdays

DistroKid

As Ari Herstand wrote for Digital Music News, “DistroKid is best for constant creators.” That’s true because they charge an annual fee, so the royalties you earn may only be worth the cost if you’re consistently making money from Spotify.

Here are the main things to know about DistroKid:

  • Distribution fees for unlimited releases: $19.99/year (one artist)
  • 0% commission
  • Payment splitting for multiple songwriters/artists
  • No payout threshold
  • Delivery to Spotify in 2-7 days

Soundrop

What I like about Soundrop is that they don’t charge an upfront fee. However, they do take a whopping 15% in commission on the backend, so it’s a tradeoff.

Here are the main things to know about Soundrop:

  • Free distribution
  • 15% commission
  • They make it easy to release cover songs
  • Payment splitting for multiple songwriters/artists
  • Delivery to Spotify in 3-5 days (5-10 days for covers)

Songtradr

Songtradr started as a sync licensing service, and it’s grown to include a lot of features, like music distribution as of 2018.

Here are the main things to know about Songtradr:

  • Distribution fees for unlimited releases: $20/year (one artist)
  • 0% commission with subscription, 10% commission without
  • Licensing opportunities
  • Payment splitting for multiple songwriters/artists
  • Delivery to Spotify in 2-7 days

Amuse

Although Amuse doesn’t deliver to that many distributors, they do deliver to Spotify. Amuse also has their own label, and if your streaming numbers start to blow up, they may offer you a record deal.

Here are the main things to know about Amuse:

  • Free distribution, or $60/year with a Pro account
  • Keep 100% of your streaming royalties
  • Payment splitting for multiple songwriters/artists
  • Could get signed to the Amuse record label
  • Delivery to Spotify in 14 days with a Pro account (unclear ETA with free account)

Register with Spotify for Artists

Spotify for Artists is the backend of Spotify for musicians.

Once you sign up for Spotify for Artists and claim your artist page, you’ll be able to see all your stats: followers, streams, saves, playlists your songs are on, and much more.

Spotify for Artists Sign Up Process

Signing up for Spotify for Artists is pretty simple. This only works if you already have music on Spotify, or if your distributor has delivered your music and it’s in Spotify’s system.

Here’s how to get started:

  1. Claim your Spotify profile here
  2. Click “Artists or manager”
  3. Sign in to your Spotify account
  4. Search for your Artist Name (or copy/paste your Spotify artist link into the search box)
  5. Select your artist name and follow the instructions to finish claiming your page

Once Spotify confirms you’re the artist you’re claiming to be, you’ll get access to your Spotify for Artists dashboard.

Submit to Spotify Playlist Editors

After you’ve claimed your Spotify artist page and you’re set up on Spotify for Artists, you can submit your upcoming release (not music that’s already been released) to the official Spotify playlist editors.

Your music can perform well on Spotify without getting accepted to an official editorial playlist, but landing a spot on one can definitely boost your streaming numbers. And that could lead to more followers and overall career growth.

Here’s how to submit your upcoming release to Spotify editorial playlists:

  1. In your Spotify for Artists account, go the Music tab
  2. Choose the “Upcoming” subtab
  3. Here you’ll see the option to submit your track to the Spotify editors

Run a Spotify Pre-save Campaign

A Spotify pre-save campaign is when your fans can save your upcoming release on Spotify before it comes out. So on release day, the track will automatically be saved to their library.

There are some really great benefits of a pre-save campaign. When a fan pre-saves your music on Spotify, here’s what happens:

  • They become your Spotify follower
  • You get their email addresses
  • You can see the city/country where they’re located
  • Saves tell the Spotify algorithm to show the music to more people

Many distributors offer the ability to run a pre-save campaign, so that may be a feature to look for when you choose a distributor.

In Summary…

Make sure the quality of your music is Spotify-ready (AKA “radio-ready”).

Choose a digital distributor.

Register with Spotify for Artists and claim your artist page.

Submit your music to editorial playlists.

Run a pre-save campaign.

These are the basics of how to release music on Spotify.

How To Release Music on Spotify (Step-by-Step Process) (2024)

FAQs

What is the process of putting a song on Spotify? ›

Sign up for a free iMusician account to get your music on Spotify. Create your release and select Spotify in the shop selection. Upload your music files and artwork to put your songs on Spotify. Be sure to upload your music files in WAV format, and your artwork with the dimensions 3000 x 3000 pixels.

Is it free to release on Spotify? ›

How Much Does It Cost To Put Music On Spotify. Spotify doesn't charge artists a fee to upload songs, however, they require you to use a distributor, who will charge you in some way. Often distributors will package other services alongside their distribution, which increases the price of their services.

Can anyone post music on Spotify? ›

At first glance, uploading music to Spotify as an independent artist can seem overwhelming. This is because Spotify has no “upload” option available to the common user. In order to get your music onto Spotify, you have to use something called a “DSP”. DSP stands for Digital Service Provider.

Can I release music on my own? ›

Self-releasing isn't as scary as it sounds, especially if you have the right people around you. There's a lot of tasks involved in the process—recording, management, distribution, PR—and while you can do many of these yourself, don't be afraid to reach out for help.

Can you release just one song? ›

You can release a single for all kinds of reasons that help set the tone for each phase of your career. Read ahead for a guide on how to release a single, starting from picking a song to reaching new and longtime fans.

How to publish on Spotify for free? ›

Uploading your music to Spotify is completely free when you use RouteNote. You keep 85% of the royalties you earn on all of your releases when you upload for free. To keep 100% of your royalties on Spotify, simply upgrade your release to RouteNote Premium at any time.

How much money is it to put a song on Spotify? ›

How much does it cost to get your music on Spotify? Using a distributor service, expect to pay a flat fee per single or album, ranging from $9.99 - $50. Some distributors charge an annual fee for unlimited uploads. The royalties earned from streams can quickly offset distribution costs.

Can you release music directly to Spotify? ›

Spotify doesn't allow artists to directly upload their music themselves, so you need to use a music distributor like Ditto. We take care of everything on your behalf and will make sure your songs get uploaded quickly and correctly. Start uploading music to Spotify with your free 30-day Ditto trial now!

How much does it cost to put a song on Spotify? ›

How much does it cost to get your music on Spotify? Using a distributor service, expect to pay a flat fee per single or album, ranging from $9.99 - $50. Some distributors charge an annual fee for unlimited uploads. The royalties earned from streams can quickly offset distribution costs.

How much does Spotify pay per stream? ›

So, how much can you earn from Spotify's streams? On average, Spotify pays artists between $0.003 and $0.004 per single stream. Starting in January 2024, Spotify will start paying artists once they reach 1,000 streams in the last 12 months.

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