In short
You upload your finished master and the cover to a distributor, such as DistroKid, TuneCore, CD Baby, Amuse or RouteNote. It delivers the song to Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, TikTok and many more services. Upload it about four weeks before release, then you can pitch it to Spotify for playlists.
What does a distributor do?
Spotify only accepts music through distributors or labels. The distributor delivers your song to the platforms, collects the income from streams and pays it out to you. With reputable providers, the rights to your recording stay with you.
What does it cost to upload a song to Spotify?
- Annual subscription: for example DistroKid. Unlimited songs for a yearly fee. If you cancel, your songs can go offline.
- Pay per release or subscription: TuneCore and CD Baby offer different models depending on the plan.
- Free with commission: some providers like RouteNote have a free model and keep a share of the income instead.
Prices change often, the current ones are on the providers’ websites. Above all, compare: what happens to your songs if you cancel? What percentage of income does the provider keep? And do extras like YouTube Content ID cost more?
What you need for the upload
- Master as WAV, 16 or 24 bit. More in WAV or MP3?
- Cover as JPG or PNG, ideally 3000 × 3000 pixels, without links or platform logos.
- Details: title, artist name, features, songwriters with their real names, genre, release date, explicit flag.
ISRC and UPC: what are they?
The ISRC is the unique number of a recording, the UPC the number of a whole release. Streams are counted and paid out through these codes. Most distributors assign both for free. If the same song comes out again later, for example on an album, use the same ISRC so the streams add up.
Planning the release and pitching to Spotify
Upload the song about four weeks before release. As soon as it shows up in Spotify for Artists, you can pitch it for the editorial playlists, at the latest seven days before release. Pitched songs also land in your followers’ Release Radar.
Can I upload songs from Suno?
That depends on two things: whether your Suno plan gives you the commercial rights to the song, and whether your distributor accepts AI-generated music. Many providers now require you to declare AI involvement. Read the terms on both sides before uploading.
Checklist before release
- Song mastered and checked in the Mix-Scout.
- Cover done, credits complete.
- Song registered with your collecting society, see AKM and GEMA.
- Release date chosen, pitch prepared.
- Pre-save link and social media content ready.