If you want to release music on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music and other streaming platforms, then music distribution is something you need to get familiar with. In the modern day it’s an essential tool in building your audience and is the only way to release music independently on digital platforms.
In this guide, our partner Ditto Music explains how music distribution works, what a music distributor does, and everything you need to know to upload your music online successfully.
What is music distribution?
Music distribution has changed dramatically over the years, but its purpose has always stayed the same: getting your music in front of listeners.
In the past, music distribution meant pressing CDs or vinyl records and getting them into record stores. Today, it’s primarily a digital process, allowing independent artists to release music on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music and Deezer, where fans can discover and listen to their songs around the world.
With streaming now the primary way people discover and consume music, digital music distribution has become an essential part of releasing music independently, making up 80% of total music industry revenue. So, what are your options if you’re ready to get your music onto the world’s biggest streaming platforms?
Music distribution options
1. Get signed by a record label
One option is to get signed to a record label. Major labels such as Warner, Universal and Sony all have their own in-house distribution teams that deliver music directly to streaming platforms like Spotify, Apple Music and Amazon Music.
Signing to a record label can help you reach a wider audience through marketing, playlist pitching and industry connections. However, these opportunities often come with trade-offs. Depending on your contract, a label may have significant input into your creative direction, branding and artist image, and some deals may include ownership of your master recordings or a share of your royalties and other income.
2. Stay independent
If you’d rather keep full control of your music, working with an independent music distributor is the most popular option. Companies like Ditto Music deliver your releases to streaming platforms and online stores, making your music available to listeners around the world whilst you keep 100% of your royalties.
Unlike a traditional record label, a music distributor acts as a partner rather than an owner. You keep control of your music and creative decisions while collecting the majority, if not all, of the royalties your music generates, depending on your chosen distribution plan.
Another advantage of working with a music distributor is the flexibility it provides. You can easily switch distributors or move your catalogue if your needs change, whereas record label contracts are often long-term agreements with ongoing obligations.
What does a music distributor do?
A music distributor’s primary role is to get your music onto streaming platforms and online stores around the world. They act as the link between independent artists and platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, TikTok and Deezer, ensuring your releases are delivered correctly and on time.
Major music distributors, like Ditto Music, have direct partnerships with hundreds of streaming services and download stores, making it easy to release your music globally from a single platform. Instead of uploading your music to every service individually, you only need to upload it once and your distributor takes care of the rest.
Aside from the few platforms that allow direct uploads, most major streaming services work with trusted music distributors rather than individual artists. This helps ensure releases meet platform guidelines and gives artists a much simpler way to manage their catalogue and metadata.
1. Collecting royalties
Once your release is live, your music distributor also collects your royalties. Every time your songs are streamed, downloaded or purchased, royalties are generated. Rather than collecting payments from every platform individually, your distributor gathers everything together and pays your earnings through a single account.
As you can imagine, this is a lot to manage, so choosing a reliable music distributor to handle royalty collection and deliver your releases on time is an important part of building your music career.
A good music distributor doesn’t just help with distribution and royalty collection though. They can also help you promote your music and reach new listeners.
2. Grow your audience
Today, many music distributors offer far more than just music distribution and royalty collection. Depending on the platform you choose, you may also have access to release planning features, pre-save campaigns, royalty splits, streaming analytics and promotional & marketing tools to help maximise every release.
It doesn’t matter how great your latest song is, without a promotion strategy, it can be difficult to reach new listeners. Many distributors help artists with playlist pitching guidance, sync opportunities and release marketing, while platforms like Spotify for Artists also offer features such as Countdown Pages and Canvas to help build excitement around new music.
Alongside promoting your music on social media, planning your release in advance and making the most of these tools can help you give every release the best possible start.
How much does music distribution cost?
The cost of music distribution varies depending on the distributor you choose. Some companies charge an annual subscription, others charge per release, and some take a percentage of your royalties instead.
When comparing music distributors, don’t just look at the price. Consider what features are included, how much control you keep over your music, how royalties are paid, and what tools are available to help you grow your audience.
Prepare your music for distribution
Before uploading your music, it’s worth taking a little time to prepare everything you’ll need. Having your audio files, artwork and release information ready in advance will make the distribution process much smoother and reduce the chance of errors and delays.
Tip: Upload your music at least 3–4 weeks before your planned release date
1. Prepare your audio files
First, you’ll need to make sure your music is ready for upload. Most distributors accept WAV, MP3 and FLAC files, although WAV is generally recommended as it preserves the highest audio quality.
Major streaming platforms also have minimum audio requirements, so it’s worth checking your distributor’s guidelines before uploading. Taking the time to export your tracks correctly will help avoid unnecessary delays.
2. Cover artwork
Your cover art is one of the first things listeners will see, so it needs to meet the requirements of streaming platforms.
As a general rule, artwork should be at least 1400 × 1400 pixels, under 10MB, and saved as a high-quality image file. However, it’s always worth checking your distributor’s latest artwork guidelines before uploading. Most platforms won’t accept artwork containing:
- Social media handles or logos
- Website URLs
- Brand or record label logos
- Unrelated promotional text
Record label logos can usually be included if you’ve entered your label information correctly during the release process.
3. Check your metadata
Metadata is all the information that accompanies your release. It tells streaming platforms what your music is, who created it and who should receive the royalties. Typical release metadata includes:
- Primary artist name
- Featured artists
- Song or album title
- Songwriters and producers
- Release date
- ISRC codes
Tip: Double-check every piece of metadata before submitting your release. Even small spelling mistakes can delay your release or cause issues with artist profiles and royalty payments.
Once you’ve prepared your audio files, artwork and metadata, simply upload everything to your music distributor. They’ll take care of delivering your music to streaming platforms, encoding your release correctly and making sure everything is ready for release day.
4. Understand your ISRC codes
Every track you release is assigned an ISRC (International Standard Recording Code). This unique identifier allows streaming platforms to track your streams, downloads and royalty payments accurately.
There’s no need to generate these yourself, most music distributors automatically create ISRCs for every new release you upload.
It’s worth keeping a record of your ISRCs somewhere safe, especially if you ever decide to move your catalogue to another distributor.
Ready to release your music?
Now you know how music distribution works, what a music distributor does, and how to prepare your release, you’re ready to get your music onto streaming platforms around the world.
Choosing the right distributor is an important part of your release strategy, so take the time to find one that fits your goals as an independent artist.
Good news, if you’d like to distribute your music with Ditto! Save 20% on any Ditto Music plan with the code GROOVER20 🔥
Now that your music is out, send it to the best playlists & music pros on Groover