You've put in the hard work to put beats to your lyrics. And now you're wondering how you'd get your finished song or album to an audience. If that's you, you've come to the right place.
In this article, we'll walk you through the process of getting your music on Spotify.
Why You Should Get Your Music on Spotify
Before we go into explaining how you can get your music on Spotify, let's first ask why you should be putting your music there.
Getting your music on Spotify has several benefits for you as a musician. First, it increases your chances of being discovered by someone who loves what you have created and wants to hear more from you. It's the first step towards building a bigger audience for yourself.
Secondly, since Spotify is a streaming service, playing a song on the platform earns you royalties. The more people who listen to your music, the more money you make. And finally, being on Spotify exposes your music to a broader audience, giving you a better chance of gaining new fans and followers.
What You Need to Get Your Music on Spotify
Here's what you need to get your music on Spotify.
Your Music File
This is a no-brainer. Your music file should be of the highest quality possible. By now, you should know what file quality (and format) to expect from your music distributor. So, get it ready.
Your Music Artwork
This, too, should be ready. Whether it's an album, a demo, or a single, make sure the cover design is in place. And get a quality design, too.
Your Music Metadata
Metadata is all the information that pertains to a music file. It includes the artist's name, songwriter, producer, song title, date of release, music genre, track duration, album title (if it's an album), etc. Be sure you have them handy.
Now, let's walk you through getting your music on this platform.
3 Steps to Getting Your Music on Spotify
These are the three steps you need to take to get your music on Spotify.
1. Sign Up With a Spotify-Recommended Distributor
You cannot get your music directly on Spotify as an independent artist. You'd need an approved distributor to get your music on the platform. The reason for this is not far-fetched. The distributors satisfy Spotify's maximum standard of quality metadata and anti-infringement measures. Spotify's help page explains this in detail.
Spotify has a list of preferred distributors (or providers) it works with. Distributors for solo artists include familiar names like CD Baby, Distro Kid, EmuBands, etc. Distributors for record labels include Believe, The Orchard, FUGA, etc.
There's something to keep in mind, however. Distributors don't help get your music on Spotify without a catch. While some distributors charge a one-time or monthly subscription fee for uploading your music, others may opt to take a cut of your royalties. So, you might want to look at the terms of service of each before making your choice.
On the bright side, the distributors get you through the hurdles of filling the correct metadata for your music, including sound mixing and mastering. Additionally, they could help you promote, boost and track your music performance, and pay you royalties.
Now, it's time for step two.
2. Uploading Your Music to Your Preferred Distributor
Once you choose a distributor, the next step is to send your music file(s) to them. The music distributor handles the music upload to Spotify. Your files should be a lossless wave file or high-resolution MP3—preferably 320kbps, but not below 120kbps.
By now, you've done most of the job, but you have one more thing to do, which we'll discuss next.
3. Uploading the Artwork and Metadata to the Distributor
If it's an album, your artwork should have the title of the album, the artist's name, and everything in-between on it. In the case of a demo, a simple photo of the artist (or cover art) and the song title would do just fine.
Along with the artwork, you'll also need to fill in your working metadata for the songs or album. Distributors typically require just basic information about the songs in place of structured metadata. They'll then work on it to ensure it meets Spotify's required standards.
Upon approval, your song should go live on Spotify within 3 to 5 business days, depending on the distributor.
Getting Your Music on Spotify Isn't Rocket Science
Getting your music on Spotify can seem daunting at first, but it's really not that difficult. All you need is a Spotify-approved distributor, your music files in the correct format, and quality artwork.
Then, simply follow the instructions of your chosen distributor and wait for your song to go live on Spotify. With minimal effort, you could have your music streaming on one of the world's most popular music platforms in no time.