Getting music heard by millions of listeners worldwide has never been easier thanks to digital distribution platforms. Musicians can now share their art across major streaming services like Spotify Apple Music and Amazon Music without signing with a traditional record label.
How to Put Your Music on All Platforms- For independent artists navigating the digital music landscape presents exciting opportunities but also comes with its own set of challenges. Understanding the right steps to distribute music effectively while maintaining rights and maximizing earnings is crucial in today’s streaming-dominated industry. From choosing the best distribution service to ensuring proper metadata and quality requirements success depends on making informed decisions throughout the process.
How to Put Your Music on All Platforms
Music distribution services connect artists with digital streaming platforms (DSPs) like Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music through a single upload interface. These aggregators handle licensing, royalty collection, and content delivery to multiple platforms simultaneously.
Popular Music Aggregators
- DistroKid offers unlimited music uploads for an annual fee of $19.99, with direct payments to artists
- TuneCore distributes music to 150+ platforms with a pay-per-release model starting at $9.99
- CD Baby charges a one-time fee of $9.99 per single or $29 per album with no recurring costs
- RouteNote provides both free and premium distribution options with varying revenue shares
- United Masters maintains an artist-friendly 90/10 revenue split with additional marketing tools
| Distribution Service | Annual Fee | Revenue Share | Platforms Covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| DistroKid | $19.99 | 100% to artist | 150+ |
| TuneCore | $29.99 | 100% to artist | 150+ |
| CD Baby | One-time $29 | 91% to artist | 100+ |
| RouteNote Premium | $9.99 | 85% to artist | 95+ |
| United Masters | $0-59.99 | 90% to artist | 90+ |
- Pre-save campaign tools
- Playlist pitching services
- Analytics dashboards
- Cover song licensing
- YouTube Content ID
- Social media integration
- Split payments for collaborators
- Custom release scheduling
Preparing Your Music for Distribution
Digital streaming platforms maintain strict technical specifications for audio files and accompanying assets. Meeting these requirements ensures smooth distribution and optimal playback quality across all platforms.
Audio Quality Requirements
Music files require specific audio specifications for digital distribution:
- Export tracks as uncompressed WAV or AIFF files at 16-bit/44.1kHz
- Maintain -14 LUFS integrated loudness level for streaming optimization
- Include 1-2 seconds of silence at the beginning and end of each track
- Remove any unwanted noise, clicks, or pops from the recording
- Test the audio file on multiple devices to verify playback quality
- Ensure no clipping occurs in the final master
- Submit album artwork in 3000×3000 pixel RGB format
- Use high-resolution JPG or PNG files under 25MB
- Include complete song titles, artist names, composers, producers, and publishers
- Add relevant genre tags, release year, and recording location
- Provide ISRC codes for each track if available
- Include correct songwriter splits and publishing information
- Format artist names consistently across all releases
- Add language information for lyrics and titles
- Supply clean and explicit content labels when applicable
| Asset Type | Minimum Requirement | Maximum Size |
|---|---|---|
| Audio Files | 16-bit/44.1kHz WAV/AIFF | 2GB per track |
| Cover Art | 3000×3000 pixels | 25MB |
| Metadata Fields | UTF-8 encoding | 255 characters |
Choosing the Right Distribution Strategy
Distribution strategy impacts an artist’s control over their music catalog release schedule earnings. The decision between exclusive non-exclusive distribution affects platform availability monetization options market reach.
Exclusive vs Non-Exclusive Distribution
Exclusive distribution agreements bind artists to a single distributor for all music releases. Non-exclusive agreements allow artists to work with multiple distributors simultaneously. Here’s how they compare:
Exclusive Distribution:
- Offers higher revenue shares (85-100% of earnings)
- Provides dedicated artist support teams
- Includes additional marketing promotional tools
- Requires longer-term commitments (1-3 years)
- Limits flexibility in exploring other distribution options
Non-Exclusive Distribution:
- Enables testing different distributors
- Maintains rights ownership flexibility
- Allows platform-specific distribution strategies
- Features lower revenue shares (70-85% of earnings)
- Includes basic distribution tools analytics
Release Timeline Planning
Release timeline planning maximizes audience engagement visibility across streaming platforms. Here’s a strategic release framework:
Pre-Release Phase (6-8 weeks):
| Timeline | Action Items |
|---|---|
| 8 weeks | Submit music files metadata |
| 6 weeks | Create pre-save campaigns |
| 4 weeks | Schedule playlist pitching |
| 2 weeks | Activate promotional content |
- Monitor performance analytics across platforms
- Engage with playlist curators editors
- Track royalty earnings distribution
- Adjust marketing strategies based on data
- Schedule consistent content updates
The distribution strategy combines timing platform selection artist goals to create an effective release campaign.
Getting Your Music on Major Platforms
Major music platforms establish specific requirements for artists to distribute their music effectively. Each platform maintains unique specifications for content delivery, metadata formatting and artist verification processes.
Spotify, Apple Music and Amazon Music
Spotify requires artists to submit music through approved distribution partners or Spotify for Artists. Key requirements include:
- WAV files at 16-bit/44.1kHz minimum quality
- Square artwork at 3000×3000 pixels
- Distinct artist profile verification process
- 2-week minimum lead time for new releases
- ISRCs and UPC codes for all tracks
Apple Music and Amazon Music share similar technical specifications:
- FLAC or ALAC format support
- High-resolution audio up to 24-bit/192kHz
- Cover art minimum 2400×2400 pixels
- Mandatory credit metadata
- Content ID registration
YouTube Music and SoundCloud
YouTube Music integration involves specific steps:
- Official Artist Channel creation
- Content ID registration for monetization
- High-quality video assets
- Automated content matching system
- Integration with YouTube’s copyright management tools
SoundCloud offers two distribution paths:
- Direct upload to SoundCloud platform
- SoundCloud Premier distribution to other services
- Monetization through SoundCloud Premier program
- Custom artwork dimensions 800×800 pixels
- Supports multiple audio formats including MP3
International Streaming Services
Regional platforms require localized content adaptation:
- QQ Music (China): Mandatory ISBN registration
- NetEase (China): Content review process
- LINE Music (Japan): Japanese metadata requirements
- Melon (South Korea): Korean language support
- Yandex Music (Russia): Territory-specific licensing
| Platform | Audio Format | Minimum Artwork Size | Lead Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spotify | WAV 16/44.1 | 3000×3000 px | 14 days |
| Apple Music | FLAC/ALAC | 2400×2400 px | 5 days |
| YouTube Music | MP4/AAC | 1280×720 px | 7 days |
| SoundCloud | MP3/WAV | 800×800 px | Immediate |
| QQ Music | MP3 320kbps | 1000×1000 px | 30 days |
Monitoring and Managing Your Releases
Digital music distribution platforms provide comprehensive analytics dashboards to track streaming performance, audience engagement, and revenue across multiple platforms.
Analytics and Performance Tracking
Music distribution services offer detailed performance metrics to measure release success:
- Stream Count Analysis: Track daily, weekly, and monthly streaming numbers across platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon Music
- Geographical Data: Monitor listener locations through interactive maps showing top-performing regions
- Playlist Tracking: Identify which playlists feature the tracks and their position changes
- Listener Demographics: Access age, gender, and device usage statistics of the audience
- Skip Rates: Measure audience retention by analyzing where listeners stop playing tracks
- Save-to-Library Ratios: Track the percentage of listeners who save songs to their collections
- Payment Processing: Receive consolidated payments from multiple streaming platforms in one transaction
- Revenue Breakdown: View earnings by platform, country, and track with detailed reporting
- Split Payments: Automate royalty sharing between collaborators based on predetermined percentages
- Publishing Rights: Track mechanical and performance royalties through integrated publishing services
- Payment Schedules: Access monthly or quarterly payment cycles depending on the distributor
- Tax Documentation: Generate automated tax forms and earnings statements for accounting purposes
| Platform | Payment Threshold | Payment Frequency | Revenue Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| DistroKid | $0 | Weekly | 100% |
| TuneCore | $0 | Monthly | 100% |
| CD Baby | $10 | Weekly | 91% |
| RouteNote | $50 | Monthly | 85% |
| United Masters | $0 | Monthly | 90% |
Marketing Your Music Across Platforms
Digital marketing amplifies music visibility across multiple streaming platforms through coordinated promotion strategies. Artists integrate platform-specific features with consistent branding to maximize reach and engagement.
Cross-Platform Promotion Strategies
Cross-platform promotion centers on synchronized content release schedules across social media networks. Strategic promotional elements include:
- Create 15-30 second preview clips for Instagram Reels TikTok shorts
- Share Spotify Canvas videos on Instagram Stories
- Post behind-the-scenes content on YouTube Shorts
- Design platform-specific promotional graphics in 1:1 1:9 16:9 ratios
- Schedule releases at peak engagement times: Tuesday-Thursday 10 AM-3 PM EST
- Develop themed content series: #MusicMonday #NewMusicFriday #SongwritingSunday
- Cross-post Spotify pre-save links on Facebook Twitter Discord
- Upload high-resolution artist photos: 3000×3000 pixels minimum
- Write compelling 500-character artist biographies
- Select 3-5 genre tags that match the music style
- Add verified social media links to streaming profiles
- Include press quotes reviews awards in profile descriptions
- Update profile photos artwork seasonally
- Create custom playlist covers with consistent branding elements
- Maintain matching usernames handles across all platforms
| Platform | Profile Image Size | Banner Size | Bio Character Limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spotify | 750×750 px | N/A | 1500 |
| Apple Music | 3000×3000 px | 4320×1080 px | 1000 |
| SoundCloud | 2480×520 px | 2480×520 px | 4000 |
| YouTube Music | 800×800 px | 2560×1440 px | 5000 |
Getting Music on Platforms
How to put your music on all platforms- Getting music onto all platforms has become an essential step for artists looking to build a sustainable career in today’s digital landscape. Through digital distribution services artists can now reach global audiences while maintaining control of their music rights and earnings.
The key to success lies in selecting the right distribution partner maintaining high technical standards and implementing effective marketing strategies. By understanding platform-specific requirements monitoring analytics and engaging with audiences across multiple channels artists can maximize their music’s potential.
A well-planned distribution strategy combined with consistent profile management and promotional efforts will help artists navigate the streaming ecosystem effectively and build a strong presence in the digital music world.