If your music is finally ready, and you want to share it with the world, music streaming platforms are the solution you're looking for. Spotify, TIDAL, Apple Music, and Deezer - are just a few options to distribute your content. Once you've finished mastering, your music is ready for distribution, and there are diverse methods for doing it.

In this article, we will guide you through getting your music on Spotify, TIDAL, and other music services. It's just a few simple steps!

Why should you get your music on Spotify?

If you are a musician, getting your music on Spotify is the best option to build your audience.

Thanks to music streaming platforms, you can reach new listeners, and thus you may gain new fans who'll love your tracks. Nowadays, being present on music streaming services is a must if you're taking your music career seriously. So, let's learn how you can get your tracks on Spotify, TIDAL, and other music platforms.

How to post music on Spotify and other streaming platforms

Streaming services appeared in the early 2010s, and now it's the most popular way of music consumption. However, publishing music on streaming platforms is not as easy as it seems.

The fact is that every day, thousands of diverse titles are added to Spotify. That's a lot!

Unfortunately, sending and selling your music directly to streaming platforms is impossible.

Thus, everyone who wants to put their music on Spotify must use so-called digital distributors.

What is a music distributor?

A music distributor is an intermediary which ensures that an artist's music ends up on streaming platforms such as Spotify, TIDAL, Apple Music, Deezer, and even Shazam.

So if you want to release your music on Spotify, for example, you need a distributor.

Also, thanks to this intermediary, your track will be placed on Instagram or TikTok.

The distributor ensures that you get your well-deserved money for the music you make. Each intermediary has different plans and, therefore, different prices. So let's assume that you are an artist or interested in distributing music. There are various distributors, so if you want to get serious with your music, you'll need to do some additional research yourself. Below, we present some of the most famous music distributors available.

DistroKid

This distributor is one of the most popular, especially among the people who are just starting as an artist and taking care of everything themselves. You'll find plenty of recommendations regarding DistroKid. With this platform, you can easily and effectively put your music on music streaming services without any problems. Distrokid is very user-friendly, you can easily get started, and many tutorials regarding this medium are available online. Also, the platform's customer service is outstanding, which can be pretty handy during your music career. However, it's crucial to know DistroKid only publishes and collects your income on music streaming services such as Spotify, Deezer, etc. So if someone uses your music in their vlog on YouTube, then you don't get any money because DistroKid is not responsible for that. If you want to collect money for music used outside the music platforms, then you need another service like Song Trust, which you may use together with DistroKid.

CD baby

CD baby is actually the most famous music distributor. It has been around the longest; however, it's known for relatively high prices. Users have two options: CD baby and CD baby pro. The difference between the two is that the pro version handles music published outside the streaming platforms.

Ditto

Ditto can be compared to DistroKid - it has similar prices and functionalities.

The main difference is that this distributor charges one price in which you get all the features. So no upgrades or add-ons. It's, therefore, the cheapest music distributor. Moreover, many of the features you pay extra for at Distrokid are already included in the Ditto package.

A significant downside to Ditto is its customer service. There are many stories about artists who prefer to leave Ditto purely because of their 'bad' service.

Tunecore

Tunecore has been around almost as long as CD Baby. The big difference is that with Tunecore, you will keep 100% of your royalties. They offer four different formulas. 'New artists' can release for free via Tunecore, but only on social platforms such as TikTok, YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram. But apart from that, Tunecore is by far the most expensive option. You have to pay a fee every year, and if you don't, your music will be removed from music streaming services. So if you're starting to make music, it may not be the best option. That's why Tunecore is mainly recommended for well-known artists. However, it has good customer service.

Which music distributor is the best option for you?

That depends on many factors, for example, how often and what do you release? Our advice? For beginning musicians, Ditto and DistroKid are the best choices.

With these distributors, you can upload your music quickly and easily. Once you've grown as an artist a little more, you can spend more money and look at CD Baby and Tunecore. Also, don't forget that you can always try different distributors. The most important question to ask yourself is: how do I want to release my music? If you have the answer to that question, you know which distributor is right for you. No matter which service you choose, each has its pros and cons when publishing music on various streaming platforms.

How to get your music on Spotify and other streaming platforms - a step-by-step guide

Choose a music distributor

As we mentioned before, you can't upload your music straight to Spotify or other streaming platforms as an independent artist. Thus, choose one music streaming distributor to get your tracks on the platform. There are some preferred intermediaries Spotify works with, like Distro Kid, CD Baby, etc.

Upload your music

Once you've chosen a distributor, you can upload your music to get it on Spotify and other services. This process can vary depending on the distributor you select. However, while you place your music on streaming services, you should remember the following:

Your song should be uploaded in high-quality. The standard is 16-bit 44.1kHz WAV format;
Get your music mastered by a professional;
Submit your artwork immediately. It must be 3000×3000 pixels in JPEG format.

Artwork

Your artwork is the face of your single, EP, or album. It's, therefore, the best way to express your identity as an artist. So don't be too lazy on the design of your album cover! On streaming platforms, your artwork will often be displayed very small. A detailed drawing will therefore work less well on a digital release than on the cover of a vinyl record.

Get verified on Spotify for artists

After you upload your music on Spotify and other music services, your next move should be getting verified on Spotify for Artists account. Claim your Spotify artist profile and get verified today.

Optimize your Spotify for Artists profile

After verifying your Spotify for Artists account, you should make your profile look top-notch as soon as your music comes online. Fortunately, you can get everything ready before your first track is live on Spotify.

Make sure you have a profile picture;
Write a catchy bio/about page;
Select your artist's pick: something that you recommend (your own release, playlist, or track by another artist);
Create your own playlists;
Submit your unreleased tracks to Spotify Playlists.

How to promote your music on all streaming platforms

Once you've got your music on Spotify, YouTube Music, Apple Music, TIDAL and more, it’s time to share it across the Internet. With Smart Links by FreeYourMusic, you can create one platform-agnostic link to promote your latest release or playlist.

Whenever someone clicks on it, they are taken to a sleek micro-site with all music streaming services where your music is available. The user has the option to choose the streaming platform of their choice. This ensures that your music is accessible to everyone and your fan base can grow.

How to upload your local music files to Spotify

What to do if the songs you want to listen to are unavailable in the Spotify library?

You can upload music stored on your device and then listen to it via Spotify.

However, you need a Spotify Premium account subscription to take advantage of this feature. Also, Spotify's Local Files feature doesn't enable to transfer your local files to the cloud. First, to upload local files, you need a desktop version of the Spotify app - for Mac or Windows. Then follow these steps:

On Mac or Windows, download and install the Spotify app.
Open Spotify and open the "Preferences" menu.
Find the "Local Files" tab on the menu, and enable that option.
Click on the "Add a source" menu.
On your PC or Mac, find a music folder and add tracks you want to listen to via Spotify.
Your local files will be visible under the Spotify playlist menu.