Getting your music on Spotify is the first step to building a music career in the streaming era. Spotify surpasses 600 million active users and is the reference platform where fans discover new artists every day. But you cannot upload music to Spotify directly: you need an authorized digital distributor to act as an intermediary between you and the platform.
Technical requirements to get music on Spotify
Before distributing, make sure your files meet Spotify's minimum standards:
- Audio format: WAV 16-bit at 44.1 kHz minimum (WAV 24-bit recommended for better quality).
- Cover art: Square image, minimum 3000 x 3000 pixels, JPG or PNG. No URLs, social media logos, or text unrelated to the release.
- Complete metadata: Artist name, exact song title, genre, release date, and writers/composers.
- Rights: You must own 100% of the master recording rights or hold the corresponding licenses.
How to choose the right distributor
The distributor is who delivers your music to Spotify and manages the royalties it generates. Not all distributors are equal. Key factors to evaluate:
- Royalty percentage: Some retain between 9% and 20% of your earnings. Ideally you keep 90-100%.
- Number of platforms: Make sure you reach Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, Tidal, Deezer, and TikTok.
- Support quality: Essential for independent artists who need real assistance with technical issues.
- Custom label name: Your music should appear under your own label name, not the distributor's.
The DISTROMASTERS PRO plan includes distribution to over 150 platforms, 90% royalties for the artist, human support, your own label name, and a pre-submission quality review before sending to stores.
The step-by-step process to upload your song
- Create your DISTROMASTERS account and choose the plan that fits your stage.
- Upload your WAV audio file and the high-resolution cover art.
- Complete the metadata: title, artist, genre, writers, release date.
- Select the destination platforms (Spotify included by default on all plans).
- Submit the release and wait for the quality review. DISTROMASTERS catches errors before they reach the DSPs.
- Receive delivery confirmation with the Spotify link once the song is live.
Spotify for Artists: verify your profile and pitch for playlists
Once your first song is on Spotify, request access to Spotify for Artists. From this dashboard you can:
- Verify your profile (blue checkmark) and customize it with photos and bio.
- View statistics on streams, monthly listeners, and your audience location.
- Pitch your upcoming releases to editorial playlist curators, up to 7 days before the release date.
The complete process from upload to the song appearing on Spotify takes between 3 and 7 business days with DISTROMASTERS. For editorial pitching, you need to upload the release at least 4 weeks in advance.
Ready to be on Spotify? Start today with the DISTROMASTERS plan that best fits your career and bring your music to the world.