If you are an independent musician, then you probably want to get your music on Spotify. It is one of the most popular streaming services in the world, and it can be a great way to reach new listeners.
As a general rule, if you are an independent artist, you must go through one of the approved Spotify distributors (also called aggregators), which are companies that will deliver your music to Spotify on your behalf.
Getting your music on Spotify (and other platforms) is relatively easy to do these days and as an independent artist and can provide a great passive income.
In this article I will cover:
- How do I get my music on Spotify?
- How much does it cost to put your song on Spotify?
- What is the best music distributor for Spotify?
- Why does it take so long to get music on Spotify?
- What audio file format can I upload to Spotify?
- How much does Spotify pay per stream?
How Do I Get My Music Onto Spotify?
To get your music on Spotify, you need to go through one of Spotify’s approved music distributors (also known as aggregators).
Here is a link to the official list of Spotify-approved distributors.
When you sign up to one of these companies, they will take your music, put it on Spotify and collect streaming royalties on your behalf.
It is worth noting that these companies will not only distribute to Spotify, but they will also put your music on a wide variety of streaming platforms, including iTunes, Amazon Music and YouTube Red.
All these distribution services have something different to offer, so it is worth taking a bit of time to have a read-through and find a service that works for you.
Personally, I recommend Distrokid as they are an awesome Spotify distributor and one of the cheapest.
This is what I used to distribute my music across all streaming platforms, including Spotify. I produce a lot of music with many artists, so this option allows me to quickly and easily upload unlimited music and monitor streams.
How Much Does It Cost To Put Your Song On Spotify?
The cost you pay to get your music on Spotify will depend on which approved distributor you use. Below is a list of the main distributors and a summary of their tariffs.
Each service will provide different benefits too, so it is worth having a read of each website and picking the one which is best for your music needs.
You can see that Distrokid is far more affordable and provides a great service.
| Spotify Distributor | Cost | How Many Songs? |
|---|---|---|
| DistroKid | $19.99 per year | Unlimited. Keep all earnings. |
| CD Baby | $42.50 per single $84.95 per album | Charged on a per single or per album basis. Albums are between 6 to 20 tracks. |
| Record Union | $59.88 per year | Unlimited. (It is really unclear how much of your own royalties you get to keep.) |
| iGroove | $22.00 per single $58.00 per album. | Albums are typically 8+ tracks. (You only get 92% of your earnings) |
What Is The Best Music Distributor For Spotify?
I recommend Distrokid as the best company to get your music on Spotify, and that is because when it comes to good service and value for money, they knock it out of the park.
I have been with Distrokid for over 5 years now and all has been well thankfully.
I pay an annual fee, upload as much music as I want and keep all my earnings. Simple!
Their upload process is simple and well managed. I know exactly what services they will distribute it on and can opt-out of certain streaming platforms if I choose and can keep track of all my music.
Why Does It Take So Long To Get Music On Spotify?
It takes Spotify on average 5 days to process audio before it goes live. Spotify will need to check that the audio and album artwork meets its standards before making it ready to stream.
Therefore, if you are planning a release date, make sure you plan well in advance to ensure your music hits the streaming service on the correct day.
If you upload your music too close to your release date, it is possible that it will not be live on time.
Personally, I would allow for at least 8 days of processing (longer if you have it) – just to be sure that your music will be live on the streaming platform on time.
What Audio File Format Can I Upload To Spotify?
When uploading music to Spotify through Distrokid, audio files should be one of the following file types:
- WAV
- MP3
- AIFF
- CDDA
- M4A
- Windows Media (WMA)
- FLAC
Regarding the technical specification, if sending a .WAV file they accept up to 24-bit, 96 kHz, or less.
In general, 16-bit, 44.1 kHz WAV is typical.
How Much Does Spotify Pay Per Stream?
Spotify pays between $0.0025 and $0.12 per stream. The vast difference in the royalty payment depends on factors such as the country where the track was streamed and if the listener is a free or a premium account holder.
This makes predicting Spotify royalties very difficult, as it is nearly impossible to predict what countries the music will be streamed in and by what level of subscription the listener has.
How Much Does Spotify Pay For 1 Million Streams?
It can be hard to predict how much Spotify pays for 1 million streams, as so many factors influence the amount of royalty paid.
As a general rule, an artist can earn anywhere between $2500 and $12,000 for a million streams, which is a vast difference. From my own experience, an artist will earn around $3919 on average for 1 million streams on Spotify.
Final Thoughts
You must go through one of the approved Spotify distributors to get your music onto Spotify. Distrokid is my favourite distributor as it is affordable and provides a great service.
Spotify accepts audio files in the following formats: WAV, MP3, AIFF, CDDA, M4A. If you upload your music too close to your release date, it is possible that it will not be live on time. I recommend allowing for at least 8 days of processing (longer if you have more than one song).
Finally, Spotify pays between $0.0025 and $0.12 per stream, with an average payout of $3919 per million streams.