We have received this question a lot more recently. The thing is, getting your songs on Spotify has been made easier, unlike before.
Getting your music on Spotify and multiple music streaming platforms is very necessary to you as an artist. Gone are those days when fans still downloaded music to listen; now 85 percent of listeners have upgraded to listening to music via music streaming platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, etc. As an artist who wants to reach a broader audience, I believe this old strategy of putting your songs only on music download sites will do you no good.
You may want to ask: Is Spotify a streaming platform?
The answer is yes! Spotify is one of the top music streaming platforms. Spotify gives you access to millions of songs from various musical contributors worldwide. With Spotify, artists now have the opportunity to showcase their songs to millions of listeners worldwide, and in return, they are paid a certain amount from their streams called royalty.
What is royalty in music?
Royalties are the amounts paid to a content owner for the right to use their content. When a song is streamed or used for commercial purposes, a certain percentage is paid to the artist, which is called "royalty." Every content owner is entitled to royalty allocation on their music, which helps keep a balance in the music ecosystem.
Why do I need to upload my song on Spotify?
Putting your song on Spotify or any other music streaming platform does not only give your song the opportunity to reach millions of listeners globally, but it also gives you the right to your song. When a song is uploaded to Spotify or any other music streaming platform, it means that the song has been first copyrighted, which means that only the individual who uploaded the song has the right and ownership to that song.
When you upload your song to music streaming platforms, you get access to millions of streams worldwide and, in return, get paid for it. I believe no artist will want to sweat himself or herself off, pay huge money on production, and in return get nothing from it.
Benefits of putting your songs on Spotify
Reach a new audience: millions of music consumers listen to songs through Spotify, so uploading your song to Spotify can give you an opportunity to reach new listeners worldwide.
Make money: when your song is streamed on Spotify, you get paid. Imagine your song greeting up to 100k streams; this is almost equivalent to $1000, so I guess you wouldn't want to miss this.
ownership of your song: when you upload your song to a music streaming platform like Spotify, it means you are the original owner of the song, and as long as it is there, nobody else can claim or reupload it. Note: If your song is uploaded by a third party under their name, you can no longer claim rights to that song. For example, once a song is uploaded, A now has full ownership of the song. This is why you need to upload your song to music streaming platforms before putting it on music download sites.
How to upload music to Spotify
At first, as an independent or upcoming musical artist, you cannot get your song on Spotify directly, as Spotify does not have an upload option for a common user.
To get your song on Spotify, you have to work with music distribution companies. Music distribution companies act as a middleman between you as an artist and music streaming platforms. They will be in charge of submitting the song to music streaming platforms like Spotify, publishing it, and claiming your royalties.
The good news is that working with this music distribution company is cool and easy; some are free, while others require a one-time subscription, a monthly subscription, or an annual subscription.
To help you find the right music distribution company, we have put together a list of free and paid subscription platforms to work with.
By using these websites, you can now put your song on Spotify and 20–200 music streaming platforms worldwide. cool, right?
A list of music distribution companies to work with in 2024
Onerpm
With Onerpm, you can upload your song to Spotify and 20+ music streaming platforms worldwide and also get paid. Onerpm has a free plan as well as a contract-based plan, which is always open to artists they believe have already made a name for themselves.
With the free platform, artists can upload their songs to Spotify and other top music streaming platforms and get paid. The main downside of the free plan is that you keep 85% of your royalties while they take 15%.
Routenote
Routenote is an amazing platform, though. You can upload your songs for free and keep 85% of your royalty, or pay a $10 subscription fee and keep 100% of your royalty.
Symphonic Distribution
Symphonic is a subscription- and partner-based platform where you upload your songs to 150+ music streaming platforms worldwide and keep 100% of your royalties for just $19.99.
The Symphonic partner plan is only for artists that they believe have made a name for themselves, which is mainly through application; if approved, Symphonic distributes their songs, gives marketing support, and even provides funding.
This platform is superb, as they get your songs to 200+ and give you 100% royalties on your songs. Symphonic has a lot of features unlike other companies. With their new transfer track feature, you can now transfer a track from a particular music distribution company with just a tap.
Tunecore
Tunecore is another great platform to work with. With Tunecore, artists can get their songs on 150+ music streaming platforms, such as Spotify, Apple Music, and social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.
Tunecore has a free plan, where artists can upload their songs to social media platforms and get paid; you only keep 85%; and a subscription plan, which comprises a single plan of $19.99 (unlimited uploads per year); and a break-out artist plan of $34.99 per year, which comes with additional features to customize your release.
Above is a list of distribution companies we would recommend you work with. There are so many good music distribution companies out there, but I advise you to do in-depth research on them before you subscribe.
Things to consider before choosing a music distribution company
First of all, know what you want and what you really want to achieve with the distribution company, and then work with a company that will help you achieve that.
Know how they collect and allocate royalties to you; do they take a cut or request a tax increase before allocating royalties? Know if they collect a percentage from your royalties or if you keep 100%.
Find out how many music streaming platforms they upload on; this is very important; the more your song appears on platforms, the more publicity.
Find out if they are recognized by top music streaming platforms like Spotify and Apple Music. Unrecognized companies or low-profile companies always have delays in getting music to top music streaming platforms.
Conclusion
By now, you should know how to upload your song to Spotify and other music streaming platforms.
Music is an industry, and every industry is money-minded, and for you to achieve more in this industry, you must think like the industry, behave like it, and follow the revolution. Music is a business; don't just sing it and share it with your friends; the world in total needs to hear you, and as well, you need to make money from your hustle. Be business-minded.
As an artist, getting your song to Spotify and all music streaming platforms is never an option to choose but a necessity.
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