Digital music distribution is how a finished song reaches streaming services and download stores: a distributor delivers the audio, artwork and metadata to each service, then collects the earnings and passes them on to the artist.
It is one stage in the wider picture of how the music industry works, and for independent artists it is usually the first business decision after the recording is finished.
The distributor’s role
Spotify describes the arrangement in plain terms: distributors handle music distribution and pay streaming royalties, and an artist works with a distributor to get music onto the service. The distributor sits between the artist and the platforms, supplying the files and the information that describes them, and receiving the money that comes back.
Apple Music takes the same view. Its artist support pages say that music distributors manage the relationship between artists and streaming services, and that Apple communicates directly with the distributor about any metadata or asset problems. In practice the distributor is the single point of contact for fixing a wrong title, a missing credit or a rejected file.
A signed artist often does not need to choose at all. Spotify notes that a record label likely already works with a distributor who can deliver the music, so the label handles delivery as part of the deal.
Direct uploads are not offered
The major services do not take uploads from individual artists. On Spotify, an artist profile is created automatically when music is first delivered, and the help centre states that it is not possible to create an artist profile yourself. Spotify explains that it requires all music to arrive through labels and distributors so that everything is properly licensed.
Apple Music directs smaller catalogues the same way, encouraging independent artists and small labels to work with an Apple-preferred distributor to submit music to Apple Music and the iTunes Store. The preferred list is not a ranking of quality for every artist. Apple says its qualifications include supporting Spatial Audio, motion artwork, detailed release credits and lyrics, and having a low Apple Music rejection rate.
Both services also publish lists of the distributors they work with. Spotify says its preferred and recommended distributors meet its highest standards for quality metadata and anti-infringement measures. The same page adds a plain caution that most distributors charge a fee or commission and that each service is unique, so some research before picking one is sensible. Comparing what each distributor charges against how much music is being released, and how much of it is expected to earn, is the practical way to choose.
Preparing a release for delivery
A release goes to a distributor as a package: finished audio, cover art, and the metadata that describes them. Metadata means the track titles, artist names, songwriter and producer credits, release date, genre and the identifiers that let services and collecting societies tell one recording from another. Errors here travel everywhere the release goes, so it pays to check spelling, featured artists and credits before submitting.
Two identifiers matter most. The first is the ISRC, the International Standard Recording Code. The official ISRC site says it enables sound recordings and music videos to be uniquely and permanently identified. Its structure comprises 12 alphanumeric characters, made up of a prefix code, a year of reference and a designation code, as the same ISRC page explains. The code belongs to the recording, so it stays the same when that recording moves across services, borders or licensing deals. It does not identify the underlying composition, which has its own identifiers.
Many distributors handle ISRCs for a release, but an artist who wants to manage their own codes can apply through the national agency. The ISRC standard page says potential users apply to the ISRC Agency in their territory for a registrant code, with an international authority acting where no national agency exists.
The second identifier is the product code for the release as a whole, a UPC or EAN barcode number. Spotify refers to it when it says that, to join a team before a first release goes live, an artist should contact Spotify with the artist link and the UPC or EAN of the upcoming release.
Money, royalties and rights
Distribution income covers the recording. Spotify separates two kinds of royalty: recording royalties, paid to artists through the licensor that delivered the music, typically their record label or distributor, and publishing royalties owed to the songwriter or owner of a composition. Spotify says the publishing side is issued to publishers, collecting societies and mechanical agencies based on the territory of usage.
That split explains why a distributor statement is not the whole income picture. Money for the song itself is usually collected through publishers and societies, including a performing rights organization, and a deeper look at each kind of payment is in the guide to music royalties. The role of societies that license public performance is covered separately under the performing rights organization guide.
On the recording side, Spotify states that it does not pay artist royalties according to a per-play or per-stream rate, and that once it pays rightsholders according to their streamshare, they pay artists and songwriters according to their individual agreements. Timing and amounts therefore depend on the contract with the distributor or label. That agreement, and the laws of the territory involved, decide the details, so anyone weighing a particular deal can ask a qualified adviser. This page is general information and not legal advice.
After release: access, pitching and takedowns
Once music is live, the artist can claim the profile in Spotify for Artists. Spotify says that delivering music with a preferred provider and submitting a request means automatic access to Spotify for Artists, and its profile page notes that the distributor can supply the artist link once the music has been delivered.
Timing matters for editorial consideration. Spotify says that if an artist pitches an unreleased song at least 7 days before release, it is added to followers’ Release Radar playlists. A release that is delivered late cannot be pitched in advance, so distributors’ delivery lead times are worth checking before a release date is announced.
Changes and removals also run through the distributor. To take music down, Spotify’s instruction is to contact your label or distributor and ask them to issue a takedown request. This is one more reason to keep distributor account details, release records and metadata files organised, and to understand any exit terms before signing up.
Frequently asked questions
Can an artist upload music directly to Spotify?
No. Spotify states that music must be delivered through labels and distributors, and that an artist profile cannot be created by the artist. It appears automatically when the first release is delivered.
Does a distributor own the music?
Ownership of the recording and the composition is set by the written agreement and the law of the territory, not by the act of delivery alone. Because terms differ between services and territories, it is worth reading the contract and asking a qualified adviser about anything unclear.
What is the difference between an ISRC and a UPC?
An ISRC identifies a single sound recording, while a UPC or EAN identifies the release as a product. The ISRC site adds that the code is not used to identify compositions or musical works.
Who pays the artist, Spotify or the distributor?
Spotify pays the rightsholder that delivered the music, and the rightsholder then pays the artist under their agreement, as the Spotify royalties page describes.
