How to Distribute Music to Spotify (7 Steps)
To distribute music to Spotify, you send your release to a distributor, and the distributor delivers it to the store in the format Spotify expects. Neither Spotify nor Apple Music takes uploads straight from individual artists as a general rule, so the distributor is the way in. The same single delivery can also reach Apple Music, YouTube Music, Amazon Music, TIDAL, Deezer and other destinations.
This guide walks through the whole route in seven steps, from the files on your computer to a live release you have checked yourself. It explains what the stores need, how far ahead to submit, what each status in your account means and which mistakes cause delays. Store rules change, so treat it as a working plan and check the stores’ own help pages for their current requirements.
How distribution to streaming stores works
A distributor sits between you and the stores. It collects your audio, artwork and release details, checks them, converts them into the delivery format each store accepts, adds the identifiers that stores use to recognise recordings, sends the release and later collects the sales and streaming reports and pays you your share.
A distributor does not decide where your music is placed. It cannot promise playlist inclusion, a number of streams or a feature on the Spotify home screen, and you should be wary of any service that does. What a good distributor does give you is a clean delivery, accurate credits and a person to contact when a store shows the wrong artist profile or a track will not play.
Distribution also does not transfer ownership. You still own your recordings and compositions unless you sign an agreement that says otherwise. Read the distribution agreement before you accept it, and keep any licences for samples, covers or AI tools with the project.
What you need before you start
Most delays begin with something missing on day one. Gather these items first.
| Item | What to prepare |
|---|---|
| Audio | The final lossless master for every track. Current WBBT guidance is WAV at 16-bit or 24-bit and 44.1 kHz or 48 kHz. Do not convert an MP3 to WAV and call it a master. Listen to the end of each file for clipping, silence and clicks. |
| Cover art | A square image (1:1). The Release Wizard accepts JPG, PNG or HEIC up to 30 MB, and the standard specification is 3000 by 3000 pixels. Leave out store logos, web addresses, prices and any wording that is not part of the design. |
| Titles and credits | Release title, track titles, version names, the exact spelling of every artist name, and the people who wrote, produced and performed each track. |
| Identifiers | An ISRC for each track and a UPC for the release. WBBT generates them when you leave the fields blank. Enter the existing codes only if the music has been released before. ISRC and UPC codes explained covers the difference. |
| Rights | Proof that you own or control the recording and the song, licences for any samples or cover versions, and a note of any AI tools you used. |
| Profile links | Your Spotify artist link and Apple Music artist link if you already have profiles, so the release lands on the right page. |
The metadata and artwork checklist goes through each of these in more detail, and it is worth reading before you open the upload form.
Seven steps from files to a live release
Step 1: Create your account and choose a plan
Start with the Submit your music page or by signing in at app.wbbt.net. WBBT reviews account applications to check that the artist and catalogue are genuine, so have a demo link or your artist profiles ready. Then pick a plan. The Free plan has no subscription fee, one artist profile, a human review of every release and a 30% commission, so you keep 70% of the royalties accounted to your release. Paid artist plans advertise 0% commission and add things such as unlimited releases, YouTube Content ID, PPL collection support and a custom copyright name. Compare the plans before you decide, and read free versus paid distribution if the choice is not obvious.
Step 2: Finish and check your files
Do not start the form with a work-in-progress mix. Export the final masters, check the artwork at thumbnail size on a phone, and write the credits down in one document. If a collaborator will appear on the release, confirm how they want their name spelled. A name that differs by one character between tracks can create a second artist profile in the stores.
Step 3: Start the release in the Release Wizard
The wizard moves through six stages: Type, Upload, Details, Metadata, Stores and Review. Choose single, EP or album, upload the audio and the cover, then work through the track details. You can save an unfinished release as a draft and return to it. If you prefer to talk it through, you can connect an AI assistant to create the draft for you. WBBT MCP lets ChatGPT, Claude or another assistant that supports remote MCP fill in a draft, upload your files and run the same checks, but it never submits the release. You review it and press Distribute yourself.
Step 4: Enter credits and declarations carefully
Every track needs a Primary Artist, a Producer, a Composer and a Performer. Mark each track as an original composition or a cover, say whether the content is original or licensed, choose the language, and set the explicit flag honestly. For each track you also declare AI use: no AI used, AI assisted or fully AI generated. If you declare AI use, you upload the invoice or licence for the tool. An incorrect declaration can get a release rejected, so answer it accurately. Our guide to distributing AI-generated music explains the rules.
Step 5: Choose stores and a release date
Pick the destinations you want and the territories where you hold the rights. Availability depends on rights, territory, content type and the service, and some specialist stores such as Beatport need separate approval. For the date, remember that the Free plan needs a release date at least 14 days ahead. Other plans can differ, and the wizard shows the earliest date your account can choose. Many artists release on a Friday because new music is traditionally grouped on that day, but it is a habit rather than a rule. Give yourself more margin than the minimum if you plan a campaign.
Step 6: Review, confirm and submit
The Review stage shows the release as the stores will see it. Read it line by line. You then tick five confirmations: that the information is accurate and complete, that you accept responsibility for your content and local tax obligations, that you are at least 18 years old, that the release is not under an active exclusive contract with another label, and that you accept the Distribution Agreement. Press Distribute only when every one of them is true for you.
Step 7: Follow the release until it is live
After submission the release goes to a human review. If something needs fixing you will see the reason in your account. Once approved it is delivered to the stores you chose, and each store then processes it on its own schedule. Check the live page in each store, not just the delivery log, and keep a note of the date you checked.
How far ahead to submit
A calm release has slack in it. The table below is a suggested plan, not a promise of how long any store will take.
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| About 5 weeks before | Masters and artwork finished. Credits and rights documents collected. |
| 3 to 4 weeks before | Submit the release. This leaves room for a correction if the review finds a problem. |
| At least 14 days before | The shortest window on the Free plan. Do not plan a campaign around the minimum. |
| Once the release appears in Spotify for Artists | Send your editorial pitch if you are eligible, set up Canvas and share the upcoming release link. |
| Release day | Check every store page, the artist profile and the credits, then announce. |
What the status in your account means
- Draft: you are still preparing the release. Nothing has been sent.
- In review: the team is checking the files, credits and rights information.
- Delivered: the release has been sent to the destinations. This does not mean it is live. Stores still process it and apply their own checks.
- Live: the release is visible in a store. Confirm it yourself on each store, and confirm that it sits on the correct artist profile.
- Correction or takedown requested: these have their own processing steps, and a store decides how quickly it applies them.
After the release goes live
Claim your artist profiles with Spotify for Artists and Apple Music for Artists if you have not already. They are free tools that belong to the stores and give you audience figures, profile control and, on Spotify, the editorial pitch form for upcoming releases. WBBT helps you find the right profile and can fix distribution-related mapping problems, but the stores decide on verification, campaign access and placement.
If your release appears on the wrong artist page, send support the incorrect store link, the link to the correct profile, the UPC and the ISRCs. Do not upload the music again. A duplicate release makes the problem larger.
The Spotify verified badge, Canvas loops and Apple Music motion artwork are optional extras that depend on your plan and on each store’s eligibility rules. They are worth adding, but none of them is a reason to delay the release itself. For the promotion side, read pre-save links and release-day promotion.
Mistakes that delay or break a release
- Artist names spelled differently from one track to the next, or different from the name on the artwork.
- Artwork that is not square, is blurry, shows a web address or a price, or uses a store logo.
- Putting “feat.” or “(Official)” into the title instead of using the credit and version fields.
- Uploading a compressed or clipped file instead of the final lossless master.
- A cover version or sample without the licence that covers it.
- A wrong or missing AI declaration, or an AI declaration without the tool’s invoice or licence.
- Choosing a release date inside the minimum window, then discovering the form will not accept it.
- Announcing the release on the day the file is delivered, before the live page exists in the stores.
What it costs and what you keep
The Free plan costs nothing to hold, and WBBT keeps 30% of the royalties accounted to your release. Paid artist plans advertise 0% commission. Whichever you choose, royalties are posted in monthly reporting cycles after the stores’ reports are processed, so a stream you can see today is not money you can withdraw today. Stream counts and earnings are different measures, and there is no universal per-stream rate. If you want a rough idea of the range, the Spotify royalty calculator gives an estimate, and the guide to royalty splits and payouts explains how money moves from a store to your account.
Frequently asked questions
Can I upload music to Spotify myself?
As a rule, no. Spotify and Apple Music receive music from distributors and labels rather than from individual artists. You use a distributor such as WBBT to deliver the release, then use Spotify for Artists and Apple Music for Artists to manage your profile once the music is live.
How long does it take for music to appear on Spotify?
There is no fixed time. Your release is reviewed, delivered and then processed by each store, and every step can take longer when something needs correcting. Submit early. The WBBT Free plan requires a release date at least 14 days ahead, and a planned campaign deserves at least two weeks of margin, more for a new account or a specialist delivery.
Do I upload separately for Apple Music?
No. You create one release and choose the stores that should receive it. The same audio, artwork and metadata are delivered to each destination, so check them once, carefully, before you submit.
Can I distribute music for free?
Yes. The WBBT Free plan has no subscription fee and keeps a 30% commission, so you keep 70% of the royalties accounted to your release. Paid artist plans advertise 0% commission and add features. See the pricing page for the current limits.
What happens if my release is rejected?
Read the reason in your account. Typical causes are mismatched artist names, unsuitable artwork, audio problems or missing rights documents. Correct the specific problem and resubmit, rather than sending the same files again unchanged.
Can I release a song that is already on Spotify?
Yes, if you are moving it from another distributor. Tick the option that the release has been distributed before and enter the original release date, the original UPC and the ISRC of every track, so the stores can recognise the same recording. Do not create a brand new release for old music.
Next steps and further reading
When your files are ready, submit your music and start your first release. If you are still comparing options, our distributor comparison worksheet shows what to ask, and the WBBT FAQ answers the common release questions. Planning a move from another distributor instead? Read how to switch distributors without losing streams. The stores publish their own artist guidance at Spotify for Artists and Apple Music for Artists; check them for current requirements.
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