So, you’re a musician and you’ve been cooking up some dope tracks, and now you’re ready to let the world vibe with your sound. But the question is, how do you get your music out there on all the major platforms? That’s where music distribution services comes in—a one-stop shop to get your tunes streaming on Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal, and more. Let’s talk options and break down how you can take your music from the studio to the global stage.
Music Distribution services like DistroKid, Symphonic and RouteNote are your homies in the music game. It’s affordable, easy to use, and gets your tracks live on all the major streaming services faster than you can make a new verse. Plus, you keep 100% of your royalties. That’s right, no middlemen dipping into your pockets—just you and your music cashing in. Heres some steps to get set up
Sign Up and Set Up
First things first, head over and sign up. They’ve got different plans, but the most common price point is around $20 for the YEAR and it will have you covered. Once you’re in, set up your artist profile. This is where you’ll add your artist name, upload a dope profile pic, and connect your social media accounts. The more legit you look, the better so dont be uploading a pic from years ago when you were in middle school.
Upload Your Tracks
Got your tracks mixed and mastered? Great. Now it’s time to upload them. These sites make it deadass easy by just dragging and dropping. They’ll ask you for all the deets—track title, artist name, release date, and whether it’s a single or an album. Make sure you’ve got your artwork ready too. It’s the first thing people see, so of course you need to make sure that shit is fire.
Choose Your Streaming Platforms
This is where the magic happens. These sites make it easy for you and lets you choose where you want your music to drop—Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, Amazon, Tidal, and more. You can select them all or just the ones you want. We’re gonna be straight up; Go for as many as you can. The more places your music is, the more ears you got and the more ears means more $$$.
Set the Release Date
You can either drop your music ASAP or set a future release date which can help if you got shit to do and forget. If you’re planning a big promo push, setting a future date gives you time to build hype. Plus, it gives your fans something to look forward to.
Hit “Submit” and Chill
Once everything’s set up, hit that “Submit” button and let it do the rest, so put your feet up and relax. Your tracks will usually be live on streaming platforms within a few days. These sites will send you an email when your music is up, so you know exactly when to start sharing those links with your fam and gang!
Promote, Promote, Promote
Now that your music is live, it’s time to get the word out. Share your streaming links on social media, tell your fans, and maybe even consider running some ads to reach a bigger audience (Trust us, it’s worth it). It’s an easy way to make sure your fans find your music no matter what platform they’re on.
There’s Always A Con
Now that you’ve got your music up and streaming, you think you’re a big shot and will make bank off your songs, but there’s a catch; on average 1 stream = $0.003-$0.005 of a dollar. This means to make a whole dollar on Spotify, one of your songs is gonna need to be streamed at least 333 times depending on the streaming service you use. Being a musician isnt easy work but that’s where promoting and networking come into play so get out there and make a name for yourself!
Final Thoughts
Getting your music out there has never been easier, but you’ve still got to put in the sweat and tears. These sites give you the tools, but it’s up to you to make sure people hear what you’ve been cooking up. So, get your tracks uploaded, start sharing those links, and watch your music spread like wildfire. Keep grinding, keep creating, and who knows? Your next track might just be the one that blows up.
