A lot of you have asked me for guidance about getting your music and albums to major music outlets like Spotify and Apple. 

When someone asks me “how do I get my music on Spotify?”, lately I hesitate before giving an answer.  Thats because things are changing so fast in the music industry, it is really difficult for anyone to keep up. But most important, as of the end of 2023, Spotify has changed their rules.  They no longer give royalty payments out to musicians who have less that 1000 hits on their songs.  Instead, they take those royalty payments, and give them to the larger, more well know artists.  This has sent a shock wave over the entire music community.  How this is going to play out in the future, we don’t know. But that is one example of things you need to know before putting your music “out  there”.

If you go into any of the music app websites (Spotify, Apple, etc.), and ask to place your music with them, they will have you register as an artist, then they will ask you a series of questions about your song or album. One of the first things they tell you is that you need a Distributor before you can proceed. Go online, and search “compare music distributors”, and that will bring up a few sites that tell you what they judge is best. Be cautious, as these searches are sometimes slanted toward the distributors they work with. Here is an interesting article I found on Christian promotional companies: https://www.omarimc.com/best-christian-gospel-music-promotion-services-marketing-companies.

In years past, I always used Tunecore, because they were the simplest and best, and served pro artists with care. But last summer when I registered with them again, I was disappointed with their values and the music they pushed.  In addition to that, they recently banned an album by a well known Christian artist, then apologized when the ban became known on social media. https://www2.cbn.com/news/us/did-cancel-culture-focus-sean-feuchts-new-music-distributor-admits-mistake-releases-azusa

DistroKid is another well known distributor, but here again, they just bought out BandCamp, an excellent musicians web platform, and there are a lot of changes happening there as well. They are expected to go public soon, but they are 40% owned by a Chinese company, Tencent, one of the world’s largest video game vendors. This is a situation worth watching.

You can go with CD Baby or a number of other distributors, but you will need to choose one.  I would say…compare prices.  Do they charge to join?  What is their fee schedule? How long do you need to be tied into them? These are all questions answered in their “terms and conditions”, that you can usually find at the very bottom footer of their websites.  It takes a lot of reading, but your answers will be there, all spelled out. I know this doesn’t make things easier for you, and it may seem very complicated. It takes a lot of work to be a totally independent artist, but the rewards are great.  In the future, If you decide to go with a manager or a publisher, you will have gained the knowledge of how these things all work.  And that is priceless.❤️

After you choose a Distributor and start to register your music on their website,  they will also ask you a series of questions.  This is where you need your copyrights, your Performing Rights Organization number, and your ISRC numbers on each song all ready to go. That is another subject for another day.  First, go search out distributors, ask your musician friends who they use, and see what they know first.

By now you are probably rolling your eyes.  “This is a lot of work. Isn’t it easier to just get a manager?”. Well, yes and no.  Talk to a few managers.  Find out if they know any of the latest, about Spotify and their stand on royalties, and the latest music industry news.  It is important that you partner with someone who keeps up with the latest industry changes.

~aj