DIY music distribution is a game-changer for impartial artists seeking to self-release music. On this weblog, we’ll present an in depth step-by-step overview of the music distribution course of to assist guarantee your music goes dwell precisely, easily, and on time.

A trusted distributor since 1998, CD Child has supplied over 2 million artists with a one-stop resolution for distributing music to over 150 platforms all over the world and paid out over $1 billion in royalties. In case you’re seeking to get your music on Spotify, Apple Music, and different main platforms, CD Child will help.

Find out how to distribute your music in 2025

Earlier than we dive in, right here’s an summary of the distribution course of.

Put together for Distribution by importing:

Have CD Child generate or provide your individual:

Plan for Launch

PREPARE FOR DISTRIBUTION

Create an unique artist title

Your artist title could possibly be your actual title, stage title, or a band title! There’s nothing extra thrilling than a recent debut, however select your artist title properly!

1. Make sure that your artist title isn’t taken. Submitting music underneath an unoriginal or generic artist title makes it troublesome for followers to search out you and may trigger points with profile verification on streaming platforms. You may affirm your artist title isn’t taken by querying serps and main streaming platforms.
2. Select a reputation you like. Altering your artist title throughout platforms could be a troublesome and lengthy course of. Save your self the effort by selecting a reputation you’ll wish to develop with.

Finalize your music titles and album title

Present titles on your tracks and launch. In case you’re releasing a single, it’s best to use the identical title because the launched observe. In case you’re releasing an album, you’ll be able to create an unique title for the discharge or reuse the title of a observe on the album. That’s referred to as a title observe! Listed here are some extra do’s and don’ts.

Examine your audio high quality

Streaming platforms have excessive audio requirements to offer listeners with a terrific expertise. Submit your music within the following format:

• 16-bit WAV or FLAC
• 44.1kHz pattern price
• Stereo

Though it’s not required for distribution, we extremely advocate mastering your music. Mastering improves the listening expertise on your followers and makes your songs higher fitted to playlisting.

Cowl Art work

Cowl artwork is a number one purpose music submissions are delayed or rejected. Your paintings file should comply with these necessities:

• 3000 x 3000 pixels most; 1400 x 1400 pixels minimal
• PNG, GIF, JPG, or JPEG file kind
• 72 – 300dpi (300dpi is the perfect)
• Lower than 25mb
• RGB colour scheme (not CMYK)

Generic paintings (akin to a strong colour sq. with no textual content) is probably not accepted. Observe our greatest practices for canopy artwork to make sure your launch is accepted.

Observe: In case your artist title and the title of your launch seem in your cowl paintings, they should exactly match the discharge title and artist title you supplied in your submission. Any discrepancies between your metadata and canopy artwork can result in delays or rejection in your launch.

Collect Artist and Songwriter Credit

Doc and focus on artist and songwriter credit between those that have been concerned in making your music. You’ll want to incorporate this info inside your submission.

Songwriter & Writer Data

To make sure that digital music providers are paying publishing royalties correctly, and that each one songs are accurately licensed, you will want to offer: 

• Names of the songwriters for every observe (together with cowl songs) 
• Names of these songwriters’ publishers (if relevant) 
• The “splits” for every songwriter (the proportion of a music that every songwriter owns) 

In case you’re releasing a cover-song, you will need to safe the right mechanical license earlier than you distribute the observe. You may receive licensing for many covers by way of Straightforward Track Licensing, a web based service.

Determine Observe Attributes

Digital music providers like Spotify and Apple Music must know in case your recording is: 

• A dwell model 
• A canopy music 
• Within the Public Area 
• Comprises specific content material 

Evaluation lyrics and observe notes to make sure your solutions are correct. Any discrepancies can result in delays or rejections in your launch.

GENERATING METADATA

UPC Barcode

A Common Product Code (UPC) is a novel numeric and graphical identifier that’s utilized in digital and bodily distribution. If you have already got a barcode on your music(s), you’ll be able to enter the quantity throughout the distribution signup course of. 

In case you should not have a UPC barcode, CD Child can simply create one for you.

Tip: Your barcode ought to NOT be in your cowl paintings. In case you manufacture bodily CDs or vinyl, the barcode needs to be on the again cowl.

ISRC Code

An Worldwide Normal Recording Code (ISRC) is a music identification code that permits platforms and distributors to trace streaming exercise and funds on your work. In case you’re placing out an album that accommodates a music that was already launched as a single, you’ll want to preserve the ISRC for that observe the identical. That can protect the music’s stream depend on platforms like Spotify. [Do we have any resources for finding previous ISRC codes?]

CD Child will assign a novel ISRC code to any new tracks you submit for distribution.

Information for Discovery

Describing your individual music will be exhausting. However it’s actually necessary. Not simply because good descriptions enable you together with your advertising, they’re additionally delivered as metadata to streaming platforms. This information makes your music extra discoverable in searches and extra identifiable for followers. As soon as you understand how to explain your music and who it’s for, compile the next issues: 

• Written blurb about your music (3-5 sentences)
• Style designations (main and subgenre)
• Urged moods (e.g. dreamy, upbeat, intense)
• Sounds-like artists (additionally typically known as RIYL or “Beneficial If You Like”)

PLAN FOR RELEASE

Set your launch date

Determine when your music ought to go dwell! To make sure your music arrives on time, set a launch date a minimum of 4 weeks out forward of submitting music for distribution. Offering adequate lead time in your launch means that you can have interaction and develop your fanbase whereas we guarantee easy supply to all of your favourite music platforms. 

Arrange pre-sales and pre-saves

You might wish to permit your followers to save lots of or buy your music forward of its launch. Constructing pre-sales and pre-saves will help assure a splash on launch day and signify curiosity in your launch to platform algorithms. Guarantee your pre-sale and pre-save date gives a minimum of 30 days between launch and launch.

Breakdown of pre-save, pre-add, and pre-order

Totally different digital streaming platforms provide methods for followers to lock in your music forward of your launch. The 2 hottest strategies come from main platforms, Spotify and Apple music.

Spotify Pre-Save: When a fan clicks your pre-save hyperlink, they’re dropped at a web page that permits them to “pre-save” your upcoming observe or album in order that when it’s launched, the observe is routinely added to the fan’s Spotify library. You may arrange Spotify pre-save by way of Present.Co. Find out how right here.

Apple Music Pre-Add: Pre-adds permit listeners to listen to a number of songs from a launch earlier than it’s obtainable for streaming on Apple Music. When a fan makes use of this function, Apple Music will routinely add the whole launch to their library as soon as it’s obtainable. To allow your launch for pre-add on Apple Music, you will need to join iTunes Pre-Order (they go hand-in-hand). Requires one instantaneous gratification observe. 

Artist Bio & Highlights

Your upcoming launch is a chief alternative to win new followers and trade assist. Take into account making a listing of your profession highlights, accomplishments, and inspirations to attract from as you replace your social media profiles and your press equipment. 

What ought to new followers and trade professionals find out about you? Listed here are some tricks to get you began brainstorming:

• Current concert events (Notable gross sales, opening slots, excursions, festivals, and so on.)
• Constructive evaluations (press quotes or evaluate scores)
• Huge sync or playlist placements
• Collaborators of be aware
• Streaming metrics
• Musical inspirations

Professional Tip: Are you a CD Child artist seeking to take your profession a step additional? CD Child’s Levels program presents a collection of music advertising and label providers (at no cost) to artists on a progress trajectory. Study extra and see should you qualify right here. 

Cost Technique Setup

To receives a commission, you’ll want:

• Most well-liked payout methodology (PayPal, direct deposit, Payoneer)
• Tax ID (SSN, EIN, FTIN)
• Tax kind (W9 for U.S. artists, W8-BEN for non-U.S.)

Label & Copyright Possession

As a ultimate step in your music distribution course of, you’ll want to incorporate details about copyright possession and any related label. 

In case you funded your recording or created your music by yourself with no label, you’re the label! In case you’re submitting by way of CD Child, you’ll be able to depart the label entry clean. 

If one other particular person is claiming possession of the sound recording, they need to be listed because the label and copyright proprietor. 

• Label = Who funded the discharge
• Copyright Proprietor = Who owns the grasp recording
• In case you’re impartial, you’re each the label and copyright proprietor.

Get readability on copyright possession and label involvement forward of your launch! Don’t threat delaying your launch with discussions over possession. Focus on with producers, co-writers, or beatmakers forward of submission. 

Conclusion

Now you’re prepared to start the method of music distribution! Keep in mind, whereas distributors can get your music onto tons of of platforms with a single submission, it’s important that you simply adjust to the foundations of main streaming platforms. Take the mandatory steps to make sure your music is accepted and benefit from the limitless potentialities for locating new followers. After all, CD Child is right here to assist, each step of the best way.

Able to get your music heard all over the world? Begin by making a free music distribution account as we speak.

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