The primary way music is consumed today is through streaming services, the most prolific of which is Spotify. The accessibility of Spotify makes it appealing to both listeners and musicians. As an artist who is trying to gain attention and grow their fan base, you should not only make sure your music is available on Spotify, but you must also learn how to make the most of the streaming platform so that fans can listen to the singles and albums you’ve worked so hard on.
In This Article:
How Does Music Make It To Spotify?
Companies To Work With
Options
TuneCore
DistroKid
CDBaby
Others
How Does Music Make It To Spotify?
Here’s the good news and the bad news about putting your music on Spotify: you have to go through a third party. That’s bad, because it means you need to spend a little bit more money, but it’s also good because once you dive into this task, you’ll see that it’s actually pretty easy, and these companies make everything much easier for you. It is worth the cash not to have to reach out to every streamer in every country yourself. Imagine what a mess that would be?
Music can only be uploaded onto Spotify through a record label or a Spotify-accepted aggregator. If your band is already signed to a label, someone at that company should take care of all of the work necessary to get your music on Spotify.
If you and/or your group haven’t yet signed a deal with a record label, you’ll have to go about this process yourself. But don’t worry! We’re here to help you understand who to go to and how it all works.
We can also help you promote your latest release even before it hits Spotify!
Companies To Work With
There are quite a few companies whose main business is helping unsigned and rising musical talents spread their music around the world. These firms have tried-and-true practices in place that allow them to work quickly and directly with the major streamers, such as Spotify, to ensure your album, EP, or single becomes available to the masses in a relatively short period of time.
Three of the biggest and most popular competitors in this space are mentioned below, with some important details included that may help you pick which option you and your band love the most.
Photo by Ilias Chebbi on Unsplash
Options
1.) TuneCore
One of the most popular companies out there in the digital music distribution space, TuneCore has expanded beyond just spreading songs to streaming platforms, and you may find it to be the best choice when looking for one-stop shopping for everything from publishing to social media help.
TuneCore is great because it doesn’t take any commission when your songs begin racking up plays on sites like Spotify, but the initial fees are a bit high. Uploading an album will cost you $30 at first…and then $50 per year afterward. You have to pay close attention to that secondary sum, as it can really be a killer if you’re not looking for it.
2.) DistroKid
Still a smaller player when compared to companies like TuneCore, there are a lot of reasons why you should consider working with DistroKid to distribute your next release. They are known to upload your music faster than many others, though this shouldn’t necessarily be something you’re looking for, as you should do your best to plan ahead and never be in a time crunch!
Perhaps the best thing DistroKid has going for it is the price. The distributor allows you to upload as much music as you want for just $20 a year. Yes, that’s right, you can share a new album every day for less than it would cost you to post one full-length via TuneCore.
Actually, the cost differential is perhaps the number one reason why musicians opt to work with DistroKid instead of any other distributor, and it may win you over quickly.
Are you planning on releasing new music soon? Give us a call and let’s see how we can make it reach as many people as possible (323) 952-5050.
Photo by Sara Kurfeß on Unsplash
3.) CDBaby
Not only is CDBaby one of the oldest companies working in this space, it remains one of the only options for bands looking to distribute their albums in physical form. That may not be a service you require, and it might not even make sense for you and your band until later on, but it’s nice to know there may be the chance out there that you can see your latest CD in stores sometime soon!
But you shouldn’t choose CDBaby because it has a great past! What is happening now, and how can the company help you these days?
CDBaby only charges $10 per single distribution and $30 for albums, all with no annual fee to keep these releases up on streaming platforms like Spotfy. There may be some hidden fees, but they don’t appear to be enough to really dissuade anyone. You may even opt to dole out a few extra bucks for the “Total Monetization” package for either your single or album, as that tier comes with many other wonderful perks, like worldwide publishing royalty collection, direct song registration with global royalty collection societies and affiliation with the biggest PROs (performance rights organizations) in the country.
4.) Others
If you don’t love what you see above, or if you’re just curious about other options (which is always good), there are plenty of companies that would love to have your business in the music distribution space, and you may want to spend a little more time diving into what each one offers, how much they charge and maybe even speak to representatives at each firm to figure out what works best for you.
On your quest for more information, try checking out any of the following: LANDR, Songtradr, Amuse, ONErpm, Soundrop, Ditto, Symphonic Distribution and even AWAL, which operates something like a label and which requires an invitation, but you might be able to snag one.
Let’s talk music promotion: info@planetarygroup.com
