DIY music distribution is a game-changer for unbiased artists trying 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 stay precisely, easily, and on time.
A trusted distributor since 1998, CD Child has offered 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 trying to get your music on Spotify, Apple Music, and different main platforms, CD Child will help.
How you can 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 authentic artist identify
Your artist identify might be your actual identify, stage identify, or a band identify! There’s nothing extra thrilling than a recent debut, however select your artist identify properly!
- Ensure your artist identify isn’t taken. Submitting music beneath an unoriginal or generic artist identify makes it tough for followers to search out you and may trigger points with profile verification on streaming platforms. You’ll be able to affirm your artist identify isn’t taken by querying engines like google and main streaming platforms.
- Select a reputation you’re keen on. Altering your artist identify throughout platforms generally is a tough and lengthy course of. Save your self the trouble by selecting a reputation you’ll need to develop with.
Finalize your track titles and album title
Present titles to your tracks and launch. In case you’re releasing a single, you need to use the identical identify because the launched monitor. In case you’re releasing an album, you possibly can create an authentic title for the discharge or reuse the title of a monitor on the album. That’s known as a title monitor! Listed here are some extra do’s and don’ts.
Test your audio high quality
Streaming platforms have excessive audio requirements to supply listeners with an awesome expertise. Submit your music within the following format:
- 16-bit WAV or FLAC
- 44.1kHz pattern fee
- Stereo
Though it’s not required for distribution, we extremely suggest mastering your music. Mastering improves the listening expertise to your followers and makes your songs higher suited to playlisting.
Cowl Paintings
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 most effective)
- Lower than 25mb
- RGB colour scheme (not CMYK)
Generic paintings (similar to a stable colour sq. with no textual content) might not be accepted. Comply with our greatest practices for canopy artwork to make sure your launch is accepted.
Notice: In case your artist identify and the title of your launch seem in your cowl paintings, they should exactly match the discharge title and artist identify you offered 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 talk about artist and songwriter credit between those that have been concerned in making your music. You’ll want to incorporate this data inside your submission.
Songwriter & Writer Data
To make sure that digital music providers are paying publishing royalties correctly, and that each one songs are appropriately licensed, you will have to supply:
- Names of the songwriters for every monitor (together with cowl songs)
- Names of these songwriters’ publishers (if relevant)
- The “splits” for every songwriter (the proportion of a track that every songwriter owns)
In case you’re releasing a cover-song, you should safe the right mechanical license earlier than you distribute the monitor. You’ll be able to receive licensing for many covers via Simple Music Licensing, a web based service.
Determine Monitor Attributes
Digital music providers like Spotify and Apple Music must know in case your recording is:
- A stay model
- A canopy track
- Within the Public Area
- Incorporates specific content material
Assessment lyrics and monitor 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 to your track(s), you possibly can enter the quantity in the course of the distribution signup course of.
In case you do not need 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 Commonplace Recording Code (ISRC) is a track identification code that enables platforms and distributors to trace streaming exercise and funds to your work. In case you’re placing out an album that incorporates a track that was already launched as a single, make sure you hold the ISRC for that monitor the identical. That can protect the track’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 might be onerous. However it’s actually vital. Not simply because good descriptions provide help to 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 know the way 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)
- Prompt moods (e.g. dreamy, upbeat, intense)
- Sounds-like artists (additionally generally known as RIYL or “Advisable If You Like”)
PLAN FOR RELEASE
Set your launch date
Resolve when your music ought to go stay! To make sure your music arrives on time, set a launch date not less than 4 weeks out forward of submitting music for distribution. Offering ample lead time in your launch permits you to 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 need to enable 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 supplies not less than 30 days between launch and launch.
Breakdown of pre-save, pre-add, and pre-order
Completely 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 enables them to “pre-save” your upcoming monitor or album in order that when it’s launched, the monitor is mechanically added to the fan’s Spotify library. You’ll be able to arrange Spotify pre-save via Present.Co. Learn the way right here.
Apple Music Pre-Add: Pre-adds enable 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 mechanically add the entire launch to their library as soon as it’s obtainable. To allow your launch for pre-add on Apple Music, you should join iTunes Pre-Order (they go hand-in-hand). Requires one instantaneous gratification monitor.
Artist Bio & Highlights
Your upcoming launch is a chief alternative to win new followers and trade assist. Contemplate making a listing of your profession highlights, accomplishments, and inspirations to attract from as you replace your social media profiles and your press package.
What ought to new followers and trade professionals find out about you? Listed here are some tricks to get you began brainstorming:
- Current live shows (Notable gross sales, opening slots, excursions, festivals, and many others.)
- Optimistic opinions (press quotes or overview scores)
- Massive sync or playlist placements
- Collaborators of be aware
- Streaming metrics
- Musical inspirations
Professional Tip: Are you a CD Child artist trying to take your profession a step additional? CD Child’s Levels program gives a collection of music advertising and label providers (free of charge) to artists on a progress trajectory. Be taught extra and see in case you qualify right here.
Fee Methodology Setup
To receives a commission, you’ll want:
- Most popular payout methodology (PayPal, direct deposit, Payoneer)
- Tax ID (SSN, EIN, FTIN)
- Tax type (W9 for U.S. artists, W8-BEN for non-U.S.)
Label & Copyright Possession
As a last 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 and not using a label, you’re the label! In case you’re submitting via CD Child, you possibly can 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 unbiased, you’re each the label and copyright proprietor.
Get readability on copyright possession and label involvement forward of your launch! Don’t danger delaying your launch with discussions over possession. Talk about with producers, co-writers, or beatmakers forward of submission.
Conclusion
Now you’re prepared to start the method of music distribution! Bear in mind, whereas distributors can get your music onto tons of of platforms with a single submission, it’s important that you just adjust to the principles of main streaming platforms. Take the required steps to make sure your music is accepted and benefit from the limitless potentialities for locating new followers. In fact, 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 right this moment.
