How to release your song on Spotify and Apple Music: a complete step-by-step guide for first-timers

You can't upload a song straight to Spotify or Apple Music yourself. Independent artists release music through a distributor: a service that delivers your audio, cover art and details to the streaming stores, then collects your royalties and pays them to you. This guide walks you through the whole process in order, with nothing skipped. Plan on about two hours of work, then at least two to three weeks before your release date.

What you need before you start: a finished, mixed song; a cover image; an email address; and a way to receive money (a bank account or PayPal, depending on your country and the distributor). Not finished yet? Start with how to make a complete song with free tools.

The timeline at a glance

Part 1: Prepare the files

Step 1: Check the song is really finished

Listen to the whole song once on headphones, once on a phone speaker and once in a car or on a Bluetooth speaker. Write down anything that bothers you: a vocal that disappears, a harsh hi-hat, a bass that is too loud. Fix those in the mix now. Once a song is released, changing the audio usually means taking it down and releasing it again. Our mix troubleshooting table helps with the common problems.

Step 2: Master it to the right loudness

Mastering makes the song sound finished and sets its final loudness. Spotify turns every song up or down to the same playback level, so making your song extremely loud gains nothing. Spotify's own guidance:

• Aim for an integrated loudness of about -14 LUFS.
• Keep the true peak below -1 dBTP. If your master is louder than -14 LUFS, keep the true peak below -2 dBTP to avoid distortion.

How to do it for free: put a limiter on your master channel, play the loudest part of the song, and raise the limiter's gain while watching a free loudness meter such as Youlean Loudness Meter (in our free plugin list). Stop when the integrated reading over the whole song is around -14 to -10 LUFS and the true peak never goes above -1. Or use Matchering to match a reference song, as described in step 7 of our free workflow.

Step 3: Export the final file

In your DAW, select the whole song from the very first sound to the end of the last note's tail, then export (often called "Export", "Bounce" or "Render") with these settings:

Distributors accept stereo WAV or FLAC at 16 or 24 bit and 44.1 kHz or higher; uploading your original high-resolution master is better than converting it down yourself. Never upload an MP3. Then play the exported file from start to finish in a normal media player: check there is no click at the start, no cut-off ending and no long silence.

Step 4: Make the cover art

Stores reject covers more often than audio. Follow these rules:

• Square JPG, 3000 × 3000 pixels, in RGB colour.
• Any text must match your release exactly: the same artist name and song title you type into the distributor.
• No website addresses, social media handles, prices, other brands' logos or blurry, stretched images.
• Only use photos and fonts you own or are licensed to use.

Check it at the size of a thumbnail on your phone: if you can't read the title, make it bigger or remove it. More detail in step 8 of our free workflow.

Part 2: Choose a distributor

Most distributors deliver to the same big stores (Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, YouTube Music, TikTok and more). They differ in how you pay:

Before you sign up, check three things on the distributor's own help pages: (1) what happens to your songs if you stop paying, (2) which payout methods work in your country (DistroKid pays through Tipalti, with options such as PayPal or bank transfer depending on country), and (3) its rules for AI-generated music if you used AI tools. Choose one distributor per song: releasing the same song through two distributors creates duplicates and can get both taken down.

Part 3: Upload your release

Step 5: Create your account and artist name

Sign up with an email you check often and turn on two-factor login if offered. Type your artist name exactly as you want it to appear everywhere, with the same capitals and spacing. Check that another artist on Spotify doesn't already use the same name: search it in the Spotify app. If someone does, the distributor will usually ask whether you are that artist or a new one. Choose "new artist" if it isn't you, or your music could land on a stranger's profile.

Step 6: Fill in the release details carefully

You'll see a long form. Here is what each field means:

Then upload the WAV from step 3 and the cover from step 4.

Step 7: Pick a release date three to four weeks away

Don't choose "as soon as possible". A date at least three weeks ahead gives the stores time to process your release, and gives you time to claim your profile and pitch to Spotify's editors, which must happen before release day. Many artists release on a Friday, when new-music playlists refresh, but any day works. Submit the release and wait for the distributor's confirmation email.

Part 4: Before release day

Step 8: Claim your Spotify for Artists profile

Spotify for Artists lets you add a photo and bio, see your listeners and pitch songs. For a brand-new artist:

1. Ask your distributor for your Spotify artist link (spotify.com/artist/…) once the release is delivered. Many distributors show it in your dashboard.
2. Go to artists.spotify.com, sign in or create a Spotify account, and request access to that artist profile. Add a link to your website or social account to prove it's you.
3. If your distributor is one of Spotify's preferred partners, access is granted straight away; otherwise Spotify reviews the request by hand, which can take a few days.

Do the same for Apple Music for Artists and YouTube's Official Artist Channel later; your distributor's help pages explain how.

Step 9: Pitch the song to Spotify's playlist editors

Spotify lets you pitch one unreleased song to its editors. Pitch at least 7 days before release; doing so also puts the song in your followers' Release Radar playlists. In Spotify for Artists, open Music, then Upcoming, choose the song and fill in every detail: genre, mood, instruments, the story behind the song. You can only have one pitch active at a time, and released songs can't be pitched. Pitching never guarantees a playlist, but skipping it guarantees you miss the chance.

Part 5: Release day and after

Step 10: Share one link everywhere

On release day, search your song on Spotify and Apple Music to make sure it is live and on the right artist profile. Then share it: a short video clip of the song on Shorts, Reels and TikTok, your Spotify link in your bio, and a message to friends who will actually listen. A simple visualizer video takes 30 minutes with our Astrofox guide; for more options see how to make a music video.

Step 11: Read your stats, then plan the next release

Spotify for Artists shows listeners, saves and where people found the song a day or two later. Note which posts brought listeners. Releasing a new song every few weeks usually helps more than waiting months for one perfect song.

Step 12: Collect your royalties

Stores report earnings to your distributor weeks or months after the streams happen, so your balance grows slowly at first. Add your payout details in the distributor's dashboard and withdraw once you pass any minimum. As a songwriter you may also be owed separate publishing royalties, collected by the copyright collecting society in your country; look up how to register your songs with it once you are releasing regularly.

Mistakes that get releases rejected or delayed

• Text on the cover doesn't match the artist name or title.
• The song uses samples, beats or a melody you don't have the rights to.
• The same song is uploaded through two distributors.
• A wrong "featured artist" spelling sends the song to someone else's profile.
• Paying for fake streams or "guaranteed playlist" services: streaming services remove artificial streams and can take music down.

Questions people ask

Can I upload music to Spotify directly?

Not as an independent artist. You release through a distributor such as DistroKid, TuneCore or RouteNote, which delivers your song to Spotify and pays you the royalties.

How long before release should I upload?

Three to four weeks. That leaves time for the stores to process the release and for you to pitch the song to Spotify's editors at least 7 days before release day.

What file format do I upload?

A stereo WAV or FLAC file at 16 or 24 bit and at least 44.1 kHz. Don't upload an MP3.

How loud should my master be for Spotify?

Spotify recommends about -14 LUFS integrated with true peaks below -1 dBTP. Spotify turns louder songs down, so extra loudness gains nothing.

Do I need an ISRC code?

Yes, but most distributors create the ISRC and UPC codes for you for free. Leave the fields blank unless you already have codes.