DIY music distribution is a game-changer for impartial 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 supplied over 2 million artists with a one-stop resolution for distributing music to over 150 platforms around the globe 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 can assist.
How one can distribute your music in 2025
Earlier than we dive in, right here’s an outline 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 title
Your artist title could possibly be your actual title, stage title, or a band title! There’s nothing extra thrilling than a contemporary debut, however select your artist title properly!
- Be certain your artist title isn’t taken. Submitting music beneath an unoriginal or generic artist title makes it troublesome for followers to seek out you and may trigger points with profile verification on streaming platforms. You’ll be able to affirm your artist title isn’t taken by querying search engines like google and yahoo and main streaming platforms.
- Select a reputation you like. Altering your artist title throughout platforms is usually 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 in your tracks and launch. In case you’re releasing a single, it’s best to use the identical title 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 referred to as a title monitor! Listed below are some extra do’s and don’ts.
Test your audio high quality
Streaming platforms have excessive audio requirements to offer listeners with an ideal 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 in 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 observe these necessities:
- 3000 x 3000 pixels most; 1400 x 1400 pixels minimal
- PNG, GIF, JPG, or JPEG file sort
- 72 – 300dpi (300dpi is the most effective)
- Lower than 25mb
- RGB coloration scheme (not CMYK)
Generic paintings (corresponding to a strong coloration sq. with no textual content) will not be accepted. Observe our finest 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 had 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 companies are paying publishing royalties correctly, and that every one songs are accurately licensed, you will have to offer:
- Names of the songwriters for every monitor (together with cowl songs)
- Names of these songwriters’ publishers (if relevant)
- The “splits” for every songwriter (the share of a music that every songwriter owns)
In case you’re releasing a cover-song, you need to safe the right mechanical license earlier than you distribute the monitor. You’ll be able to receive licensing for many covers by Simple Tune Licensing, a web based service.
Determine Monitor Attributes
Digital music companies like Spotify and Apple Music must know in case your recording is:
- A stay model
- A canopy music
- Within the Public Area
- Incorporates express content material
Overview 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 in your music(s), you possibly can enter the quantity through 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 must be on the again cowl.
ISRC Code
An Worldwide Commonplace Recording Code (ISRC) is a music identification code that enables platforms and distributors to trace streaming exercise and funds in your work. In case you’re placing out an album that incorporates a music that was already launched as a single, remember to hold the ISRC for that monitor the identical. That can protect the music’s stream rely 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.
Knowledge for Discovery
Describing your individual music will be laborious. Nevertheless it’s actually necessary. Not simply because good descriptions enable you to along with your advertising and marketing, 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 (major and subgenre)
- Steered moods (e.g. dreamy, upbeat, intense)
- Sounds-like artists (additionally typically known as RIYL or “Really helpful If You Like”)
PLAN FOR RELEASE
Set your launch date
Determine when your music ought to go stay! To make sure your music arrives on time, set a launch date at the very least 4 weeks out forward of submitting music for distribution. Offering ample lead time in your launch lets you have interaction and develop your fanbase whereas we guarantee clean supply to all of your favourite music platforms.
Arrange pre-sales and pre-saves
You might wish to permit your followers to avoid wasting or buy your music forward of its launch. Constructing pre-sales and pre-saves can assist assure a splash on launch day and signify curiosity in your launch to platform algorithms. Guarantee your pre-sale and pre-save date offers at the very least 30 days between launch and launch.
Breakdown of pre-save, pre-add, and pre-order
Totally different digital streaming platforms supply 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 delivered to a web page that enables them to “pre-save” your upcoming monitor or album in order that when it’s launched, the monitor is robotically added to the fan’s Spotify library. You’ll be able to arrange Spotify pre-save by 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 out there for streaming on Apple Music. When a fan makes use of this function, Apple Music will robotically add the entire launch to their library as soon as it’s out there. To allow your launch for pre-add on Apple Music, you need to join iTunes Pre-Order (they go hand-in-hand). Requires one on the spot gratification monitor.
Artist Bio & Highlights
Your upcoming launch is a major alternative to win new followers and business assist. Take into account making an inventory 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 business professionals learn about you? Listed below are some tricks to get you began brainstorming:
- Current concert events (Notable gross sales, opening slots, excursions, festivals, and so on.)
- Constructive critiques (press quotes or overview scores)
- Huge sync or playlist placements
- Collaborators of notice
- 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 provides a set of music advertising and marketing and label companies (at no cost) to artists on a development trajectory. Study extra and see in case you qualify right here.
Cost Technique Setup
To receives a commission, you’ll want:
- Most popular payout technique (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 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 and not using a label, you’re the label! In case you’re submitting by CD Child, you possibly can go away the label entry clean.
If one other individual 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! Bear in mind, whereas distributors can get your music onto a whole lot of platforms with a single submission, it’s important that you just adjust to the foundations 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 around the globe? Begin by making a free music distribution account right this moment.