Music Distribution Explained for Beginners

What is music distribution?

Music distribution is the process of getting your recordings onto the digital platforms where people listen and collecting the money those platforms pay. In the past it meant pressing CDs and shipping them to record shops. Today it mostly means digital delivery to streaming services, which lets an independent artist reach listeners around the world from a single upload.

The platforms that receive your music are called DSPs, short for digital service providers. They include Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, YouTube Music, Deezer and TIDAL, along with many regional services such as JioSaavn and Boomplay. Most DSPs do not accept uploads directly from individual artists. They receive music from approved distributors who deliver releases in the right format, check them for quality and take responsibility for the content they send.

What does a music distributor do?

A music distributor is the bridge between your finished files and the stores. It takes your audio, artwork and release information, checks everything against each store's requirements, delivers the release to the stores you choose and then collects the money those stores report. It also handles changes after release, such as correcting information or removing a release.

• Receives your audio, artwork and metadata through an online dashboard.

• Reviews the release for quality and rights issues before delivery.

• Delivers the release to each selected DSP on schedule.

• Collects sales and streaming reports and calculates your earnings.

• Pays your royalties and shows them in a statement.

• Processes corrections and takedowns when you need them.

How a release gets from your computer to Spotify

The journey is the same for almost every release. You create the release in your distributor's dashboard, upload the audio and artwork, enter the metadata and choose a release date and the stores you want. The distributor reviews it, assigns any missing codes and delivers it to each store. The stores process the release and make it live on the date you chose.

This is why timing matters. If you submit a release the day before you want it live, there is no time for review or store processing, and no time to pitch it to Spotify's editors. Submitting three to four weeks ahead is the safest approach for beginners.

Music metadata, ISRC codes and UPC codes

Metadata is the information that describes your release: the title, artist names, featured artists, songwriters, genre, language, release date and explicit content rating. Stores use it to display your music correctly, place it on the right artist profile and send earnings to the right place, so small mistakes can cause real problems.

Each recording needs an ISRC, the International Standard Recording Code that identifies that specific recording everywhere it appears. Each release needs a UPC, the barcode number that identifies the product as a whole, whether it is a single, an EP or an album. Most distributors can assign both for free. Our guide to metadata, ISRCs, UPCs and release timelines covers them in detail.

Release approval and quality checks

Before a release is delivered, the distributor reviews it. Reviewers check that the audio is complete and of good quality, that the artwork meets store specifications, that the metadata is accurate and consistent, and that you have the rights to everything you are releasing, including any samples.

If something is wrong, the release is sent back with a reason so you can fix it. This step can feel slow, but it protects you. A release rejected by a distributor costs a few days. A release rejected or removed by a store can cost far more, including lost playlist placements and a delayed launch.

How music distribution royalties are paid

When people stream or buy your music, each DSP reports that activity to your distributor along with the revenue it generated. Reports usually arrive a few months after the streams happened. The distributor matches the income to your tracks, applies any agreed fee or royalty splits and shows your earnings in a statement.

Streaming income from a distributor covers the master recording. Songwriting and publishing royalties are usually collected separately through performing rights organisations and publishers. Our guide to understanding royalty payments explains the difference and walks through an example statement.

Takedowns and switching distributors

A takedown is a request to remove a release from stores. You might need one because you are moving to another distributor, because a release contains an error that cannot be corrected, or because a rights issue has come up. Your distributor sends the request to each store, and removal usually takes a few days, although timing varies by store.

If you are switching distributors, do not take your music down first. Deliver the release through the new distributor using the same ISRCs and matching metadata, confirm it is live, and only then remove the original. This helps keep your play counts and playlist placements where the stores support it.

How to choose a music distributor

Compare distributors on more than price. Check which stores they deliver to, whether you keep 100 percent of your rights, how fees and royalty percentages work, how often you can withdraw earnings, whether they support royalty splits with collaborators and how easy their dashboard is to use. Good support matters too, because sooner or later every artist has a question about a release or a payment.

ASUP Records gives independent artists and labels one dashboard for the whole process: creating releases, managing metadata, assigning codes, tracking review status, delivering to 150+ stores and reading royalty statements. If you are planning your first release, start with the plan for artists. If you run a label, the plan for labels adds roster and royalty management.

Frequently asked questions