How to Upload Music on Spotify
Spotify is one of the largest streaming platforms for digital music. Spotify is the ideal place for music lovers and also for those who are looking for a platform to present their works and want to explore the world of music in every possible way.
At first look, uploading music to Spotify as an independent/freelance artist may appear overwhelming. This can be as a result of Spotify not having any upload options for ordinary users. To upload your music on Spotify, you must use a so-called “DSP”.
DSP stands for Digital Service Provider. A digital service provider is a company that focuses on the distribution of multimedia content like your music on various streaming platforms like Apple Music, Spotify, and Pandora.
These companies are great, but there is a problem … Most of the time you have to pay a fee. However, the good news is that you will also receive artist royalties for your song, which will be played on whatever streaming platform you upload it to.
To give you even cheaper options, I had included a free DSP in this article. It may seem like the best option, but there are a few things to keep in mind when choosing the right DSP for you. Some DSPs only work by invitation, while others require an application to be completed, which is then accepted or rejected. Fortunately, few people request these DSPs. Therefore, your chances of being accepted are greater.
In general, it is approved as long as your music is of good quality or there is an audience for it. It may all seem a little confusing. To help you find the right DSP, I have put together a list of some of the best DSPs. In fact, all the listed DSPs not only download their music to Spotify but to various other platforms as well.
1. AWAL
AWAL stands for “Artist Without A Label”. This DSP was developed to offer artists all the advantages of a label without having to waive rights to their music. You can distribute your music on Spotify and many other streaming platforms with AWAL at no direct cost, but there are downsides.
First, they reduced royalties by 15%. They also require you to apply and be accepted as a traditional label. But the good news is that they’re not that demanding. This is because their main purpose is simply to distribute the music.
Another benefit of AWAL is that you get other resources too i.e. AWAL helps you with marketing, A&R, and also run campaigns to promote your music.
2. RouteNote
RouteNote is the is frankly a great option as this is the only DSP on this list that publishes original music for free on Spotify. This DSP also publishes your music on 19 other platforms. The only drawback of this platform is that you only derive 85% of the profits from each of your published track.
However, if you wish to receive 100% of the rent, simply pay a fee. And you can choose to do it at any time. It works in your favor because if one track works well, all you have to do is pay the fees and reap all the rewards.
3. TuneCore
TuneCore is another great option as it sells its music in a fairly inexpensive way and also offers a variety of packages. If you publish your songs on Spotify, you can pay Rs 499 for a single publish or Rs 1499 for albums. This fee is renewed once a year by publication.
And the best part is that TuneCore can do more than just upload your music to Spotify. They also distribute their music on Google Play, iTunes, eMusic, Amazon, Deezer, X-Box Live, Mix Radio, and many others.
Here are some of the other great features offered by this DSP:
· You retain all rights to your music.
· You will receive monthly reports on music sales.
· You can keep 100% of the music license royalties.
· You have access to Apple Music trend reports.
4. Believe
Believe is very similar to AWAL, in both, you must apply and be accepted to use the service.
But there are some differences. For starters, they don’t support as many artists as other DSPs. Unlike other DSPs, they will agree with you on what type of reduction your earnings will bring. So it is completely subjective.
This DSP will contact you personally if accepted and will develop a custom agreement. After that, they will definitely upload your music to Spotify and more.
Believe also help to promote your track. This DSP even manages all license, brand, and retail marketing. And one of the most important features is that they even try to create brand associations for you. Believe is definitely for people who want to do more than just post their music on Spotify. If this is your goal, we recommend it without hesitation.
5. LANDR
LANDR is another versatile platform that can do much more than publish your music on Spotify. They also offer a mastering service that prepares your music for distribution. You can subscribe to this DSP for a monthly fee without limiting the amount of content that can be published (for most packages). It is definitely one of the cheapest options because of the low and unlimited prices for monthly users.
Another noteworthy thing is that LANDR’s mastering services are fully automated. This means that no real sound engineer is working on your tracks, but a complex algorithm. According to many people, LANDR’s mastering services are fantastic and that it’s completely free for your first two songs to master.
This service has nothing to do with promoting your tracks. However, if you only want to publish your music on Spotify and other platforms, this may be the best option for you.
Hope you find this article helpful!