Spotify is one of the leading streaming services for artists to get their music onto. Are you wondering how to upload music to Spotify? Well, in this article, we will take you through how to add songs to the Spotify library as an artist, how DSPs work, how you earn money from Spotify on the Spotify desktop app and mobile and more. Read on to find out more!
“I probably wouldn’t be doing this without using Spotify,” says Chattanooga singer Paul Johnson. In 2016, Johnson was an underground artist with a low-key music career supporting himself with a few part-time jobs.
Suddenly, his folk-pop song “Firework” was included in a Spotify playlist, and Johnson’s career exploded. At the peak of his music success on Spotify, he was making over $16,000 a month.
Other artists such as Arizona Zervas, Lorde and Tones all developed their fanbase firstly on this platform. But why is Spotify so important to artists? And how do people actually earn money and build up a following from Spotify?
Why Artists Should Put Their Music On Spotify
Many small artists have found that Spotify is a great way to reach an audience and earn a living. Getting your song onto one of Spotify’s’ 3000+ playlists can propel an artist’s career overnight! Spotify has tools for artists to get their music heard by the right listeners (such as the playlist pitch tool). Also, Spotify for Artists also gives musicians an in-depth insight into their audience.
Actively, there are 86 million monthly active users on Spotify – and this number is growing at a considerably fast rate during the current crisis. The platform is a great way to gain exposure as an artist… but actually getting your audio files isn’t as straightforward as it used to be.
Artists should also remember that the music industry takes Spotify statistics very seriously. A few thousand streams might only pull in a few hundred pounds. However, this could generate interest from a record label, manager, or booking agent. Spotify statistics are one of the first things the music industry will look at. Regardless of how you are introduced, their first question will almost definitely be “how well is your music doing on Spotify?”.
Creating a great pre-save campaign before you release a track is also really important and helpful to creating a fan base and building hype for your upcoming release! Check out our checklist for what to do when releasing a song.
If you haven’t signed up for Spotify Premium yet – what are you waiting for?! Sign up now to enjoy unlimited ad-free music, anywhere!
Can You Upload Music Directly To Spotify?
In short, the answer is no. However, there are still many ways on how to add from your music library to spotify as an artist and get them uploaded to spotify.
In 2018, Spotify introduced a new trial feature that allowed independent artists to upload their music directly to Spotify. The tool allowed musicians to deliver music straight to Spotify and plan for the perfect release day.
Unlike when someone downloads music, artists were paid every time someone streamed their music, and also received a report of how much their streams were earning alongside other insights (a feature enabled through Spotify for Artists). This trial was also appealing to artists, as the platform didn’t even charge any fees or commissions no matter how frequently you released music. Sadly, Spotify scrapped the Now in Beta trial in 2019.
How To Upload Music To Spotify Now
So, lets go through how to add songs to spotify as an artist.
The trial feature that let independent artists to upload their music directly to Spotify came to an end in July 2019. Nowadays, artists can deliver music to the platform through working with one of Spotify’s distribution partners that have been serving the artist community since the platform was introduced.
Over the last two years, Spotify has vastly improved their work with distribution partners to ensure metadata quality and protection for artists from infringement. They also provide their users with instant access to Spotify for Artists, and much more.
To get your music files on to Spotify, independent artists will have to use a Digital Service Provider (DSP). A DSP is a platform which focuses on distributing media to streaming platforms such as Spotify, Apple Music, Pandora and more.
Independent artists will sign up to an online platform and submit their local music via local files which are then served to Spotify. Most major record labels handle getting their artists music played on Spotify, and often act as the DSP themselves.
Uploading Lyrics to Spotify With MusixMatch
MusixMatch, a leading global music data firm, is committed to enriching the musical experiences of fans and businesses around the world. Their vast data, innovative tools, and all-inclusive services foster a dynamic and immersive global music environment. They offer a lyrics library for over 8 million songs in 80 languages, ensuring that music enthusiasts can engage with their favourite tunes irrespective of their mother tongue. Additionally, MusixMatch’s time-synced lyrics feature enhances visual song exploration and the overall listening experience.
Beyond just lyrics and translations, MusixMatch provides an array of detailed metadata such as moods, genres, tempo and instruments, among others. This wealth of information allows users to delve deeper into their preferred music while discovering new tracks that align with their tastes.
MusixMatch has established partnerships with industry giants like Spotify, Apple Music, Instagram, Amazon Music, Facebook, Tidal, Shazam, Vevo, and Google, along with numerous popular lyric websites. These alliances broaden the scope of MusixMatch’s services by integrating them seamlessly into platforms already favoured by music lovers.
With an active user base of 80 million people worldwide, MusixMatch has significantly transformed how individuals explore, discover, share, enjoy, create, and consume music. Their aim is to become an essential aspect of worldwide musical culture, breaking down geographical language barriers. Whether you’re located in London or Tokyo, or speak English or Swahili, MusixMatch is dedicated to delivering an unparalleled musical experience that transcends language limitations, promoting cultural exchange.
MusixMatch for Creators
MusixMatch offers a unique platform for artists, songwriters, and lyricists to showcase their work to a global audience. The platform equips creators with the necessary tools for promoting their lyrics:
Lyric Addition, Editing, and Syncing: MusixMatch allows you to easily add or modify the lyrics of your songs, facilitating fans in singing along. Additionally, you can sync your lyrics to scroll with the music in real time.
Lyrics Distribution to DSPs: Do you aspire to disseminate your lyrical brilliance across the globe? MusixMatch sends your lyrics to leading Digital Service Providers (DSPs) like Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon Music, as well as renowned social media platforms such as Instagram and Facebook. This enhances the accessibility of your work for fans while expanding your reach and fostering fan engagement.
Lyric Video Creation: Their top-notch lyric video tool enables you to animate your words effortlessly. By selecting a template and uploading your lyrics and a background image, within seconds, an automatically generated lyric video is created, ready for social media sharing.
Professional Lyric Curation: MusixMatch not only hosts but also curates lyrics. With an expert team specialising in different languages and genres, they ensure that the quality of presentation is of the highest standard. The dedicated curators diligently format and verify the lyrics providing an unmatched experience – freeing up more time for you to create music.
The Best Digital Music Service Providers
We have rounded up the best digital music distribution service providers to help you out! Before we get into it, here are the main things that you need to know:
- Мusic Gateway (Free | 100% royalties)
- RouteNote (Free | 85% royalties)
- TuneCore ($9.99 | 100% royalties)
- LANDR (£9.00 | 85% royalties)
Let’s see what each company provides in terms of Music Distribution.
Мusic Gateway (Free | 100% Royalties)
Here at Мusic Gateway, we also offer a free Music Distribution service and Sync Licensing to help artists get their music on streaming platforms. After submitting your songs, our in-house creative team in London & LA work directly with music supervisors placing music to media.
In addition, our incredible music distribution service gets your music onto all major platforms such as the Spotify App, Apple Music, and Amazon Music. What’s more, you keep 100% of your sales and we don’t get a penny from you.
We also master your music for free to make sure that you sound the best you can before your release. With a free account, you get 2 free songs to start with and you get more based on your plan.
We can also promote your music and amplify your streaming presence – so why not do it all in one place?
“Music Gateway reflects the reality of today, movement, freshness and technology at the same time. I love it!” Pamela Pagoano, Label Manager
How much can I earn?
Why not try out our streaming royalties calculator and see just how much you could be possibly making. And no matter how much it is – it’s 100% all yours. We will never take a cut. This calculator gives you an estimate of how much you could earn on streaming platforms like Spotify, Apple Music and Google Play. Also, check out our article to read up on music publishing!
We may be biased, but we think we have the best deal!
RouteNote (Free | 85% Royalties)
RouteNote is a distribution company focused on independent artists. Sharing to platforms globally has made them a prominent choice for many musicians. This DSP will post your music to 19 other platforms, including iTunes and Deezer.
Check out the complete list of all of the platforms that this DSP will post your track to. The only drawback to this DSP is that artists will only receive 85% of the profits from each posted track.
RouteNote also has another fee-based service. This version allows you to receive 100% of the royalties. You can choose whether to pay the fee at any time. This is great as you can decide if a track is paying enough to just pay the fee and get the royalties.
TuneCore ($9.99 | 100% Royalties)
TuneCore is another great DSP, because of its affordable music distribution fee. This platform also has a variety of packages available to suit any budget and goal.
It costs $9.99 to post a single on Spotify using TuneCore. A discount is available based on uploading multiple tracks. Compared to other platforms, TuneCore does more to get your music listened to and played on Spotify and other streaming apps on your mobile device. A few more great features that this platform offers:
- Keep all the rights to your music
- Keep 100% of your music royalties
- You gain access to Apple Music Trend Reports
- Receive monthly music sales reports
- Given the chance to add single/album custom cover art
- You get a free media player
Many may see the fees as a drawback of TuneCore, but in my opinion, it is definitely worth it!
LANDR (£7.25| 85% Royalties)
Another multi-purpose platform that will do more than just upload your music to Spotify! LANDR even includes a mastering service that prepares your music for it to be distributed.
This DSP works on a subscription-based service with a monthly fee. After paying this fee, you can upload as much content as you want (provided you have the right subscription).
LANDR offers many types of subscriptions. The four main types are Basic ($6.58 a month), Advanced ($10.04 a month), Pro, which costs $20 per month and Studio which is $24 per month. For those artists on a budget, this DSP should be at one to consider.
How Do You Earn Money From Spotify?
Essentially, when songs are played on streaming platforms, the artist receives payment in the form of royalties (based on the number of streams).
Independent artists have agreements with physical or online distributors of music for a one time set up fee (e.g., Tunecore), an ongoing subscription fee (e.g. LANDR) or a continuing percentage of net receipts.
There are 3 types of streaming payouts:
- Mechanical Royalties which are paid to songwriters and their publishers (the owners of arrangement) for the right to reproduce the music.
- Public Performance Royalties, which are paid to songwriters and their publishers for the right to perform their music publicly. Since none of the music is technically owned by the listener, every stream is considered a public performance, even if it is simply listened to on a phone.
- Payout To Recording Owners. This stream, which makes up the substantial amount of the payout, goes to record labels and distributors who own the copyrighted music.
Recently, Spotify increased its payout per stream, although this increase still needs to be split up between different parties (publishers, writers, etc.). This is the subject of intense debate among many artists, including those signed to major record labels.
The answer for how much Spotify actually pays per stream isn’t a straightforward one. The cost depends on many factors, although it is thought to be around $0.008 – $0.90 per stream.
Conclusion – How To Upload Music To Spotify As An Artist
It isn’t an easy process to get your music listened to by millions! It can often take years (unless you can become an overnight sensation). The good news is that many of the services that work alongside Spotify do a lot to promote an artist’s music.
There is a lot you can also do as well to entice listeners to your Spotify profile i.e. engage with fans on social media, or create an artist playlist. When you know how to publish music on Spotify you know how to push yourself in the right direction and soon will start to see royalties hitting your bank account!
Before you approach any DSP, ensure that your music is high audio quality. The main reason why Spotify has more listeners compared to its competitors is because Spotify Premium streams at 320kbps, which is a better quality than you get on most platforms. Album art and music video previews are also important elements to consider.
You also shouldn’t forget about free platforms like SoundCloud. These are a great way to generate interest for your music initially, and you can direct listeners to your Spotify, as most people are already subscribed nowadays. We hope that you found this guide on how to upload music to Spotify helpful!
Most importantly though, don’t forget us here at Мusic Gateway!
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