You can add your own recordings to Spotify, but not directly — you need a distributor to handle the upload for you

Spotify does not accept uploads from individual artists or listeners. Instead, you submit your music through a music distributor — a company that takes your files, formats them for streaming services, and delivers them to Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, and others on your behalf. The distributor keeps a percentage of what you earn (usually 15 to 30 percent) and handles the paperwork with each platform.

The process takes about two to four weeks from the moment you upload your files to the distributor until your song appears on Spotify. Some distributors are faster; some are slower. You will need your audio file in MP3 or WAV format, artwork that meets Spotify's size requirements (at least 3000 by 3000 pixels), and basic information like the song title, artist name, and release date.

Key Takeaways

  • Spotify requires all music to come through a third-party distributor; you cannot upload directly to the platform yourself.
  • Popular distributors include DistroKid, CD Baby, TuneCore, and Bandcamp, each charging different fees and taking different cuts of your earnings.
  • Your audio file must be in MP3 or WAV format, and your cover art must be at least 3000 by 3000 pixels in JPEG or PNG format.
  • After you submit through a distributor, your music typically appears on Spotify within two to four weeks, though the exact timeline depends on which distributor you choose.
  • You keep most of your streaming revenue, but the distributor takes a percentage (usually 15 to 30 percent) as payment for handling the upload and ongoing administration.

Which distributors work with Spotify and what they cost

DistroKid charges a flat annual fee (around $20 per year for one artist, more if you manage multiple artists) and takes no cut of your earnings. You keep 100 percent of what Spotify pays. The trade-off is that you pay upfront whether your song makes money or not.

CD Baby charges a one-time fee per release (around $9.99) and takes no percentage of your streaming revenue. This works well if you release music infrequently and do not want to commit to an annual subscription. CD Baby also offers optional services like copyright registration and sync licensing help, which cost extra.

TuneCore operates similarly to DistroKid: you pay an annual subscription (around $50 per year) and keep all your revenue. TuneCore also offers optional add-ons like copyright registration and YouTube Content ID setup, which let you claim and monetize videos that use your music.

Bandcamp works differently — it is both a distributor and a direct-to-fan platform. You can sell your music directly to listeners on Bandcamp itself and also distribute to Spotify and other services. Bandcamp takes 15 percent of what you earn on their platform but does not take a cut of streaming revenue from Spotify.

How to prepare your files before uploading

Your audio file should be in MP3 or WAV format. WAV files are larger but preserve more audio quality; MP3 files are smaller and work just as well for streaming. Make sure your file is at least 128 kbps (kilobits per second) in quality — anything lower will sound noticeably compressed on Spotify.

Your cover art must be square (equal width and height), at least 3000 by 3000 pixels, and saved as a JPEG or PNG file. Spotify displays your artwork at different sizes across devices, so make sure any text or small details are still readable when shrunk down. Avoid blurry images or artwork that is too similar to existing albums, as Spotify may reject it.

Write down the exact song title, artist name, album name (if applicable), and release date you want to use. These details appear on Spotify exactly as you enter them, so check for spelling and capitalization. If you are re-releasing an older song or a cover, make sure the title and artist name match what you want listeners to search for.

The step-by-step process with a distributor

Start by choosing a distributor based on your budget and how often you release music. If you release frequently and want to keep all your revenue, DistroKid or TuneCore make sense. If you release occasionally and want to avoid annual fees, CD Baby is simpler. Create an account on the distributor's website and verify your email address.

Upload your audio file and cover art through the distributor's dashboard. Most distributors let you upload one song at a time or bundle multiple songs into an album or EP. Fill in the song title, artist name, release date, and other metadata (information about the song). Some distributors ask for additional details like the songwriter and publisher names, which are used for royalty tracking.

Review everything before you submit. Once you submit, most distributors send your music to Spotify within 24 to 48 hours, but it can take up to two weeks for the song to actually appear on the platform. The distributor will send you an email when your song goes live. You can then search for it on Spotify by artist name or song title.

What happens to the money Spotify pays you

Spotify pays rights holders (the people or companies who own the music) a per-stream rate that varies by country and subscription type. In the United States, this rate is typically between $0.003 and $0.005 per stream, though it fluctuates. A song that gets 1,000 streams might earn $3 to $5 before the distributor takes their cut.

Your distributor collects payment from Spotify and holds it until a minimum threshold is reached (often $5 to $10), then deposits it into your bank account. This usually happens monthly or quarterly, depending on the distributor. The distributor deducts their fee before sending you the money. If you use DistroKid or TuneCore, you keep the full per-stream rate. If you use CD Baby, you also keep the full rate. If you use Bandcamp, you keep the full Spotify rate but Bandcamp takes 15 percent of sales made directly on their platform.

Common reasons Spotify rejects uploads and how to fix them

Spotify may reject your upload if your cover art is too small, in the wrong format, or contains explicit imagery without a warning label. Re-save your artwork as a JPEG or PNG file at exactly 3000 by 3000 pixels and try again. If your artwork contains profanity or graphic content, add a content warning label in your distributor's dashboard.

Your audio file may be rejected if it is corrupted, in an unsupported format, or too quiet. Try converting your file to MP3 format using free software like Audacity or FFmpeg, or ask the person who mixed your music to re-export it. If the file is very quiet, your distributor may flag it as potentially problematic — you can usually override this, but Spotify may still reject it if the audio quality is genuinely poor.

Duplicate uploads are another common issue. If you have already released the same song through another distributor or directly under a different artist name, Spotify may merge them or reject the new upload. Check whether the song already exists on Spotify before uploading. If it does and you want to re-release it, contact your distributor's support team — they can usually help you update the existing entry instead of creating a duplicate.

How to update or remove your music after it goes live

Most distributors let you edit basic information like the song title or artist name after upload, but changes can take a few days to appear on Spotify. You cannot change the audio file itself once it is live — if you need to fix a mix or mastering issue, you have to remove the old version and upload a new one with a slightly different title (like adding "v2" to the end).

To remove a song, log into your distributor's dashboard and look for a "delete" or "unpublish" option. This removes the song from Spotify and other platforms within a few days. Removing a song does not refund any streams you have already earned, but it stops new listeners from finding it. If you want to keep the song on Spotify but remove it from other platforms, some distributors let you choose which services to distribute to — check your distributor's settings.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to own the copyright to upload a song to Spotify?

Yes. You must own or have permission from the copyright holder to distribute the music. If you are uploading a cover song, you still need a mechanical license, which most distributors can help you obtain for a small fee. Uploading music you do not have rights to can result in your account being suspended.

Can I upload music I recorded on my phone?

Technically yes, but the audio quality will be noticeably worse than music recorded in a proper studio or with better equipment. Spotify does not reject low-quality uploads outright, but listeners will hear the difference. If you want your music to compete with professionally produced tracks, invest in better recording equipment or hire someone to record and mix it.

How much money will I make from Spotify streams?

This depends entirely on how many people listen to your music. A song with 100 streams might earn $0.30 to $0.50. A song with 10,000 streams might earn $30 to $50. Most independent artists earn very little from streaming alone unless they have a large, dedicated audience. Streaming revenue is usually supplemented by selling merchandise, performing live, or licensing music to videos and podcasts.

What if my distributor goes out of business?

Your music stays on Spotify and other platforms — the distributor's closure does not remove it. However, you will need to switch to a new distributor to make updates or collect future earnings. Before choosing a distributor, check how long they have been in business and read recent reviews to gauge stability.

Can I distribute the same song through multiple distributors?

No. Spotify will see duplicate uploads and either merge them or reject one of them. Choose one distributor and stick with it for each song. If you want to switch distributors later, remove the song from your current distributor, wait a few days for it to disappear from Spotify, then upload it through the new distributor.