Being present on the stores and putting your latest track on Spotify is now child’s play. And what’s more, it’s free if you want it!
You have just finished your latest music title, and you would like it to be present on all digital platforms, such as Spotify , Deezer or Apple Music ? Nothing could be simpler, the This is Riviera team will explain everything to you in detail.
Before you begin…
Before you start, it’s important to check that you have the right to distribute your latest title. In short, you cannot sell or distribute music if:
– You have not obtained the rights to use the instrumental (but a simple €20 license may suffice).
– The title is a cover or a remix and you have not obtained permission from the composer to use his music.
That’s all. So far, nothing complicated. We move on to the next point.
How it works ?
To distribute your music, you will have to go through a digital distributor . Yes, because it is not possible to contact Spotify directly , and then it would be too complicated. The digital distributor takes care of sending your music to all the stores automatically for you in a few clicks. There are a lot of digital distributors, with more or less attractive offers, but beware of the pitfalls. Some distributors like Distrokid offer great prices at first glance, but in the end, the slightest option is chargeable, and the bill can quickly climb… After having tested them all, here are what we consider to be the two best options:
Kick Label (free option)
If you ever want to incur no costs, then Kick Label may be the solution that suits you best. This distributor will take care of distributing your music for free to all platforms. In exchange, he will take 10% of your earnings as a “commission”. This remains honest in our humble opinion. Especially since the service is qualitative and all the options are included.
Tunecore (€14.99 per year)
Tunecore is a service that has been around for quite a few years, and the platform recently lowered its prices to bring it in line with the competition. Recently, the platform offers a package at € 14.99 per year that will allow you to release as many titles as you want.! Yes, yes, you heard right. And here, no trap. Youtube ID, monetization on networks, etc… Everything is included in the price! If we had to find a point that makes us a little nervous with this kind of juggernaut of distribution, it is that customer service is always very approximate. Either you find yourself faced with a somewhat fragile AI, or faced with an interlocutor who does not speak French well and who answers you on the side. This can quickly become very annoying, especially when you pay for a quality of service!
And now ?
Now that you have chosen, all you have to do is create an account and then follow the steps to distribute your title. You will be asked to upload your cover (at least 1600×1600 format), the audio file of your song (wav or mp3), and to give some information such as: author, composer, vulgar lyrics or not, etc… Fill in all seriously. And that’s it, all you have to do is click on « Send » and you’re done! Your title will be present on all digital stores around the world in a few days.
A few things to know…
Come on, we can’t leave each other like that… If this is the first time that you distribute music, be aware that the delay may be a little longer than expected . The first upload can take 10 days more or less (because you have to create your profile on all platforms). But then, for your second title, it should go much faster (given that your profiles are now created).
Also, be aware that 90% of the time (and especially at the beginning), your title will be « misplaced » . You risk finding your track in another artist’s profile, for example. It’s annoying, but it’s unfortunately a must (and yet we’ve tried everything, it happens almost all the time). All you have to do is contact your distributor’s customer service (which can quickly become a headache with some like Distrokid or Tunecore, less so with Kick Label) to notify them and submit the modifications to be made. It can take 4 or 5 days in general to get back to normal. OUR ADVICE: Plan wide for your first outing.
Finally, be aware that it is not uncommon for your release to be refused for rather lunar reasons such as « Your cover does not respect blablabla » . Again, don’t panic, you just have to make the requested changes, and everything will be back to normal.
If you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the “Comment” section below this article.
