Guide
How to switch music distributors without losing your streams
Switching distributors means releasing your music a second time, then removing the first copy. Done well, your play counts and playlist spots usually follow. Nobody guarantees it, though, and each distributor describes the order a little differently.
Updated November 2, 2026
Short answer
To switch distributors, upload the same release to your new distributor with exactly the same ISRCs, titles, artist name, artwork and audio, then remove it from the old one. Most guidance is to take the old copy down only after the new one is live, and a brief overlap is fine. Distributors say this usually keeps play counts and playlists, but none of them guarantees it.
What to do, in order
Save everything first
For every release, save the UPC, each ISRC, the exact titles and artist names, the artwork and the original audio files. Do this while you can still see them in your old account.
Check the new distributor accepts your codes
ISRCs matter most. At DistroKid, using your own ISRCs needs Musician Plus or Ultimate. Your own UPC may not be possible, since DistroKid doesn't accept custom UPCs.
Upload an exact copy
Match the title, artist name, audio and artwork exactly. Don't take the chance to fix a typo or remaster, because a change can break the link to the old version.
Wait until it's live, then remove the old copy
Check the new copy on each service before asking your old distributor for a takedown. Keep your old plan paid until this is done.
Check your play counts
On Spotify's desktop app, open your artist profile and look at the play count next to the song. Spotify says matching counts mean the tracks have linked.
Why switching can keep your streams
Spotify can link an old version of a song to a new one so the plays carry over. It calls this track-linking, and it says the audio and metadata have to match, specifically the duration, title and artist name.
The ISRC is the other half. It's the code that identifies the recording, and it stays with that recording when it moves to a new distributor. Ditto says ISRCs matter most for keeping YouTube Music and Apple Music counts.
What each distributor tells you to do
They don't agree on the order. CD Baby and DistroKid have you upload first. TuneCore has you request the takedown first or at the same time, and Ditto wants the takedown finished before you upload. If you're moving to one of these, follow its instructions, and if you're choosing, the upload-first route avoids a gap.
| Moving to | Its order | What it warns about |
|---|---|---|
| DistroKid | Upload to DistroKid, then remove from the old distributor the next day | Can't guarantee play counts and playlists are kept. You may lose reviews in iTunes and Amazon. |
| TuneCore | Request the takedown, then upload, or do both together if you're fine with more overlap | There may be a few days of overlap, or a gap, because stores review at different speeds |
| CD Baby | Submit to CD Baby, then ask the old distributor to remove it once the new copy is live | Can't guarantee every partner carries over counts, reviews or playlists |
| Ditto | Request the takedown, wait until it's done, then upload to Ditto | Expect short downtime. A mismatch can delay processing or permanently lose streams and playlist data. |
From each company's help pages on 2 November 2026.
What must match exactly
Treat the new upload as a copy, not an update. Save any changes for after the move.
| Detail | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| ISRC of each track | Identifies the recording. If you re-record, remix or retitle a song, TuneCore says you can't use the same ISRC. |
| UPC of the release | TuneCore and CD Baby accept the same UPC if the release is identical. It can't be reused if tracks are added, removed or reordered. |
| Song and album titles | Spotify's track-linking needs the title to match |
| Artist name | Spotify's track-linking needs this to match too, and a change can land the release on the wrong profile |
| Audio file | Spotify checks that duration and audio match, so use the same master |
| Artwork | Ditto lists this among the things to match |
What you may lose anyway
Plan on a clean move and accept that a few things may not survive it.
- Reviews: DistroKid warns that iTunes and Amazon reviews may go.
- YouTube Art Track views: YouTube's guidance for music partners says new Art Tracks get new video IDs and start at zero views. Playlist placements and library entries in YouTube Music should stay if the same ISRC and UPC are used. That page covers partner transfers and says the process may not apply to every distributor move, so ask your distributor.
- A release that was removed for artificial streaming: CD Baby warns that a platform may reject content it removed earlier, and it can't appeal that for you.
- Pay for the old copy: ask your old distributor how final royalties are paid before you close the account.
Cancelling your old distributor
Don't cancel first. If you stop paying some distributors, your music comes down on their schedule, not yours. DistroKid's help pages say music can be removed if you don't renew, and TuneCore's Unlimited plan takes releases down after 42 days. Either could leave a gap if the new copy isn't live yet.
Start the move with enough time left on your current plan, and remove the old releases yourself once the new ones are up.
What DistroKid's plans cost and what happens if you stop paying
How Traxure helps
The risky moment is when one copy is coming down and the other is meant to be up. If you switch distributors, Move Guard keeps your UPC and ISRCs together and checks the new upload is live everywhere before the old one comes down.
After that, Traxure checks your Spotify profile every 12 hours and your full catalog on 12 platforms every day. If a release goes missing on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, YouTube Music, Deezer, TIDAL, SoundCloud or Pandora, it emails you the before, the after and a note to your distributor ready to send. It works with any distributor, and monitoring starts with a seven-day free trial.
Each distributor's steps were checked on its own pages on 2 November 2026.
Questions artists ask
Will I lose my streams if I switch distributors?
Usually not, if the ISRCs, titles, artist name and audio all match. DistroKid and CD Baby both say this generally keeps play counts and playlists, but neither guarantees it, because the stores decide.
Should I upload to the new distributor first?
DistroKid and CD Baby say yes, and a short overlap is fine. Ditto says the opposite, so wait for the takedown before uploading if you're moving there. TuneCore lets you do both together.
Can I keep my ISRC when I change distributors?
Yes, as long as the recording is the same, and you should. A new recording, a remix or a changed title needs a new one. Check the new distributor lets you enter your own, since at DistroKid that needs Musician Plus or Ultimate.
Can I keep my UPC when I change distributors?
Sometimes. TuneCore and CD Baby accept the same UPC if the release is identical. DistroKid doesn't accept custom UPCs on any plan, so your release gets a new one there.
Will my music disappear from playlists?
It shouldn't if the copy is exact and the services link the versions, but no distributor guarantees it. Check your important playlists after the move.
Can I cancel DistroKid and keep my music up?
Only per release, with its Leave a Legacy extra. Otherwise DistroKid says your music can be removed if you don't renew. If you're switching, make sure the new copy is live before your plan ends.
How long does switching take?
Allow a few weeks. DistroKid's estimates for the main services run from 1 to 7 days once a release is sent, after several days of review. Takedowns take about as long, so a whole catalog needs some margin.
Sources
- Spotify: re-uploading music
- DistroKid: switching from another distributor
- DistroKid: using existing ISRCs or UPCs
- DistroKid: if you stop paying
- DistroKid: how long releases take to go live
- TuneCore: switching from another distributor
- TuneCore: renewing an Unlimited plan
- CD Baby: switching your distribution
- Ditto: moving your music from another distributor
- YouTube: asset and channel transfers for music partners
Traxure
Know the same day, not weeks later.
Traxure checks your releases on Spotify and other platforms around the clock, confirms a change before alerting you and tells you what to do next. Seven-day free trial.
Pricing
Plans from $12 a month.
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