Guide
How to upload music to Apple Music as an artist
This guide is for artists releasing music to Apple Music's listeners. Adding files to your own library only changes your own library, and it doesn't publish anything. To release a song, you go through a distributor, and Apple encourages artists with smaller catalogs to use one of its preferred partners.
Updated November 2, 2026
Short answer
To get your music on Apple Music, upload it through a distributor, ideally one from Apple's preferred partner directory at artists.apple.com/partners. Your distributor delivers the audio, artwork and details, and handles your royalties. Once your music has been live for at least five business days, you can claim your artist page in Apple Music for Artists. If a release doesn't appear, contact your distributor, because it has the tools to fix it.
What to do, in order
Choose a distributor
Compare price, your share, store list and what happens if you stop paying. Apple's directory shows which partners support Dolby Atmos, credits, lyrics, motion artwork and analytics.
Get your files and details ready
Have your audio, artwork, titles, credits and lyrics ready, and follow your distributor's rules. Each release also needs a UPC and each track an ISRC, which most distributors can create for you.
Upload and pick a date
Add the release in your distributor's dashboard and choose your release date. Follow its advice on lead time, and leave room to fix a rejection.
Check the right artist page
If you already have an Apple Music page, give your distributor the link so the release lands there and not on another artist with your name.
Claim your artist page
Once your music has been live for at least five business days, request access at artists.apple.com. You need the primary artist role on an album to claim the page.
Check it on release day
Search for the song in Apple Music and on the web. Availability can differ by country, so check the countries that matter to you.
Can you deliver to Apple directly?
Direct delivery is for labels, distributors and encoding houses with large catalogs and technical resources. Apple's minimum requirements include a US Tax ID, an Apple Account with a valid credit card, and UPCs and ISRCs for your releases. For most independent artists, a distributor is the practical route.
What a preferred distributor means
Apple's preferred partners are expected to have a low Apple Music rejection rate, offer analytics and surface trend data from Apple Music. They should also support Spatial Audio, motion artwork, detailed credits and lyrics. It's a useful filter, but you should still compare prices and terms yourself.
If your song doesn't show up
Apple tells artists to contact their distributor, because it has the tools and access to fix the problem. Send the release title, UPC, ISRCs and your release date, and ask what the delivery status is.
How Traxure helps
Getting a release live on Apple Music doesn't mean it stays there. Traxure checks your catalog on Apple Music every day, along with Spotify, Amazon Music, YouTube Music, Deezer, TIDAL, SoundCloud and Pandora. If a release stops showing, 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.
Apple's requirements were checked on its own pages on 2 November 2026.
Questions artists ask
Can I upload my music to Apple Music for free?
Apple doesn't charge you to be listed, but your distributor may charge a fee or take a share. Some distributors offer free plans, so check what you give up in return.
Can I upload my songs to Apple Music from my iPhone?
Adding files to your library only affects your own library. To release a song for listeners, use a distributor. Some have mobile apps.
How long does it take to get on Apple Music?
Apple's artist pages don't give a fixed time, and it can vary by distributor. Ask yours how far ahead to deliver, and allow time for review.
When can I claim my Apple Music artist page?
Your music must have been live on Apple Music for at least five business days, and you need the primary artist role on an album.
Do I need a UPC and ISRC for Apple Music?
Yes, releases need them, and most distributors can create them for you. Keep a copy, because you'll need the same codes if you change distributors.
Sources
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.
7-day free trial on every plan. Cancel anytime.
- Artist $12/mo
- Manager $69/mo
- Label $199/mo