Guide
How to upload music to Spotify: the steps for independent artists
Spotify has no upload button for artists. Your music reaches it through a distributor or a label, which also handles your streaming royalties. The upload itself takes minutes. What protects your release is choosing the distributor carefully, sending it to the right profile and leaving enough time before release day.
Updated November 2, 2026
Short answer
To upload music to Spotify, sign up with a distributor such as DistroKid or TuneCore, add your audio, artwork and credits, and pick a release date. Spotify asks for 5 business days to get new music live, and at least 7 days before release if you want to pitch the song. Once the music is delivered, claim your profile in Spotify for Artists. On release day, check that the song is live on the right profile.
What to do, in order
Choose a distributor
Compare what you pay, what share you keep, which stores it lists and what happens to your music if you stop paying. Most distributors charge a fee or a commission. Spotify keeps its own list of preferred and recommended distributors.
Prepare your files
Spotify prefers FLAC and also accepts WAV, at 44.1 kHz or higher, in stereo. Send your highest-quality native master, without converting it yourself. Have your artwork, song titles and songwriter credits ready, and follow your distributor's upload rules.
Send it to the right artist profile
If you already have a Spotify profile, give your distributor your Spotify artist link when you upload. If you share a name with another artist, this is what keeps your song off their page.
Pick your release date
Leave at least 5 business days. If you want to pitch the song to Spotify's editors, it needs to be there at least 7 days before release. A few weeks is safer, because it gives you time to fix a rejection.
Claim your Spotify profile
Spotify creates your artist profile automatically when your first music is delivered. Request access at artists.spotify.com. To claim before your first release is live, ask your distributor for your Spotify artist link.
Pitch the song
In Spotify for Artists, open the unreleased song under Music, then Upcoming, and fill in the pitch form. Pitching at least 7 days early also adds the song to your followers' Release Radar playlists. A pitch doesn't guarantee an editorial placement.
Check it on release day
Open your profile and play the song. Then check it on the other stores your distributor delivers to, because each one can go live at a different time.
Why you can't upload directly
Spotify says all music has to come through a label or a distributor so that it's properly licensed. If you're signed, your label probably already works with a distributor. If you're independent, you choose your own.
What it costs
Distributors charge in different ways: a yearly fee, a fee for each release, a share of your royalties, or a mix. A free plan usually takes its cut somewhere else, so read what you give up before your first upload. DistroKid, for example, starts at $24.99 a year and you keep 100% of your earnings.
Mistakes that cause trouble later
Most release problems start at upload, and they're easier to prevent than to undo.
- Uploading a few days before release, then finding out it's too late to pitch or fix a rejection.
- Leaving out your Spotify artist link, so the song lands on another artist with your name.
- Using different spellings of your artist name across releases, which can split your catalog across profiles.
- Losing track of your UPC and ISRC codes. You'll need them if you ever change distributors or need a release restored.
- Assuming your music stays up. Some distributors remove it if you stop paying.
How Traxure helps
Uploading a song doesn't tell you whether it stays live. Traxure checks your Spotify profile every 12 hours and your full catalog every day, and it also checks Apple Music, 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.
Spotify's rules were checked on its own help pages on 2 November 2026. They can change.
Questions artists ask
Can I upload music directly to Spotify?
No. Spotify says music has to be uploaded through a label or a distributor so that it's properly licensed.
Is it free to upload music to Spotify?
Spotify doesn't charge you, but most distributors charge a fee or a commission. Some have free plans, usually in exchange for a share of your royalties or fewer features.
How long does it take to get a song on Spotify?
Spotify asks for 5 business days to get new music live. If you deliver later than that, the song might not be live until a few days after your release date.
Do I need Spotify for Artists before I upload?
No. Spotify creates your artist profile when your first music is delivered, and you claim it after that. You do need Spotify for Artists to pitch a song to editors.
Why isn't my song on Spotify yet?
It's usually a late delivery, a rejection at your distributor, or the song landing on another profile. Your distributor can see the delivery status, so ask it first.
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