How to Upload a Song to Spotify

If you’re here, it’s most likely because you want to upload a song to Spotify and don’t know how to do it. Spotify is currently the most used music platform worldwide, both by listeners and artists. What we might all think is that uploading songs to this platform is as easy as uploading content to YouTube, where you can upload whatever you want, whenever you want, without depending on anyone or anything.

Fortunately or unfortunately, this is not the case at all. Both Spotify and the vast majority of streaming platforms require an intermediary to upload your songs. These intermediaries are called distributors or aggregators, and they are responsible for sending your music to all the platforms you choose.

In this new tutorial from GuitarRec Online Recording Studio, we explain all the details you need to know to upload your music to Spotify correctly on your own.

Also check out our tutorial on the best music distributors

Why can’t I upload my music to Spotify without a distributor?

Technically, you could upload your music on your own. The problem is that uploading songs to music platforms requires certain licenses. These licenses are very expensive, apart from the arduous administrative process needed to obtain them.

So unless you want to create your own music distribution company, you will need to hire the services of an external distributor for your songs to be released.

There are countless music distributors on the market to choose from. Each offers different services, so you’ll need to pick the one that best suits your needs. Some offer a wide range of options suitable for both emerging and experienced artists. Others provide additional services, such as management of editorial rights, promotion packages, playlist submissions, and audiovisual content creation, among many others.

If you don’t want to spend a single euro to see your music on Spotify, there are various distributors that allow you to do so. However, this will usually come in exchange for a percentage of the royalties generated from streaming. These distributors also give us the option to make a one-time payment or annual subscription in exchange for receiving 100% of the royalties we generate.

Requirements to upload a song to Spotify

Every distributor will ask you for certain requirements that you cannot skip. This isn’t about having your song perfectly tuned or about it promoting peace and love. Instead, they ask for specific formats and technical specifications. These are:

• Cover Art: You won’t have your song on Spotify without a cover. Before uploading your song, make sure your cover art is ready. Most distributors recommend a JPG format and a square aspect ratio. The minimum size they usually require is 3000×3000 pixels.
• Audio: Your music production will need to be in a specific format. We recommend uploading the master of your song to Spotify and other platforms in WAV format, as it guarantees the best quality (usually at 44.1Khz and 16 or 24 bits). However, some distributors allow other formats like MP3 or FLAC, and of course, you can upload it at higher quality for platforms offering high-resolution streaming (Spotify has been aiming to offer high-quality streaming for a while). Make sure to request the streaming-optimized master from the online music producer you worked with or the technician who mastered your song.
• Platforms: You’ll need to select which platforms you want your song to be uploaded to. Logically, you’d want it on all platforms allowed by the distributor, though you might consider exceptions like YouTube Music (and YouTube’s Content ID) if you prefer to manage your channel content independently of the aggregator.
• Title and Credits (metadata): You’ll need to specify the title of your song, the artist’s name, the lyric and music composers, the music producer, and some platforms may even allow you to include collaborating musicians and technicians. Of course, you’ll also specify the copyright owners and publishing rights (owners of the master or record label if you didn’t produce the music yourself).
• Others: Depending on the distributor, they may ask you for additional details such as whether your song has been previously uploaded, if it’s a cover, an alternative version (e.g., radio edit), if it’s in Dolby Atmos, etc.

Other aspects to consider

There are various considerations you should be aware of before sending your music to the distributor if you want your productions to be released when and how you want.

Loudness

First, before uploading your song, you’ll need to ensure that it has the proper volume. Although this isn’t directly required by the distributor, it is required by music platforms. This volume is measured in LUFS, a parameter that, simply put, measures the average volume of your song. If your song doesn’t meet the LUFS requirements, you risk having it amplified or attenuated, which can cause issues.

Spotify requires a volume of -14 LUFS. Don’t worry if your song is at -13; it’s just a general guideline you shouldn’t exceed too much. This way, platforms ensure that listeners’ ears won’t be blasted when switching from a song at -20 LUFS to one at -5. However, many artists and producers choose to upload their music louder, ignoring this supposed rule.

For this, we recommend collaborating with a mastering professional or, if you’re recording in a home studio on your own, using one of the many free plugins available to adjust your production’s loudness. We also recommend testing whether your song has the correct volume using the Loudness Penalty website, which shows whether your song’s volume is too high or low and how Spotify will adjust it if necessary.

How long does it take to upload a song to Spotify?

Another thing to know is that uploading songs through a distributor means that the process won’t be immediate. While it’s not a strict requirement, it’s recommended to submit your songs two weeks to a month in advance if you don’t want to risk your song not appearing on platforms by the release date. Not all platforms are equally fast. Spotify can have your song ready in just 5 days (the usual time it takes for the aggregator to send your song to Spotify), but Apple Music can take up to two weeks.

Many aggregators offer express delivery services for an additional fee. However, this can vary greatly, and it’s important to allow for a margin of time, especially if you want to know how to promote a song on Spotify by pitching your track to the platform’s editors for inclusion in editorial playlists. This is done through Spotify for Artists and requires two to three weeks, so don’t risk it. Be patient.

Spotify for Artists

Once your song is published on Spotify, you officially become a verified artist. This grants you access to some interesting features offered by the platform, one of which is Spotify for Artists. This tool provides various resources that we recommend you take advantage of.

The first of these is that you can submit your songs for review (pitch), with the possibility of being included in Spotify playlists. This can significantly boost your music.

Additionally, you’ll have access to statistics about your streams, such as which countries listen to your music, what genres, age groups, etc. You’ll also be able to upload the famous canvas (8-second looping video content) to each of your songs.

Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to claim and edit an artist profile on Spotify, explaining all these features and the best way to manage them.

With this information on how to upload a song to Spotify, you have more than enough to take your project to the next level. The world is waiting for your art. Go for it!

You might also be interested in: once your songs are uploaded, check out our tutorial on how to add lyrics to a song on Spotify.