Music Distribution for Independent Artists: A Complete Guide
- 31 oct 2026
- 18 visualizaciones
Getting a song onto Spotify, Apple Music, TikTok and hundreds of other platforms no longer needs a record label. Independent artists use a music distributor to deliver their releases, collect royalties and keep ownership of their work. This guide explains how that process works from the first upload to the first payout.
What a music distributor does
Streaming services do not accept uploads directly from most artists. A distributor sits between you and the stores. It checks your audio, artwork and metadata, packages the release in the format each platform expects, delivers it, and then collects the sales and streaming reports that come back. With SpaceMedia you manage all of that from one account and can deliver to 250+ platforms, including streaming stores, social platforms and regional services.
What independent distribution means for your rights
Independent distribution is not a record deal. You keep ownership of your recordings and compositions, and you decide when and where your music is released. The distributor works on your behalf to deliver the music and pass on the royalties the platforms report. Always read how a distributor handles royalties and fees before you sign up; SpaceMedia lists its plans and what each one includes on the pricing page.
What you need before you upload
- A finished master. A stereo WAV file is the safest choice. FLAC and other common formats are also accepted.
- Cover art. A square image without logos, URLs, social handles or store names. Read our cover art requirements guide before you design it.
- Accurate metadata. Artist name, track titles, featured artists, songwriter credits with first and last names, genre and language.
- Identifiers. Each track needs an ISRC and each release needs a UPC. If you do not have them, SpaceMedia can assign them for you. See ISRC and UPC codes explained.
- Rights to everything in the song. Licences for any beats, samples or cover songs you used.
How a release moves from upload to stores
- Create your account. Register for free and set up your artist profile.
- Build the release. Upload your audio and artwork, add credits and choose a release date.
- Quality review. SpaceMedia reviews every release for audio, artwork, metadata and rights issues. Review times depend on your plan.
- Delivery. Once approved, the release is sent to the platforms you selected. Each store then runs its own processing, so publication dates can vary by platform.
- Reporting and payouts. Platforms report streams and sales after the activity happens. Earnings appear in your account as reports arrive.
Choosing a release date
Give yourself time. Submitting several weeks ahead leaves room for review, store processing, playlist pitching and pre-save campaigns. If you submit very close to your preferred date, some platforms may publish later than planned. Our six-week release timeline shows how to use that time well.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Putting featured artists in the track title instead of the credits.
- Using a different spelling of your artist name from one release to the next, which can split your catalogue across several profiles.
- Uploading artwork with text like "Out now" or a streaming logo.
- Releasing songs that use samples or beats you have not licensed.
Start releasing
Distribution is the foundation of an independent career: once your releases are live and correctly credited, every stream, playlist add and fan follow builds on it. Create your free SpaceMedia account and get your next release ready for the platforms your listeners use.
- Compartir:
-
-
¿Cómo puedo publicar mi música?
-
01
Regístrate en SpaceMedia
Comienza tu camino en la publicación musical registrándote y creando una cuenta gratuita en SpaceMedia.
-
02
Elige el plan ideal
Elige entre varias opciones de membresía para encontrar la que mejor se alinee con tus necesidades de distribución musical.
-
03
Envía tu música para su distribución
Crea un nuevo lanzamiento y sube tus pistas para distribuirlas en diversas plataformas.
-
04
Revisión rápida
Nuestro equipo evalúa rápidamente tus pistas cargadas, asegurando que cumplan con nuestros estándares de calidad antes de la distribución.
-
05
Recibe tu pago
Una vez que tu música se distribuya y gane tracción, garantizamos una compensación oportuna por tu trabajo creativo.
SpaceMedia entrega música a una red amplia y cambiante de plataformas de streaming, descarga, redes sociales y plataformas de identificación de música. Esto puede incluir servicios principales como Spotify, Apple Music, iTunes, YouTube Music, Amazon Music, Deezer, TikTok, Facebook y Instagram, SoundCloud, Tidal, Pandora, Boomplay, Anghami, iHeart, JioSaavn, KKBOX, NetEase Cloud Music, Tencent, Qobuz y otros socios compatibles.
El canal exacto puede cambiar a medida que las plataformas actualicen territorios, reglas y requisitos de entrega. SpaceMedia te da acceso a canales de distribución compatibles, pero ningún distribuidor puede garantizar que todas las plataformas acepten cada lanzamiento en todos los países.
Most major streaming services do not let every artist upload music directly. A distributor like SpaceMedia delivers your audio, artwork, metadata, and rights information to supported platforms so your release can appear on services such as Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, Amazon Music, Deezer, TikTok, and others.
Create an account, choose the plan that fits your needs, upload the final release files, review the details, and submit. SpaceMedia reviews Free submissions within 5 business days, Premium submissions within 2 business days, and Label submissions within 1 to 2 business days. Store publishing happens afterwards.
Puedes monetizar música elegible en plataformas de video compatibles mediante Content ID cuando tu plan lo incluye. Content ID está incluido actualmente en Premium y Unlimited, y no está incluido en el plan Free.
Solo envía música que controles completamente para Content ID. Pistas con muestras no autorizadas, beats no exclusivos, bucles libres de regalías usados por muchos creadores, grabaciones de dominio público o derechos disputados pueden ser rechazados o pueden generar reclamaciones que deben resolverse.
Envía tu lanzamiento a través de SpaceMedia y elige la distribución hacia plataformas de música social cuando esté disponible. Lanzamientos elegibles pueden entregarse a plataformas como TikTok, Facebook, Instagram y otros servicios sociales de música compatibles.
Una vez entregado, cada plataforma decide cómo aparece la música, cuánto tiempo toma el procesamiento y qué funciones están disponibles en cada territorio. Usa metadatos precisos y audio limpio para reducir problemas de entrega evitables.
Independent music distribution lets artists release music to streaming, download, and social platforms without signing to a traditional record label. You stay in control of your music while using a distributor to deliver it to supported services.
With SpaceMedia, you can manage releases, artist details, earnings, and payout information from your account. All standard plans let users keep 100% of standard DSP royalties.
The Free plan lets artists release music without an upfront distribution fee and keep 100% of standard DSP royalties.
This gives new artists a way to start releasing music before paying for a yearly plan. Premium and Label add more primary-artist capacity and tools. All standard plans include 100% of standard DSP royalties.
Sí. En muchos casos puedes transferir lanzamientos existentes a SpaceMedia manteniéndolos activos, siempre que envíes los mismos metadatos, audio, arte, UPC y ISRC cuando esté disponible.
Mantén el lanzamiento antiguo activo hasta que la entrega de SpaceMedia esté disponible y coincida correctamente. Eliminar la versión antigua demasiado pronto puede interrumpir la disponibilidad o hacer que las tiendas traten la transferencia como un lanzamiento nuevo en lugar de asignarlo al existente.
Publicando una nueva vía
Escríbenos sin compromiso y descubre más sobre tus posibilidades