- Delivery
- Within 24 hours of approval; most releases are live on Spotify within a few days
- Codes
- ISRC and UPC included free
- Your share
- 100% of Spotify royalties on the Artist and Label plans
- Audio
- WAV, FLAC or AIFF · 16 or 24-bit · 44.1–192 kHz stereo
How music gets onto Spotify
Spotify closed its own upload tool for independent artists in 2019. Since then the only way onto the service is through a distributor or a label with a direct deal. The distributor sends Spotify the audio, the artwork and the metadata — titles, artists, songwriters, release date, territories — and Spotify pays the money the release earns back through the same route.
That makes the choice of distributor a practical one: it decides how quickly your release goes live, whether it lands on the right artist profile, how much of the royalties you keep, and how easily you get paid. On TempoDigital the answers are within 24 hours of approval, your existing profile, 100% on the Artist and Label plans, and a single USD wallet.
Releasing on Spotify, step by step
- Apply and set up your artistAccounts are opened by application — tell us about your music and we usually have you set up within one working day. If you already have a Spotify artist profile, add its link to your artist so new releases land on it rather than on a new, empty profile.
- Add the release detailsTitle, artists, genre, release date and territories. Credit featured artists as artists rather than writing "feat." into the title — Spotify's style guide asks for it, and the platform checks it for you.
- Upload artwork and audioSquare cover art of at least 2400 × 2400 px (3000 × 3000 is ideal) as JPEG or PNG, and lossless audio. Both are checked as you upload, so problems surface before delivery rather than in a rejection.
- Pick Spotify and the other storesChoose the stores you want — Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, TikTok and the rest — and submit. We deliver approved releases within 24 hours.
- Pitch it before release dayOnce Spotify has the release, it appears in Spotify for Artists as upcoming. Pitch one song to Spotify's editors from there.
Choosing a release date
Spotify usually shows a release within a few days of receiving it, but set your release date at least two to three weeks ahead. That leaves time for the release to reach Spotify, for you to claim it in Spotify for Artists and pitch it, and for every other store to have it on the same day.
Spotify asks for pitches at least seven days before release so the song can reach your followers' Release Radar; earlier gives its editors more time to listen. A release sent the day before it is due can still go out, but it skips that window.
Spotify for Artists: your profile and your pitch
Spotify for Artists is Spotify's free app for artists and their teams. With it you can:
- Claim your artist profile — possible as soon as you have a release live or on its way
- Pitch one unreleased song from each upcoming release to Spotify's editorial team
- Add a profile picture, bio, Artist Pick and Canvas (the short looping visual behind a track)
- See who listens: streams, saves, playlists, countries and cities
A pitch is not a guarantee of a playlist. What helps is complete information — genre, mood, instruments, the story of the song — and a release that is not a rush job.
How Spotify pays you
Spotify does not pay a fixed amount per stream. Each month it pays rights holders a share of its subscription and advertising revenue in each country, in proportion to their share of streams there. Your share then comes to you through your distributor.
Since 2024 a track needs at least 1,000 streams in the previous twelve months before Spotify pays recording royalties for it. Streams below that line still count for your audience — they just are not paid.
| Plan | Price | Your share of Spotify royalties |
|---|---|---|
| Release | $8.99 per release | 90% |
| Artist | $29.99 a year, unlimited releases | 100% |
| Label | $149 a year, up to 10 artists | 100% |
| Label Partner | No fee | 85% |
Stores report to distributors in arrears — for most of them about two months after the month the streams happened. When Spotify's report arrives, your earnings land in your TempoDigital wallet; above $70 you can withdraw by Payoneer, PayPal, Wise or bank transfer.
Mistakes that hold releases back
- Wrong artist profile. Two artists with the same name end up merged, or your release starts a new empty profile. Add your Spotify artist link before your first release.
- "feat." in the title. Credit featured artists as artists; Spotify edits or rejects titles that carry them.
- Titles in capitals or extra text. "OFFICIAL AUDIO", "free download" and similar are refused.
- Audio you do not control. Unlicensed samples, covers released as originals and beats sold to many people cause takedowns and claims.
- Bought streams. Spotify removes artificial streams and can charge a fee for tracks that attract them. No legitimate promotion sells streams.