Guides
Releasing music, explained
How distribution works, what the codes are for, how the money reaches you, and the mistakes that hold releases back — written by the team that delivers them.
Guides
- GuideHow to distribute your musicFrom finished master to every store: what you need, how long it takes and how you get paid.Read more
- GuideWhat is an ISRC code?The twelve characters that tie every stream and every royalty to your recording.Read more
- GuideWhat is a UPC code?The barcode that identifies your single, EP or album — and when you need a new one.Read more
- GuideSwitching distributors without losing streamsKeep your play counts, playlists and royalties when you move your catalogue.Read more
- GuideHow much does YouTube pay for music?Content ID, YouTube Music and your own channel: three ways a song earns, and what decides how much.Read more
- GuideMusic royalties explainedThe recording, the song and the money each one earns — and who collects it.Read more
- GuideHow to start a record labelName, legal setup, contracts, codes, distribution and statements — in the order you need them.Read more
- GuideGetting a YouTube Official Artist ChannelWhat YouTube asks for, who sends the request, and what changes once your channels are merged.Read more
- GuideHow much does Spotify pay per stream?Why there is no fixed rate, how streamshare works, and how much of it reaches you.Read more
- GuideHow to get on Spotify playlistsEditorial pitches, Release Radar, algorithmic and listener playlists — and what never to pay for.Read more
- GuideMusic release checklistWhat to do eight weeks, three weeks and one week before release day — and after it.Read more
- GuideWhat is music publishing administration?Who collects the money your songs earn, how administrators differ from publishers, and whether you need one.Read more
- GuideIs free music distribution worth it?How free distributors earn, and the simple sum that tells you when a fee costs less.Read more
- GuideMusic distributor vs record labelTwo different jobs: who owns the masters, who pays up front, and which one you need.Read more
- GuideYouTube Content ID for labelsCatalogue rules, ownership conflicts, allowlists for your artists, and moving from another provider.Read more
Comparisons
- ComparisonTempoDigital vs DistroKidPrices, Content ID, lapsed plans and who each one suits — with sources.Read more
- ComparisonTempoDigital vs TuneCoreYearly and per-release prices, YouTube and social fees, and who each one suits.Read more
- ComparisonTempoDigital vs CD BabyOne-off release fees, royalty shares, Content ID and who each one suits, with sources.Read more
- ComparisonTempoDigital vs Ditto MusicYearly prices, Content ID by plan, missed payments and who each one suits.Read more
- ComparisonTempoDigital vs AmuseYearly plans, Content ID fees, cancelling and who each one suits, with sources.Read more
- ComparisonTempoDigital vs RouteNoteFree or paid, per-release renewals, Content ID and who each one suits.Read more
- ComparisonTempoDigital vs UnitedMastersYearly plans, per-release Content ID fees, lapsed memberships and who each one suits.Read more
- ComparisonTempoDigital vs LANDRPrices, artist limits, Content ID, cancelling and who each one suits, with sources.Read more
Releasing on each store
How each of the main services works, how long a release takes, and how it pays.
- StoresEvery store we deliver toFrom Spotify and Apple Music to JioSaavn, Anghami and Tencent: what each store is and where it reaches.Read more
- StoreSpotifyHow to get your music on Spotify, pitch it to playlists and get paid for every stream.Read more
- StoreApple MusicHow to get your music on Apple Music and iTunes, meet Apple's credit rules and read your Shazam data.Read more
- StoreYouTube MusicHow your release becomes official audio on YouTube Music, and how Art Tracks, topic channels and Content ID fit together.Read more
- StoreTikTokHow your song becomes a TikTok sound, how uses are matched and paid, and the one rule that matters most.Read more
- StoreInstagram and FacebookHow your songs get into Meta's music library for Reels, Stories and posts, and how Rights Manager matches the uses.Read more
- StoreAmazon MusicHow to get your music on Amazon Music, Prime and Alexa, and what Amazon Music for Artists shows you.Read more
- StoreDeezerHow to get your music on Deezer, claim Deezer for Creators, and what its artist-centric payments and AI rules mean for you.Read more
- StoreTIDALHow to get your music on TIDAL, what to send for hi-res, and how TIDAL Artist Home and its AI policy work.Read more
- StoreSoundCloudHow distributing to SoundCloud differs from uploading there yourself, which profile your tracks land on, and how they earn.Read more
- StoreBeatportHow to get your tracks on Beatport, the genres it takes, its AI rules, and what Greenroom and Hype do.Read more
- StorePandoraHow to get your music on Pandora, onto its radio stations through the Music Genome Project, and how Pandora AMP works.Read more
- StoreAudiomackHow to get your music on Audiomack, claim your artist profile, and where its listeners are.Read more
- StoreAnghamiHow to get your music on Anghami, claim your artist page in Anghami for Creators, and pitch to its playlists.Read more
- StoreJioSaavnHow to get your music on JioSaavn, claim your profile in ArtistOne, and reach listeners in India and the diaspora.Read more
- StoreTencent MusicHow to release music in China on QQ Music, Kugou, Kuwo and WeSing, and what China's content and AI rules mean for you.Read more
- StoreNetEase Cloud MusicHow to get your music on NetEase Cloud Music, why independent artists do well there, and China's AI labelling rule.Read more
- For labelsDistribution for labelsPlans for record labels: artist logins, roster analytics, splits, Content ID and publishing in one account.Read more
- RegionBalkan artists and labelsDistribution, YouTube and publishing for the region and the diaspora, from a team in Sarajevo.Read more
Get your next release out with TempoDigital
Tell us about your music and we will have your account ready, usually within one working day.