While the distributor you use to upload your music to Spotify and handle your payments might be doing a good job for those basic functions, don’t think that that is all distributors do. The features and tools that your distributor offers can make a real difference when it comes to engaging more listeners and growing your fan base, both of which will increase your opportunities to make money with your music. One of Spotify’s recommended distributors, DistroKid, provides many of these features at no cost to their subscribers. Let’s take a closer look at some of DistroKid’s most important features for Spotify:
Hassle-free Startup on Spotify
DistroKid makes the process of getting your music on Spotify quick and straightforward. Just use the Simple Upload Form to upload your song; you just fill in the descriptions and details and select Spotify as a store. That’s it. From there, DistroKid handles all the rest, ensuring your song appears on Spotify without any hassle.
Another great feature is Unlimited Uploads. DistroKid knows that your distributor shouldn’t slow you down. That’s why Distrokid invites you to upload as many songs and albums as you want, helping you keep your Spotify profile updated with new music. Unlike other music distribution platforms, with DistroKid you don’t have to worry about additional fees per upload.
Get Recognized and Verified as a Spotify Artist
With DistroKid’s Instant Spotify for Artists Access, you essentially ‘skip the line’ and get immediate access to one of Spotify’s most powerful features, Spotify for Artists. Once there, you can manage your profile, access performance analytics, and gain important insights into your audience’s listening habits which can help you promote your music more effectively. More on that promotion in a minute, but along with Spotify for Artists access, DistroKid can help put you ahead of other artists by helping to get your profile verified.
Profile Verification Assistance from DistroKid provides step-by-step guidance on how to secure a verified artist profile on Spotify. This sets you apart from other users on Spotify, adds to your credibility, and ensures that your profile is officially recognized. But that’s not all. Once you’re verified, you get:
A personal dashboard of statistics that you can't get anywhere else
The ability to update your Spotify artist pic and bio
An open door to pitch your new releases to Spotify’s editorial team
Access to the Spotify team to answer any of your questions
A blue verified check mark so your listeners know your account is legit
Promote Your Music
Like success on social media, it’s all about engagement.DistroKid’s Canvas Generator provides a quick and effective way to get more engaged with your listeners. This free feature will help you design an eight-second looping “canvas”, a visual for each of your Spotify tracks, creating a visually immersive digital experience that immediately makes streaming music more engaging.
Even though we have been focused here on features for Spotify that are included with a DistroKid subscription, you need to know about Album Extras, too. These are simple, low-cost add-ins that can really make a difference. For example, the Store Maximizer feature is a quick way to dramatically increase your exposure. This DistroKid feature distributes your music past Spotify, out to other major streaming services and online stores. The best part is that it’s zero effort on your part. You can start with Spotify and, with the same effort, reach other major platforms and audiences. It’s automatic and continues working for you as new outlets become available.
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(Image credit: DistroKid)
Get Rewarded for Your Efforts
Remember the Real-Time Analytics we talked about through Spotify for Artists? Those analytics provide the information you need to succeed. With detailed streaming data and other details about your audience, you’ll have the insight you need to understand your songs’ performance on Spotify. This empowers you to tailor your marketing strategies effectively–like marketing pros do.
Another completely free (and awesomely powerful) promotional tool available to all DistroKid artists is HyperFollow Links. This allows you to have just one link that leads to your music on all streaming services–not just Spotify. Having customized HyperFollow landing pages for your song releases drives pre-saves and increases engagement with any new music you put on Spotify.
For when you work on your music with collaborators, DistroKid provides Royalties and Collaborator Splits: When Spotify Premium or ad-supported customers stream your music, Distrokid makes sure you receive royalties for it, handling the split to ensure fair compensation and simplify financial management. Speaking of royalties, you should know that DistroKid supports a large number of payout options, including PayPal, ACH, wire transfer, eCheck, or even a paper check!
We’ve discussed mostly free features you’ll have as a DistroKid basic subscriber, but there are some very affordable paid features you’ll want to explore. One of the most powerful is Mixea, an HD Audio AI-assisted mastering tool. Just about anyone can use this tool to master tracks for a truly professional sounding product. It can deliver mastered files in 24-bit, 48k, or high-res WAV format. When they are this affordable, powerful features like this can ‘level the playing field’ for beginning music producers or those on a limited budget, allowing them to compete online with high-priced studios.
You can learn more about DistroKid features specifically for Spotify, as well as how Distrokid can help you reach listeners on other platforms here.
(Image credit: Distrokid)
DistroKid is the Smart Choice
When you sign up at DistroKid, you won’t be alone. It’s used by major artists, like 21 Savage, Ludacris, Will Smith, and Tom Waits. Plus, with over three million artists using the service, it has become a major platform in the DIY distribution space. Why? Because for over 10 years DistroKid has been giving artists and labels the hassle-free features they need to compete:
Effortless Distribution with unlimited uploads to online stores and streaming services
Smart Promotion through a host of smart features to promote your releases, including video tools and automatic distribution to the most popular platforms
Better Monetization making it easy to collect 100% of your earnings and access to real-time analytics you need to take your music to the next level
DistroKid’s all-in-one, subscription-based model makes the process of getting your music on Spotify and across other top music distribution channels quick and easy, but one of its most attractive features is that it is affordable. With annual fees starting as little as $22.99 per year that include unlimited uploads, this is a distribution proposition that’s hard to beat. You can even pay a flat rate to have your music on platforms for life, even if your subscription lapses. Check out all DistroKid’s pricing and service options.
Don’t think that all distributors are alike. Get the most out of Spotify and other top streaming services when you sign up with DistroKid and start streamlining your music distribution process.
