u gotta pick something homie
this should be empty and invisible but its not so deal with it
OTHER this should be empty and invisible but its not so deal with it
You can make certain metadata edits by visiting your album page, and clicking “Edit Release”. We’ll walk you through everything you can edit from there.
Please be aware that metadata updates may take up to a week or so to take place in all stores.
You can change your artist name on a release by visiting your album page, and clicking "Edit Release". You can even edit your artist name on all of your releases from a single album edit request!
Please note, changing your artist name is a long and arduous process that can occasionally cause more issues than it solves. Obviously, we all understand artist expression and wanting to most accurately represent yourself and your artist project, but we also want to make sure that you have all the information you need to make the most informed decision possible before making a change to your existing projects that is difficult to reverse and can cause a lot of issues.
For more information and considerations regarding changing your artist name, check out this awesome page: https://distrokid.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/360058358813
You can edit your album or track titles at any time by visiting
your album page, and clicking "Edit Release". Once you submit
an edit request, it generally takes anywhere from a few days
to a week for your request to be processed by stores.
When submitting your work to stores via DistroKid, we do
our best to ensure that the metadata you enter is exactly
what is displayed in stores. That being said, each store
does have their own formatting rules regarding track and
album titles.
If the titles you have entered are listed incorrectly within
stores, even after submitting an edit request, please reach
out to us here.
If you need to update your Label name, or your Label name is displayed incorrectly, you can request to update your Label name from the “Edit Release” feature on your album page!
Just head to the album page of the release that you want to edit your Label name on, and click “Edit Release”, just below the artwork, to send an edit request directly to stores to update your Label name.
Stores typically list your discography from newest to oldest.
If you need to edit a release date to update the order of your discography, you can head to your album page, and click “Edit Release” to update the listed release date.
Please keep in mind, you can list a previous release date on any upload, but only Plus and Label subscriptions offer future release dates.
Unfortunately, certain other things such as audio files, track listing, genre, language, Album Extras, and ISRCs cannot be changed via metadata update. To change them, you will need to delete and re-upload a corrected version. Here's how to delete your release(s) from stores
If you need to edit the track order of your release, you’ll need to delete and re-upload your release, ensuring that the tracks are listed correctly on the upload form.Instructions on how to delete your album are here.
If you need to edit an ISRC used on your tracks,
you’ll need to delete and re-upload your release,
inputting the correct ISRC on the upload form.
Instructions on how to delete your album are here.
Note: Only Musician Plus and Label subscriptions
can utilize custom ISRC’s.
Our genre list is comprised of all genres currently accepted by all outlets we distribute to.
If you don't see the genre you want, don't worry!
Just select the genre that most closely describes
your music.
Please note, if you need to edit your genre,
you will need to delete and re-upload your release,
selecting the correct genre on the upload form.
You can request to remove your release from specific countries by filling out this form here: Remove DistroKid Release from Specific Countries
You can request to remove your release from specific stores by filling out this form here: Remove DistroKid Release from Specific Stores
To claim an original sound on TikTok please send the following:
- Link to Original Sound
- A link to your verified TikTok artist profile
Need help linking your releases to your Instagram profile?Submit a ticket below, and please include:
- Your Artist Name
- Your Instagram Handle
- The ISRCs for all tracks you want to link (just the ISRCs please!)
If you have a verified TikTok profile, submit a ticket below, and please include:
- A link to your verified TikTok artist profile
- The ISRC(s) of 1-2 songs you'd like to have linked to your profile.
Please include the UPC of the release you want to edit, and the titles of any tracks you'd like to change the price of.Note:
- All prices are in USD. Stores will convert to local currency on their end, per their style guides.
- It's not possible for an album's price to be more than the sum of the track prices. If it is, stores will default to the sum of the track prices.
You can choose from the following prices (required by stores):
TRACK PRICE
0.69
0.99
1.29
ALBUM PRICE
1.99
2.99
3.99
4.99
5.99
6.99
7.99
8.99
9.99
10.99
12.99
13.99
14.99
15.99
Credits are still in beta, and stores only display some of the information we submit at this time. For more information about credits, you can check out this article here.
Additionally you can visit www.distrokid.com/credits at any time to update, add, or resubmit songwriter, producer, performer credits and more.
Let us know here if you've submitted credits that have not gone live in Spotify, and we can take a look.
DistroKid sends your lyrics to:
- Apple Music
- MusixMatch
- Instagram/Facebook
- LyricFind
- Google Search Results
- and more!
As soon as you upload your lyrics and they are approved, they are immediately submitted to stores. Please note, however that it may take 2 weeks or so for lyrics to show up on Instagram and other stores once approved.
If it’s been more than 2 weeks, and your lyrics are still not appearing in stores that currently accept lyrics, please give us a shout, and we can help resubmit your lyrics to those stores!
Note: in order to submit to playlists, you'll need a Musician Plus or Label Plan. Upgrade here!
Spotify now offers playlist pitching for new releases in their system
at least one week before the release date, and this is the only way
to pitch to Spotify for playlist consideration.
Please make sure the release is uploaded to DistroKid at least two weeks prior to your release date.
Note: in order to submit to Spotify Editorial playlists, you'll need
a Musician Plus or Label Plan for the custom release dates feature.
You can upgrade here!
For other stores, releases must be uploaded to DistroKid at least four weeks prior to the release date to be considered.
Once your release is uploaded, please reach out to us with the following information:
- A short bio of one sentence that contains notables, previous playlists, and anything else you’d like stores to know. But keep it SHORT.
- If the release is an album or anything greater than two songs, please tell us which track you would like us to pitch. Only one per release.
Want to deliver your music to TouchTunes and PlayNetwork? We can help!
Submit a ticket below, and we will add these stores to your account.
Please note: the TouchTunes and PlayNetwork catalogs are hand-curated based on industry research and popularity as it relates to their particular needs. Therefore not all of the music they receive will be made available.
Because we don’t control the curation process, we're not able to provide much info with regard to what gets chosen, or how it will take to go live in TouchTunes.
To find out if you’ve been added, you can use the TouchTunes app https://www.touchtunes.com/experiences/mobile/ to search for your music on a jukebox. Note that the catalog may differ depending on your location.
For more info about TouchTunes and PlayNetwork check out this link: https://theoctavegroup.com/
Beatport only accepts electronic music.
If you’re an electronic musician, let us know if you want to be part of our Beatport beta, and we can enable Beatport as a store on your account!
Napster is currently curated, and submissions may be delayed. Contact us below for more information if you’d like to distribute your work to Napster.
It can take up to a week for albums to be reviewed, approved, and sent to stores, and then an additional 2-5 days for stores to process your release and push it live on their end.
If it's been less than 7 days since you have uploaded, there's a good chance your release is still in the process of being delivered and inserted by stores.
Delays are rare, but they do happen, and are often out of our control. I recommend checking out our FAQs in regard to release dates: https://distrokid.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/360013534454 - Particularly the “Note” section.
For more information about the time it takes for releases to go live
to stores, check out the FAQ article here. We
also recommend double checking our FAQs in regard to release dates.
If you have uploaded your work, and it is still not live and listed in
stores after 10 days, please reach out to us here.
Spotify may remove a release if they detect artificial streaming activity.
This type of streaming activity is most commonly caused by disingenuous marketing
companies that guarantee streams or playlist placements. Those services use
bots (fake streams) that can result in Spotify removing your music. Check out this article we just published for
more information on this.
If you believe Spotify removed your music in error, please fill out this form.
DistroKid works hard for artists and will submit a counter-notification to
Spotify on your behalf.
Stores ultimately decide what is available within their platform(s).
There are several reasons why a store may choose to remove work from their
platform, including, but not limited to:
Copyright Infringement
Inappropriate Content
Incorrect Formatting
Please note, that if a store removes your release on their end, per their
discretion, there is very little DistroKid can do, to have your work re-delivered
to that store.
Some videos may be muted due to product restrictions.
In general, Facebook/Instagram videos that mimic an audio-only listening
experience are not permitted. Examples include still image videos,
or live streams with large amounts of matched audio.
If you would like to allowlist any videos from this restriction,
please submit a ticket with the following info:
- Links to Instagram/Facebook profiles you’d like to allowlist
- The ISRC’s of each track you’d like to have added to the allowlist
DistroKid sends your lyrics to:
- Apple Music
- MusixMatch
- Instagram/Facebook
- LyricFind
- Google Search Results
- and more!
As soon as you upload your lyrics and they are approved, they are immediately submitted to stores. Please note, however that it may take 2 weeks or so for lyrics to show up on Instagram and other stores once approved.
If it’s been more than 2 weeks, and your lyrics are still not appearing in stores that currently accept lyrics, please give us a shout, and we can help resubmit your lyrics to those stores!
Credits are still in beta, and stores only display some of the information we submit at this time. For more information about credits, you can check out this article here.
Additionally you can visit www.distrokid.com/credits at any time to update, add, or resubmit songwriter, producer, performer credits and more.
Let us know here if you've submitted credits that have not gone live in Spotify, and we can take a look.
We know it can be jarring to see your work on an artist page with completed
unrelated content! Thankfully, this is a very easy fix!
Please visit https://distrokid.com/fixer to
submit a mapping request, and we'll reach out to stores to get things
fixed up! You can use this tool to submit mapping requests for any artist
on your release, including collaborators and featured artists!
Please keep in mind, if any releases were uploaded via a different DistroKid account, the uploader must log in to their account and submit the request at distrokid.com/fixer. For any releases that DistroKid didn't distribute, please reach out to the company that distributed them to submit requests.
Note: some stores may not be able to honor all requests.
Is someone else’s music is on your page? We can help!
Please visit https://distrokid.com/fixer to
submit a mapping request, and we'll reach out to stores to get things
fixed up! You can use this tool to submit mapping requests for any artist
on your release, including collaborators and featured artists!
Please keep in mind, if any releases were uploaded via a different DistroKid account, the uploader must log in to their account and submit the request at distrokid.com/fixer. For any releases that DistroKid didn't distribute, please reach out to the company that distributed them to submit requests.
Note: some stores may not be able to honor all requests.
If your release is displaying incorrectly in stores, please let us know here.
Keep in mind that a lot of things are not in our control. Such as the formatting of featured artists, store searches, and more.
If the remixer isn't being tagged as an artist, let us know here,
and we can submit an update to stores.
Tip: For your next release with a Remixer,
please list the original artist as the primary artist, and format
title as “Song Title (feat. Artist 2) [Artist 2 Remix]”, where Artist
2 is the remixing artist.
The featuring role will be removed, but listing it that way lets
us know to tag the Remixer as an artist, and not just descriptive
information.
Please note that releases generally take up to 1 week to be removed from stores.
If your release is still showing up after a week, let us know by submitting a ticket below.
Please include links to the content in stores.
If DistroKid did not distribute the content, please reach out to the distributor or stores directly.
Please see https://distrokid.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/360036924633 for
information about creating your own Official Artist Channel on YouTube.
If you would like to report an issue with your Official Artist Channel,
please submit a ticket below with as much of the following information
as is applicable:
- Link to correct YouTube channel for OAC:
- Incorrect YouTube channel for OAC:
- Links to any incorrect releases on the OAC:
- Links to releases that need to be linked to the OAC:
If you see an error that says "Streaming services rejected this audio because it's already been uploaded, but with a different song title or artist name," it means that you previously uploaded your song(s) with a different artist name or title. Stores do not allow music to be re-uploaded with conflicting metadata, even if a previous version was uploaded and then deleted to be re-uploaded with changes.
Feel free to reach out here and we can help provide clarification on what needs to be done in order for this release to be eligible for all stores.
Please note, once an ISRC is used on an account, it is permanently locked to that account.
In order to upload the track under a new account, you'll need to use a new ISRC. Please choose a different one, or leave the ISRC field blank and one will be generated for you.
If you want to use the same ISRC, you'll need to upload the track under the original account. Otherwise, our system won't be able to allocate royalties to the appropriate user.
We know it’s no fun when you upload your work, only to see that result in an error during processing. Typically, these errors occur due to an incorrect file format being used, or a timeout/connectivity issue occurring during the upload process.
Before reaching out to us, please review and try the following:
- Reset your connection! Any timeout during the uploading process can result in a processing error.
- Clear your cache and cookies, and then try restarting your browser.
- Ensure that you are using the correct file type, and that the file size does not exceed 250mb.
Audio files should be WAV, MP3, AIFF, CDDA, M4A, Windows Media (WMA),
or FLAC. If you're sending a WAV, we accept up to 24-bit, 96 kHz, or
less. 16-bit, 44.1 kHz WAV is typical but pretty much anything works.
Best practice: Submit a high-res copy of your songs to us, and let stores
convert them to their liking.
Artwork should be a .jpg image, that is ideally 3000x3000 pixels, in
the RGB format.
If you follow the steps above, and are still receiving an error, please
reach out to us, providing screenshots of the error you are seeing.
Depending on upload volume, it can take up to a few days or so for albums
to be reviewed, approved, and sent to stores. Once approved, it can take
up to several days for stores to insert the release on their end.
During this time, your release will show the “processing” status.
For more information about the time it takes for releases to go live
to stores once approved, please check out the FAQ article https://distrokid.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/360013649293 here.
Delays are rare, but they do happen, and are often out of our control. We recommend checking out our FAQ regarding release dates - Particularly the “Note” section.
If your release is still processing after 5-7 days, please reach out to us, and we can check the status of your release!
You can use our super slick and secret tool to lock your capitalization
in the way you like it!
Hover over 'band', click it, and the tool will be revealed. You'll
toggle the box, which will lock capitalization in the way that
you type it for any fields on that release (artist name, album/track
titles, etc.).
Click here to see where this secret tool lives.
In order for us to be able to submit your work to stores, we need to ensure that your work follows all rules and guidelines for each store.
If your release is rejected, we’ll be sure to send you an email, informing you of why it was rejected by stores, as well as how to fix the issue.
Be sure to check your junk/spam filters. The codes are sent from mailbot@distrokid.com. Please note, only the latest code will work, and all previous codes that have been emailed are automatically invalidated when another is requested. If you have requested a new code be sent, please wait a bit to make sure you're using the most recent code.
Most users solve the problem by logging out entirely, clearing cache/cookies, restarting the browser, and trying again. You can also expedite that process by using the Incognito Mode feature in Google's Chrome browser.
Please also check with your email provider to ensure that all emails from Distrokid.com are whitelisted.
Please provide the last 4 digits of the credit card that
we have on file, as well as the expiration date for that
card, we will be happy to see if we can locate your account.
If you're unable to provide this information, then unfortunately
there is nothing we can do to help.
If applicable, please also include the name of an artist/album
on your account, and the email you would like to use
on your account moving forward.
To update your email address, password, or contact information sign into your DistroKid account and click "More" > Account Settings > Account.
To update your DistroKid account info, click "More" > Account Settings > Account
From there, you can change your email, contact information, reset your password, as well as change your payout method, and update the card you use to pay for your subscription. You can also view any cover licenses you’ve opted into, as well as receipts from previous transactions.
Click here to select
or change your payout method.
Before requesting more payout options, please review the fees associated
with each payment method. Thanks!
You can upgrade your subscription at any time! To do so, simply visit https://distrokid.com/plan.
At this time, the only way to downgrade is to delete your albums,
cancel your account, and create a new account with a lower plan and
a new email address.
To cancel your DistroKid account, please visit
https://distrokid.com/leave.
Once that’s complete, shoot us an email, and we can refund the time
remaining in your subscription fee.
Keep in mind that once your account is canceled, if you have any
albums in stores, they will be removed.
Also note that if you choose to do this, and sign up for the Musician plan, you will lose the ability to choose a label name, specify release dates, and other great features.
Free, unlimited backups of your music files and metadata are contained within your DistroKid Vault. To access your vault, simply click on the “More” menu in the top right, and then click on “Vault”.
If you are experiencing any issues accessing your vault, contact us here. Please provide a detailed description of the problem you are experiencing, including screenshots if possible!
When a stolen/disputed credit card is used on DistroKid, the DistroKid account becomes limited. This is for the safety of cardholders (like you!) so that the offender can't continue to use the stolen card. This also blocks the offender from being able to use other stolen cards they may have in their possession.
If you're the legitimate cardholder and want your account reinstated,
simply call the number on the back of your credit card and have them
withdraw all DistroKid disputes.
Once the dispute has been removed by your bank, please attach documentation
from your bank stating that the dispute has been withdrawn, and we
can follow up with our card processor to unlock your account.
While your stats are up to constantly up to date (generally within
24 hours!), earnings reports are often 30-60 days behind, and are
typically reported every 30-45 days. Stores determine when they send
out reports on their end.
Additionally, there are several services that only report 1-2x per
year, about 6 months behind. So, while your stats are up to date,
it’s important to keep in mind that the dates that your earnings
reflect are from several months prior.
Receiving your earnings reports a few months behind is normal, and
nothing to be concerned about! We collect earnings for sales/streams
in the stores we distribute to and pass 100% of those earnings along
to you as soon as we receive reports from stores, minus banking fees/applicable
taxes.
To see detailed information about your streams and sales once stores have reported your earnings, visit Bank, then click See Excruciating Detail.
Many artists notice their stats and royalty reports don’t match.
This is nothing to be concerned about and is normal, for a few reasons
we’ll list below!
First off, stats and royalties are two entirely separate reports.
Your stats are generated from what is called a “Trend Report”, and
is available to give you an idea of how your work is doing. Trend
reports include stats from a multitude of sources, including users
who don’t use subscriptions on streaming services, as well as streams
from trial or promotional accounts.
Secondly, while your stats are up to date (generally within 24 hours!),
royalty reports are often 30-60 days behind. Additionally, there
are several services that only report 1-2x per year, about 6 months
behind. So, while your stats are up to date, it’s important to keep
in mind that the dates that your earnings reflect are from several
months prior.
Finally, not all streams generate earnings, and depending on the
country of origin that a stream occurs in, the rate a store pays
out may differ from region to region. Stores set rates on their end,
and that’s not something that DistroKid (or any distributor) has
any control over.
Note: If you engage in marketing or playlisting services that
use artificial streams to pad your numbers, stores may withhold your
earnings for streams they deem fraudulent, in addition to removing
your work from their platform.
You can read more about the proliferation of disingenuous marketing
and playlisting services here.
DistroKid’s referral program is available to all account holders,
regardless of what tier you’re currently subscribed to.
To access your referral code, click on the “More” menu in the top
right, and then click on “Referral Program”. Anyone who clicks it
will get 7% off, and you'll make $10 for every signup!
Note: Referral earnings may not appear on your account until
3 months after the person using your referral link signs up for a
paid DistroKid account. This protects us from cancellations, fake
referrals, trial accounts, etc.
Click here to select or change your payout method.
Before requesting more payout options, please review the fees associated with each payment method. Thanks!
Payments are made every couple weeks, so when you receive it depends on how long before the next payment your request was submitted. You'll should see payment in your account within 1-14 days of requesting the withdrawal. Thanks so much for your patience!
If you're not seeing payment after 14 days, please check with PayPal or your bank to ensure that there is nothing wrong with your account that may have prevented the payment from arriving.
If the issue persists, please submit a ticket below that includes the date that you requested your withdrawal, as well as which payout method you used.
Please include a valid PayPal address in the description below. Note that we are only able to re-issue payment via PayPal at this time.
Payments are made every couple weeks, so when you receive it depends on how long before the next payment your request was submitted. Typically, withdrawal requests take 1-14 business days to process.
Please note, depending on the payout method you’ve selected, and your geographic location, some withdrawals may take longer than others.
If you haven’t received your payment after 14 business days, please reach out to us here, providing the withdrawal date, and the method of withdrawal you’ve selected.
Currently, DistroKid requires payment using Visa, MasterCard, or American Express credit/debit cards
Unfortunately, if your card isn’t working, there’s very little we can do to assist. That’s because our card processor is telling us that your bank is declining the transactions on their end.
In fact, your credit card info never touches our servers or our database -- it’s sent directly from your browser to our credit card processor -- so there’s nothing we can change on our end to fix it.
Please try another card, or check with your bank to make sure your card allows for recurring payments, and all charges from DistroKid.com.
Also, please note that our card processor occasionally runs a temporary $1 hold (not a charge) to make sure the card on file is valid. If a hold fails, you'll need to visit www.distrokid.com/card to update your payment information, or follow up with your bank for more information.
Before we can issue a refund, you'll need to make sure you've already canceled your account, or deleted any releases with the Album Extras you need refunded.
Before canceling, please let us know if there's anything we can do to help!
Before submitting a ticket, please double check your receipts, which reflect both your membership subscription, as well as all of the features you've opted into on your releases.
You can find detailed information about all charges clicking on the “More” menu (Upper Right) > “Account Settings” > Receipts. Please double check these before contacting us.
For more information about DistroKid's optional Album Extras, please check out the FAQ article here.
When a stolen/disputed credit card is used on DistroKid, the DistroKid account becomes limited. This is for the safety of cardholders (like you!) so that the offender can't continue to use the stolen card. This also blocks the offender from being able to use other stolen cards they may have in their possession.
If you're the legitimate cardholder and want your account reinstated, simply call the number on the back of your credit card and have them withdraw all DistroKid disputes.
Once the dispute has been removed by your bank, please attach documentation from your bank stating that the dispute has been withdrawn, and we can follow up with our card processor to unlock your account.
All receipts for DistroKid purchases can be found by visiting https://distrokid.com/receipts. If you have made a purchase that is not showing up in your DistroKid receipts section, please let us know the date and amount of your purchase as well as the product you were purchasing.
Before we can issue a refund, you'll need to make sure you've already canceled or upgraded your account.
Before we can issue a refund, you'll need to make sure you've already deleted any releases with the Album Extras you need refunded.
If you need a refund for a Vizy purchase, please reach out here with the DistroKid link to your Vizy video. If your Vizy has not yet processed, please include the date of the purchase as well as the amount. Looking forward to hearing from you!
Your tax forms have been sent to the email address associated with your DistroKid account as of January 2020. If you do not have access to this email, please contact us below.
DistroKid is working with the company Tax1099.com to send your forms that report DistroKid withdrawals for the year. Please look for them on the schedule below:
U.S. Artists: Form 1099-MISC were distributed on February 1st, 2021. If you withdrew less than $10 in 2020, you will not receive a form.
Non-U.S. Artists: Form 1042-S will be distributed on March 15th, 2021
Make sure to check your spam folder if you can't find the emails from Tax1099.com.If information is incorrect on your tax form, please update the information on your account. Let us know when you have updated information at https://distrokid.com/account and https://distrokid.com/tax.
DistroKid can't provide any information about taxes, or anything related to taxes, tax forms, tax withholding, etc. We know that this stuff can be confusing, so if you do have any questions about anything tax-related, please contact a tax professional who will be able to provide advice and explanations to help you out.
If information is incorrect on your tax form, please update your information on your account. Let us know when you have updated information at https://distrokid.com/account and https://distrokid.com/tax.
If you’re managing multiple DistroKid accounts, please make sure to update each account to have accurate, consistent, and up-to-date information. You can update this information by visiting https://distrokid.com/tax.
Once this information is updated, reach out to us, and will re-issue your tax forms.
Note: DistroKid can't provide any information about taxes, or anything related to taxes, tax forms, tax withholding, etc. We know that this stuff can be confusing, so if you do have any questions about anything tax-related, please contact a tax professional who will be able to provide advice and explanations to help you out.
Your email includes instructions on what your unique password is to unlock your 1099. For most people, your password will be the first 4 letters of your name/business and the last 4 digits of your Tax Identifying Number (SSN for individual US Citizens) making an 8 character long password.
For a more detailed explanation on how to retrieve your tax form password, please read this article.
Note: DistroKid can't provide any information about taxes, or anything related to taxes, tax forms, tax withholding, etc. We know that this stuff can be confusing, so if you do have any questions about anything tax-related, please contact a tax professional who will be able to provide advice and explanations to help you out.
Your email includes instructions on what your unique password is to unlock your 1099. For most people, your password will be the first 4 letters of your name/business and the last 4 digits of your Tax Identifying Number (SSN for individual US Citizens) making an 8 character long password.
For a more detailed explanation on how to retrieve your tax form password, please read this article.
If you’re managing multiple DistroKid accounts, please make sure to update each account to have accurate, consistent, and up-to-date information. You can update this information by visiting https://distrokid.com/tax.
To get instantly verified on Spotify:
-
Sign into DistroKid
-
Click "More"
-
Click "Streaming Service Goodies"
-
Click "Spotify for Artists" and follow the instructions.
If you need to get verified before your first release goes live, you can look up your Spotify Artist URI here, so you can verify directly with Spotify the old fashioned way.
Spotify offers playlist pitching via your verified Spotify for Artists account for releases in their system at least one week before the release date. Please make sure the release is uploaded to DistroKid at least two weeks prior to your release date (Musician Plus/Label plan required).
For more info, please see Spotify's FAQ article here.
Once you have at least one live release on your Apple Artist Page, you can register for Apple Music for Artists and claim your page at https://distrokid.com/am4a.
To set up Instant Gratification for your release, follow the steps below.
-
Upload your album to DistroKid
-
Set a release date in the future (at least 4 weeks is highly recommended), and enable pre-order (how-to)
-
After your album is uploaded and live in iTunes, fill out this form.
For more information on Instant Gratification, check out this article.
Please note, if you submit an edit request after you submit your request to set up Instant Gratification, your Instant Gratification request will be undone and you will need to resubmit your Instant Gratification request.
If you already have your music mastered for iTunes via an approved mastering house, we can enable your account to upload MFiT audio.
Note: we cannot assist with mastering your files at this time.
Please reach out below so we can opt you into the Beatport beta!
Need help linking your releases to your Instagram profile?
Submit a ticket below, and please include:
- Your Artist Name
- Your Instagram Handle
- The ISRCs for all tracks you want to link (just the ISRCs please!)
Synced lyrics are only available to:
- Artists with Musician Plus or Label accounts.
- Songs with approved plain lyrics. So if you just uploaded some plain lyrics, just hang on while we review your lyrics. It should only take a day or so for lyrics to be reviewed.
The first step is to upload plain text lyrics at https://www.distrokid.com/lyrics. Once approved, you can then sync your lyrics to your songs.
To claim an original sound on TikTok please send the following:
- Link to Original Sound
- ISRC for Release
Claim YouTube Official Artist Channel
To claim your YouTube Official Artist Channel:
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Make sure you already have a channel dedicated to your content as an
artist on YouTube, and that this channel has artist content uploaded
to it. If not, please create one, and name it after your artist name.
*Note that you can apply for a blank,new channel to be designated as an Official Artist Channel, but if there is no existing, independent content on that channel, the request may take longer to process. - Make sure your artist has at least one release that has selected "Google Play/YouTube" as a store within DistroKid.
- Go to the YouTube Official Artist Channel section of your DistroKid account (Click the "More" menu > "Streaming Service Goodies")
- Select the artist you want to associate with your YouTube channel.
- Authenticate into your YouTube account
- Claim your channel
- Done!
If you’d like to report an issue with your YouTube OAC, please contact us with the following (if applicable):
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Link to correct YouTube channel for OAC
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Incorrect YouTube channel for OAC
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Links to any incorrect releases on the OAC
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Links to releases that need to be linked to the OAC
Once a claim is placed on a YouTube video, you can whitelist it to relinquish any claim to ad revenue: https://distrokid.com/YouTubeWhitelist/
Note that this cannot be done in advance, and it cannot be undone.
If you accidentally whitelisted a video a video in advance of a claim being placed, or would like to remove a whitelist claim, let us know below. Please make sure to include the ISRC of the track and a link to any relevant videos.
To claim your artist name on Amazon, head over to https://artists.amazon.com/select.
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Click “Get Started”
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Log into your Amazon account.
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Click on the “Claim an Artist” button in the upper right or upper left corners, and search your artist name.
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Select “Connect Via Distributor”, and link to your DistroKid account.
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Done!
If you have a Twitch channel, you can link that channel to your music. That way, Twitch will link to your Twitch channel (and your Spotify page) whenever your music is streamed on Soundtrack by Twitch. To do this, visit: http://distrokid.com/twitch-connect.
If you have content that is being distributed to Pandora but is not yet live, please sign into your Pandora account and complete the simple three-step form at amp.pandora.com/submit. While your content may be delivered to Pandora by DistroKid, Pandora is still a curated collection. Submitting your content will prioritize it for review by Pandora.
To request a profile update in Deezer, please fill out the form below!
Deezer Profile Update Form
Please note, DistroKid doesn't have any control on whether or not these stores will accept your profile information, so please make sure you pay special care to the individual stores specifications.
Update profile in TIDAL
To request a profile update in TIDAL, please fill out the form below!
TIDAL Profile Update Form
Please note, DistroKid doesn't have any control on whether or not these stores will accept your profile information, so please make sure you pay special care to the individual stores specifications.
Update profile in Napster
To request a profile update in Napster, please fill out the form below!
Napster Profile Update Form
Please note, DistroKid doesn't have any control on whether or not these stores will accept your profile information, so please make sure you pay special care to the individual stores specifications.
If you're interested in adding your music to TouchTunes, please let us know below. Opting in will also automatically send your music to PlayNetwork.
While we can submit your music to TouchTunes and PlayNetwork, their catalog is hand-curated based on industry research and popularity as it relates to their particular needs. Therefore not all of the music they receive will be made available.
Because we don’t control the curation process, we're not able to provide much info with regard to what gets chosen, or how long it will take to go live in TouchTunes and/or PlayNetwork.
Every so often, a store's API might stop sending stats. These issues are usually resolved on their own within 24 hours or so.
Keep in mind that the estimated stats come from a completely different system than royalty reports, and any fluctuations will have absolutely no effect on your actual earnings from sales/streams.
If you cannot access your stats temporarily on DistroKid, stores do offer Apps
where you can track stats within their platform as well.
Apple provides stats via Apple Music for Artists. You can sign up for Apple Music
for Artists through Apple directly:
https://artists.apple.com. When asked
for contact info, you can use your own.
You can also see Spotify stats with a Spotify for Artists account. You can get a verified Spotify for Artist page via DistroKid at https://www.distrokid.com/spotify. For other stores, you can see detailed stats once sales reports arrive from each store.
Pandora offers a similar service which you can sign up for via https://amp.pandora.com/
Many artists notice their stats and royalty reports don’t match. This is nothing to be concerned about and is normal, for a few reasons we’ll list below!
First off, stats and royalties are two entirely separate reports. Your stats are generated from what is called a “Trend Report”, and is available to give you an idea of how your work is doing. Trend reports include stats from a multitude of sources, including users who don’t use subscriptions on streaming services, as well as streams from trial or promotional accounts.
Secondly, while your stats are up to date (generally within 24 hours!), royalty reports are often 30-60 days behind. Additionally, there are several services that only report 1-2x per year, about 6 months behind. So, while your stats are up to date, it’s important to keep in mind that the dates that your earnings reflect are from several months prior.
Finally, not all streams generate earnings, and depending on the country of origin that a stream occurs in, the rate a store pays out may differ from region to region. Stores set rates on their end, and that’s not something that DistroKid (or any distributor) has any control over.
Note: If you engage in marketing or playlisting services that use artificial streams to pad your numbers, stores may withhold your earnings for streams they deem fraudulent, in addition to removing your work from their platform.
You can read more about the proliferation of disingenuous marketing and playlisting services here.
You can visit your HyperFollow page and click MENU in the top right to make a few handy edits!
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Rearrange order of links
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Add links to other stores that we haven't added (even ones we don't distribute to!)
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Turn audio previews on/off
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Embed a YouTube video
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Add some "Holiday cheer" (check it out, it's fun)
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Change the "Talk to me" button text
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Turn Spotify pre-save on/off
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Hide or delete any of your HyperFollow pages
You can also hide/remove your HyperFollow page from the Menu, if you'd like.
Please allow 24-48 hours after your release date for HyperFollow pages to replace pre-save / pre-order links with direct links. You can also disable the pre-save option by clicking Menu > Edit this page in the top right corner of your HyperFollow page.
Thanks for your patience!
HyperFollow messaging, a.k.a. "Talk to Me", is brand new -- and very exciting!
We've received lots of great feedback, and are working to incorporate it. Thanks for your patience as we continue to make HyperFollow great.
Please note that it's not currently possible to disable this feature, you can customize the button text with some pre-set options by clicking Menu > Edit this page. We'll let you know when we have more updates!
Email addresses are only collected on your HyperFollow page if someone pre-saves the release prior to the releases live date.
Once the release is live, the pre-save function is converted to a standard landing page, and email addresses are not collected.
We’re constantly adding new features to HyperFollow. If you are having any problems utilizing HyperFollow or it’s various features, please let us know! If possible, please provide screenshots of the issue you are having.
Please note: In order to use Teams and have us take care of payment splits, you'll need a paid DistroKid account. Please make sure you're accepting the invite from an active account.
If you're having trouble accepting the invite from an active account, first have the uploader remove and re-add you to the Team. To remove someone from a Team, go to 'Show Team History' on the release page, and then click 'Show Options' --> 'Remove' next to the email you want to delete.
To remove someone from a Team, go to 'Show Team History' on the release page, and then click 'Show Options' --> 'Remove' next to the email you want to delete. Once they're removed, you'll see the earnings in your Bank within the next few days.
If you are experiencing any issues with earnings allocations on your existing Teams, please reach out to us here, providing screenshots if able.
Everything you upload is backed up via our Vault, which you can access any time while your subscription is active.
To access your DistroKid Vault:
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Sign into DistroKid
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Click More (located on the top right menu bar)
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Click "Vault"