How to Release Music on Spotify as a UK Independent Artist

You cannot upload to Spotify directly

Unlike SoundCloud or YouTube, Spotify does not accept direct uploads from artists. To get your music on Spotify, you need to go through a digital distributor — a company that has a content delivery agreement with Spotify and can deliver your release in the correct technical format. The distributor handles the delivery, stores your master audio, and passes your streaming royalties back to you. Choosing the right distributor is the most consequential decision in this process.

Choosing a distributor as a UK artist

The main options for UK independent artists are DistroKid, TuneCore, CD Baby, AWAL, and Amuse. There are also UK-specific services like Spinnup (operated by Universal) and Record Union. The key criteria for UK artists: does the distributor pay in GBP or USD, what are the currency conversion terms, do they offer PRS registration support, and what is their ISRC issuance process? Budget services that do not correctly issue and register ISRCs are a false economy — the royalties lost through poor metadata handling exceed any fee saving.

What you need before you submit

Before submitting a release to your distributor, you should have the following ready:

• Final mastered audio — WAV format, 44.1kHz/16-bit minimum, 24-bit preferred
• Artwork — 3000x3000px minimum, JPEG or PNG, no third-party logos or URLs
• Metadata — track title exactly as you want it to appear, all co-writer credits, composer and publisher information
• ISRC codes — if you are self-assigning; if the distributor assigns them, confirm the codes before release
• Release date — ideally four weeks out to allow time for editorial pitching and pre-save campaigns

Submitting your release

Once you have your distributor account set up, the submission process involves uploading your audio and artwork, entering your metadata in the distributor's portal, confirming your territory and release date settings, and selecting which platforms you want to distribute to. Most major distributors offer a standard global distribution package that includes Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, Tidal, Deezer, and 50–150 additional platforms. Confirm that all major platforms are included before submitting.

Timing and the editorial pitching window

Spotify recommends submitting new releases at least seven days before the release date to be eligible for editorial playlist consideration. In practice, two to four weeks is better — it gives Spotify's editorial team more time to review the pitch and, if they are interested, to plan placement. Releases submitted less than a week before release date are still processed and go live on time, but they are ineligible for the editorial pitching tool.

Claiming your Spotify for Artists profile

Once your release is live, you can claim your Spotify for Artists profile through artists.spotify.com. This gives you access to streaming analytics, the editorial pitching tool, the ability to customise your artist profile (image, bio, artist's pick), and access to Spotify's promotional tools. Claiming your profile is free and takes a few minutes — it is a necessary step for any artist serious about using the platform strategically.

The publishing side of a Spotify release

Distributing your music to Spotify handles your recording royalties — the income generated by your master recording being streamed. It does not automatically handle your publishing royalties — the income generated by the underlying composition being communicated publicly. A separate publishing registration with PRS for Music (and MCPS for mechanical royalties) is required to collect the composition income from your Spotify streams. Many independent artists only have the distribution side in place and miss the publishing royalties entirely.

If you are preparing a release and want to confirm that both your recording and publishing income will be correctly collected, our free Catalog Assessment will tell you whether your setup is complete.