In short, yes. You have to use a music distribution service, such as Distrokid, to do this, though. However, if you aim to sell beats online, I recommend looking elsewhere, such as BeatStars, or promoting on social media.
Releasing Beats On Spotify
So, you’ve finally finished a beat and are ready to get it out there.
How exciting!
Luckily, this is an easy process and doesn’t necessarily have to cost any money.
It’s essential to take your time to find the right place for your music to be released and be thorough in your research.
In this article, we will explore whether releasing your beats on Spotify is the right choice for you and how to do it.
Can You Upload Beats To Spotify?
Absolutely. Spotify is the largest music streaming platform in the world, more prominent than Amazon Music and Apple Music.
If you’re ready to release your beats, then it’s one of the places it should be.
Should You Put Your Beats On Spotify?
This depends on your intention for your beat. Is it a finished piece of music, or are you looking to sell your beat for someone to use, say a rapper?
If you’re releasing the beat as a finished piece of music, such as study beats, you should put it on Spotify. With this, you can pitch your beat to be included on a Spotify playlist and the release radar of anyone following you.
Getting on a Spotify playlist is an excellent way for an independent artist or a producer to earn an income via royalties. There are also playlist curators that sometimes have a link in their about section for playlist consideration.
On top of that, there are algorithmic playlists, such as your daily mix playlists.
Other streaming sites have a similar setup. However, if you are a beat maker that wants to sell beats online, then Spotify isn’t the right place for this.
I’d recommend doing your research, but BeatStars and promoting it on social media is a good place for this.
Can You Upload Music To Spotify Directly?
Unfortunately not. You must use a music distribution service to upload new music to Spotify. Different distributors have different benefits and prices, but the main ones are Distrokid, Ditto, Amuse, and CD Baby.
These will upload your music to pretty much any streaming service you can think of, including Spotify and Apple Music.
I use Distrokid myself. They allow me to keep all the exclusive rights to my music while collecting royalties for me and giving me access to them whenever I want.
Some music distribution services also have options to help with playlist submission.
The fantastic thing about music distribution platforms is that it helps us independent musicians get our music online to the digital streaming platform on which all the big artists are.
Now rappers, those involved in music production, artists, and whatever else you do in music have the opportunity for their music to be heard.
Gone are the days of requiring a record label to get your music out there.
Some distributors will even release your music for free or for a percentage of royalties. So there doesn’t have to be an upfront charge.
How To Upload Beats To Spotify
Take your time and look into the different options for a music distributor. Some things to consider are:
- Do you keep the exclusive rights? (I.e., a non-exclusive license)
- How is the pricing set up? Is it per release or year/month?
- What extra options do they offer?
- Are there options for releasing multiple artists (if that is something you need)?
Once you have found one that is right for you, it’s time to upload.
You will need your song’s music file, title, and artwork for your piece.
Depending on the music distributor you use, you will probably also need some extra information, like the genre and style.
On the main page of your account for your distributor, there will be an upload or release option.
From here, there will be some form that you have to fill out and also attach the necessary files too.
It will have each field clearly marked, but if you are struggling with your specific distributor, there will be tutorial videos for this.
As this will be your first release, you must set up your artist profile for the digital streaming platforms. Some distributors are more helpful with this than others. If your distributor doesn’t point you in the right direction, then not to worry.
Each streaming platform has an artists section for them to create and manage their artist profiles. For Spotify, this is called Spotify For Artists.
You can edit your profile and details here, just like you would for a social media account.
Related Questions
Can You Use BeatStars Beats On Spotify?
If you are leasing the beat, you can, for the most part, unless the beat maker specifies otherwise.
However, suppose you want to collect royalties and have no one else use that beat. In that case, I’d recommend buying the exclusive rights to the beat.
Do Artists Get Paid On Spotify?
Artists receive between $0.003 to $0.005 per stream. You can access this through your distribution service.
It isn’t a lot, let’s be honest. However, it does add up. Getting on playlists and growing your audience can lead to a lot of revenue for an artist.
How Can You Sell Your Beats To Artists?
There are two main options. One would be to use a beat-selling service, such as BeatStars. The other is to use social media to network with other artists who use beats and sell them directly.
If you build your social media following, you may even get artists reaching out to you for this.
How Do You Get Beats On Spotify?
You must use a distribution service, as you can’t submit to Spotify directly. These are relatively inexpensive and often come with their perks. By Googling music distributors, you will find a plethora of options.
How To Make The Most Out Of Your Spotify For Artists Account?
You can pitch one song at a time to Spotify to be considered for their editorial playlists. Landing your track in one of these will significantly help get those streams in.
You can also get a detailed look at your audience, and there are even tutorials and tips on the Spotify For Artists webpage with a tonne of helpful advice.
Looking for other ways to earn some cash? Check out our 13 steps on how to make money from music production.
Want to connect with other music producers for help and guidance?