If you need to find your artist page in a service, it's generally possible to search for your releases or artist page without having to set up a paid account in those services. Each service may be a little different, but you can typically search for your artist name, navigate to your artist page or release, and then copy the URL.
Below are some helpful links you can use to find your releases or artist pages:
To update your artist bio or photo in most streaming services, you will need to claim your artist page in that service.
Spotify
Updating your artist pic and bio in Spotify is done through Spotify for Artists. See this article for information on claiming your artist profile in Spotify.
iTunes/Apple Music
You can edit your artist image through Apple Music for Artists. If you're not already registered, sign up for Apple Music for Artists through Apple directly: https://artists.apple.com. When asked for contact info, you can use your own.
YouTube Music
To manage your profile on YouTube Music, you must first create an Official Artist Channel. See this article for more information on claiming your Official Artist Channel through DistroKid.
Amazon
To update your profile on Amazon, you'll need claim your artist profile on Amazon Music for Artists. See this article for more information on claiming your artist profile in Amazon.
Tidal
You can update your Tidal page by claiming your artist profile. To claim your Tidal artist profile, visit https://distrokid.com/tidalartist and follow the instructions there!
Pandora
Pandora offers a service for managing artist pages on their end called AMP. To sign up, visit https://amp.pandora.com/
To ensure that you have your profile and music credits on Jaxsta.com, the only official music credits Database, you can watch Jaxsta's video on how to claim and verify your profile here.
Other Services
To find out how to update your artist bio or photo in other services, you may need to reach out to them individually or check their help centers.
There's also a company called AllMusic Guide that manages a database of music releases. They provide bio and review information to services including iTunes, Spotify, and other outlets.
If your music is mixed up with another artist's music in a service, you can use DistroKid's Fixer tool to help get things sorted. Streaming services sometimes group artists together who have the same or similar names, so the Fixer is there to help if something isn't correct on their end.
To find the Fixer tool, click to open the Goodies menu in the upper-right, then click "Helpful When Needed," and select "Fixer." Alternatively, you can head straight to https://distrokid.com/fixer.
Once there, you can let us know if your music is on the incorrect page, or if another artist's music is on your page. Then, enter the required information and submit the request. You will need to submit a separate request for each service that requires correction.
Please note that some services prefer to handle these types of requests directly instead of through a distributor. If they do, the Fixer will direct you to those platforms.
How to Use the Fixer
Determine if Your Music is On the Wrong Page
Before submitting a Fixer request, it's essential to verify if the artist page was made for your music or another artist's music. Selecting the wrong option may delay the fix or lead to rejection of your request.
To check if your music is on the wrong page or if someone else's music is on yours, go to the artist page where your music is listed. Ensure that the oldest release is one of yours. If it is, select "Someone else's music is incorrectly on my page" in the Fixer. If it isn't, choose "My music is on the incorrect page."
If You Do Not Have the Oldest Release on the Page
If you do not have the oldest release on the page, this indicates your music was mapped to another artist's page. In this case, you can use the Fixer to request a new page, or map your music to an existing page (if you have one). Here's how to submit this type of request at https://distrokid.com/fixer:
Select "My music is on the incorrect page."
Select the service where your music is incorrectly mapped.
Select the release that is incorrectly mapped. (Not required for requests to Spotify or Apple)
Select the Artist that is incorrectly mapped.
Add a link to the incorrectly mapped release. (Not required for requests to Spotify or Apple)
Select whether or not you have a pre-existing artist page for the specified service.
Selecting "No" will send a request to create a new artist page for your music.
Selecting "Yes" will send a request to map your releases to the specified artist page.
Click "Finished", and you're done!
If You Do Have the Oldest Release on the Page
If you do have the oldest release on the page, this indicates that someone else's music was mapped to your artist page. In this case, you can use the Fixer to request that this music is moved (kicked) away from your page.
Select "Someone else's music is incorrectly on my page."
Select the service where an artist's music has been incorrectly mapped to your page.
Enter the link to your artist page on the service you selected.
Enter the links to all the releases that have been incorrectly mapped to your artist page.
Click "Finished", and you're done!
Expected Wait Time Once a Fixer Request is Submitted
Once a Fixer request is submitted, services typically process the request within several days, but it can sometimes take several weeks to complete them. We won't receive a notification when it's done, so it's best to keep checking the service periodically.
You can specify the correct artist pages in services for your release right from the DistroKid upload form. However, you'll need to keep in mind that artist page mapping is ultimately not something DistroKid (or any distributor) has direct control over – it is handled by services themselves.
DistroKid also has tools to help confirm that your release is on the correct Spotify and Apple Music pages after it's submitted to services but before release day.
To confirm the artist pages in Spotify and Apple, you can use DistroKid's Spotify URI and Apple ID Looker-Upper tools.
If your release isn't mapped correctly, visit https://distrokid.com/fixer to request a new page or move your work to an existing page if needed. For more information on our Fixer tool, click here.
DistroKid does not distribute to Coda Music yet, but we’re working on it! Stay tuned here for an update on how to get your tracks on Coda Music and manage your artist profile.
Artist Profile Alerts is a feature available to Ultimate plan members that notifies them when changes are made to their artist profile pages in Spotify and Apple Music. Artist Profile Alerts will notify you of any of the following changes:
Any music is added or removed
Any of your song titles change
Any of your album titles change
Your artwork is changed
Your artist URL is changed
Artist Profile Alerts will send you an email if any of these changes are detected on your artist page. If the change to your artist page is not one you approve of, the email will give you information on how to get the change corrected. Additionally, all changes will be recorded on the Artist Profile Alerts dashboard, and the page will show a record of all changes to your artist pages.
The Artist Profile Alerts page can be found by signing in to DistroKid, clicking the "Features" menu in the upper-right, and then clicking on "Protect Your Music." From there, you can click on "Artist Profile Alerts."
If you searched for your music in services by artist name or release title and still cannot find it, it's possible that one of the following has occurred:
Your music may not be live yet. If you set a future release date, you will not be able to locate the release in a service until that release date. For more information about how long it takes a release to make it into services and go live, click here.
Your music may still be processing in DistroKid. It can take several days for releases to be reviewed, approved, and sent to streaming services after they are uploaded to DistroKid. If you believe your release is stuck processing, see this article.
Your release contains a cover song, which can take up to 14 days to acquire a cover song license for. For more information on cover songs, check out this article.
You're searching for your song in a service in which the catalogue is curated. Check out this article for more information on services that curate their catalogue.
Services are indexing your artist name. Your artist name might not show up in searches until it's indexed, even if your music is live. Services manage this internally, and it usually doesn't take long after your release. This often occurs if it's your first time using that artist name.
Your release title is too common. If you have a common song or album title, such as "Home," it may not show in search results at the top if other releases are very popular in rank.
It can take up to a week or so for your first DistroKid upload to go live in all streaming services once submitted. For more information about the time it takes for releases to go live to streaming services, please check out the article here.
Even after your release has gone live, some additional processing time may be necessary before DistroKid can detect it in streaming services. During this time, you can still access your Spotify links prior to release by visiting https://distrokid.com/uri/spotify, and your Apple links by visiting https://distrokid.com/uri/apple.
If you're trying to instantly register your Spotify for Artists profile through DistroKid at https://distrokid.com/spotify and you see a message saying that your release has not yet been detected, please try again later or register your page directly through Spotify.
DistroKid's Musician Plus and Ultimate accounts give you access to Estimated Daily Stats from Spotify, Apple Music, iTunes, and Amazon.
Sometimes, the numbers in Daily Stats differ somewhat from the figures shown in your monthly earnings statements. They may even drop to zero on occasion. Have no fear! That's normal, usual, and nothing to be concerned about.
It's generally an issue with how the streaming services are reporting to DistroKid (API), and these types of issues generally clear up within 24 hours or so.
Also, it's important to remember that estimated stats come from a completely different system than earnings reports, and any fluctuations will have absolutely no effect on your actual earnings from streams/sales.
At this time, releases distributed to iHeart/iHeartRadio via DistroKid are only available in the United States service. If you are trying to access a link from outside of the US, it may not work.
Sometimes a release will appear in streaming services before it has been fully processed in that service, and elements like the artwork or tracks will be missing/unavailable. If you're ever worried about something related to a release that just went live, we recommend waiting 48-72 hours to allow processing to complete on the service's end.
From the time you upload, it can take 1-2 business days for your release to be reviewed, approved, and sent to streaming services. After it is delivered, streaming services have additional processing time on their end before they push your release live.
For more information about the time it takes for releases to go live on streaming services once approved, please check out the FAQ article here.
Delays are rare, but they do happen, and are often out of our control. For information on setting a future release date to minimize the chance of delays, please see this article.
Uploading your music and getting paid from Spotify through DistroKid is super easy. In fact, we're one of Spotify's preferred partners!
In addition to making it easy to get your music on Spotify, DistroKid also makes it incredibly easy to receive earnings from Spotify. You'll keep 100% of your revenue from Spotify (and all other service partners we work with) when using DistroKid.
Select your preferred DistroKid subscription plan. Keep in mind, the Musician Plus and Ultimate plans come with tons of awesome features, including daily stats and custom release dates.
Head to the upload form to upload your music! On the upload form, make sure that Spotify is selected from our list of partners.
Once your music has been delivered and is live on Spotify, you can register and access your Spotify for Artists account from within your DistroKid account at https://distrokid.com/spotify.
You can instantly register your Spotify artist page through DistroKid by clicking the DistroKid Features Menu in the upper right , clicking "Special Access," and then clicking "Spotify for Artists." Alternatively, you can head right to https://distrokid.com/spotify.
Once there, follow the instructions – registering your page in Spotify is easy when you use DistroKid, and takes less than a minute.
Keep in mind that it can take up to a week or so once your first DistroKid upload is live in Spotify to register your artist page this way. If your release is live when you visit https://distrokid.com/spotify and see "Looks like you don't have anything live in Spotify," please try again in 24-48 hours.
Spotify is rolling out a new Verified by Spotify badge, a light green checkmark that appears on artist profiles and in search results to confirm the profile is authentic and trustworthy.
Does DistroKid handle this?
No. The Verified by Spotify badge is issued directly by Spotify, and DistroKid has no role in granting or requesting it. There's nothing you need to do on your end to apply.
That said, if you haven't claimed your Spotify artist page yet, do that first. It's the foundation for managing your presence on Spotify. Here's how to register your Spotify artist page.
How does Spotify decide who gets verified?
Spotify reviews profiles based on three things:
Sustained engagement: consistent listener activity over time, not just a one-time spike.
Platform compliance: your content and account are in good standing with Spotify's policies.
Real artist signals: evidence of an authentic presence on and off Spotify, like tour dates, merchandise, and linked social accounts.
Profiles that primarily represent AI-generated or AI-persona artists aren't eligible at launch. Artists who use AI tools responsibly as part of their creative process are still eligible, as long as they present themselves authentically. Learn more about Spotify's AI policies and disclosure.
Will I get the badge?
Spotify says that at launch, over 99% of actively-searched artists will be verified. That's hundreds of thousands of artists, most of them independent. The rollout is happening gradually over the coming weeks, so if you don't see it yet, that's normal.
Not having the badge right away doesn't mean you won't get it. Spotify will keep reviewing profiles on an ongoing basis.
Spotify gives artists an easy way to pitch music for playlist consideration.
To be considered for editorial playlists in Spotify, your release must be uploaded to DistroKid at least 3 weeks ahead of your planned release date (only possible with DistroKid's Musician Plus or Ultimate plans).
Once your release is submitted to Spotify, you can pitch your song through the Spotify for Artists app on mobile, or on the Spotify for Artists website. If you haven't released music yet and want to gain access to Spotify for Artists, check out this article: https://support.distrokid.com/hc/en-us/articles/4405839208851.
If you've uploaded a release to DistroKid and need your Artist, Album, or Track URI in Spotify (even pre-release), you can use DistroKid's Spotify URI Looker-Upper tool. Access it by clicking the Goodies icon in the upper right in DistroKid, selecting "Helpful When Needed," then "Spotify URI Looker-Upper." You can also go directly to https://distrokid.com/uri/spotify.
If you didn't use DistroKid for your release or prefer not to use our Spotify URI Looker-Upper tool, you can find the URI directly on the Spotify website or desktop app if the release is live.
Use the dropdown menu to select the release you want the URI for
Click on "What's the Spotify URI?"
See the result that includes the Album, Track, and Artist URIs and direct links for the release
Once you've uploaded your release and delivered it to Spotify, you may need to wait at least two days for a URI to populate through this tool. If you try to use the tool and see a message that says "Looking it up, check back tomorrow," please wait at least two days, and then try again.
Note that direct links to albums or tracks shown through the Looker-Upper tool won't work in Spotify until their release date.
Finding the URI Directly in Spotify
Here's how you can find the URI for an artist, album, or track directly in Spotify (only from the Spotify website or desktop app):
Click to the three dots next to the artist name/album/track title
Hover over "Share" to open the secondary menu
Hold down the Option key on Mac or the Alt key on Windows
Click "Copy Spotify URI" from the secondary menu
Please note that the URI for an album or track can only be found this way if the release is live in Spotify.
Spotify is introducing Artist Profile Protection (APP), an optional feature that gives artists more control over which releases appear on their Spotify artist page. This is an opt-in feature in Spotify for Artists that helps prevent unauthorized or incorrectly attributed releases from appearing on your artist page, which can happen if several artists use the same artist name in Spotify.
When APP is enabled, newly delivered releases from most distributors that do not include a pre-approval key will need to be reviewed before they appear on your profile, contribute to your stats, or show up in Spotify's recommendations.
If you want your release to be automatically pre-approved on Spotify, you can provide your pre-approval key during the DistroKid upload process.
How Does Artist Profile Protection Work?
When an artist opts into APP through Spotify for Artists, Spotify provides two ways to approve releases before they go live on the artist's profile:
Approvals Tab: A tab inside Spotify for Artists where artists can manually review, approve, or decline incoming releases. Releases that are not acted on by the release date will not be listed on the profile.
Pre-Approval Key: A unique code generated in Spotify for Artists that can be included in a release's delivery metadata for automatic pre-approval. This means the release won't need manual review.
Please note thatAPP is entirely optional and only affects newly delivered releases. It will not impact your existing catalog on Spotify.
If you have Artist Profile Protection enabled but do not include your Artist Key during upload, your release will be sent to the Approvals Tab in Spotify for Artists. You or a member of your team will need to manually approve it before it can appear on your profile – you will be notified by Spotify when a release enters your Approvals Tab for review, or when a release has been approved for a main artist.
How to Add Your Spotify Artist Key During Upload on DistroKid
If you have enabled Artist Profile Protection and want your release to be automatically pre-approved on Spotify for all associated artists, you can provide Artist Keys during the DistroKid upload process. This prevents your release from being held for manual review in Spotify for Artists.
First Step: Get Your Artist Key from Spotify for Artists
Log in to Spotify for Artists at artists.spotify.com.
Navigate to Artist Profile Protection (found in your account settings or the dedicated APP page).
Locate your artist in the list and click "Show key" next to your name to reveal your unique Artist Key (e.g., XY-DW4-JV9-YE48-BE).
Copy the key to use during your DistroKid upload.
If you'd like to also provide artist keys for additional artists on the release (like collaborators or featured artists), you can ask them for their APP Artist Key ahead of time and have all keys ready before you upload.
Second Step: Enter The Artist Key(s) When You Upload
To enter artist keys for yourself or additional artists on the release, start a new upload on DistroKid as you normally would.
Then for the primary artist on the release:
When you reach the "Artist already in Spotify?" section, look for the "Spotify Profile Protection" pre-approval key field.
Paste your pre-approval key into this field.
For additional artists:
Scroll down to the “Artist mapping” section and look for the "Spotify Profile Protection" pre-approval key field.
Paste the additional artist pre-approval key into the appropriate field for the artist.
Once DistroKid delivers the release to Spotify with the key(s) included in the metadata, Spotify will automatically pre-approve the release. It will then be listed on the appropriate artist profiles following standard processing times.
Please note that if additional artists have Artist Profile Protection enabled on their Spotify accounts and you do not provide the Artist Key at the time of upload, the release will need to be approved by those artists in Spotify for Artists before the release will show on their page.
Uploading your music and getting paid from Apple Music through DistroKid is super easy.
In addition to making it easy to get your music on Apple Music and iTunes, DistroKid also makes it incredibly easy to receive earnings from Apple. You'll keep 100% of your revenue from Apple Music/iTunes (and all other store partners we work with) when using DistroKid.
Here's how you can get your music into Apple Music:
Select your preferred DistroKid subscription plan. Keep in mind, the Musician Plus and Ultimate plans come with tons of awesome features, including daily stats and custom release dates.
Head to the upload form to upload your music! On the upload form, just make sure that Apple Music is selected from our list of partners.
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.
If you have uploaded a release via DistroKid and need to grab your Artist, Album, or Track Apple IDs (even pre-release), you can use DistroKid's Apple ID Looker-Upper. You can access it by clicking the Goodies icon in the upper right in DistroKid, selecting "Helpful When Needed," then "Apple ID Looker-Upper." You can also go directly to https://distrokid.com/uri/apple.
If you didn't use DistroKid for your release or prefer not to use our Apple ID Looker-Upper tool, you can find the Apple Artist URL directly in the Apple Music/iTunes app.
Your Apple Artist ID is a unique identifier Apple assigns to every artist. When uploading a new release to DistroKid, you may be asked to enter your "Apple Artist URL," which is a link to Apple that includes the Artist ID.
Use the dropdown menu to select the release you want the Apple ID or link for
Click on "What's the Apple ID?"
See the result that includes the Album, Track, and Artist IDs and direct links for the release
Once you've uploaded your release and delivered it to Apple, you may need to wait a day or two for an Apple ID to populate through this tool. Note that direct links to albums or tracks won't work in Apple until their release date.
Finding Your Apple Artist URL Directly in Apple
If you are switching to DistroKid from another distributor, here's how to find it within Apple Music or iTunes:
Pre-adds in Apple Music allow your fans to listen to one or more songs on Apple Music from an Album or EP before it is available for sale on iTunes. Pre-adds also automatically add the Album or EP to their library once it is available for sale.
Apple offers a variety of audio formats and quality standards that they indicate to listeners by applying various badges to releases. Let's take a look at what each badge means and how you can qualify your music for Apple's listening features and standards.
Lossless Audio
All releases with a lossless codec sent to Apple will feature Lossless Audio playback and a Lossless badge. To get this badge, upload a lossless audio file format to DistroKid when submitting your music. Supported formats include FLAC, ALAC, WAV, and AIFF.
The Lossless Audio badge on Apple Music indicates that you are listening to an effectively uncompressed audio file that delivers the full fidelity of the original recording exactly as the artist, mixing engineers, and mastering engineers intended.
Hi-Res Lossless
Hi-Res Lossless audio is like Lossless audio playback in Apple, but at an even higher resolution. This badge lets listeners know that the audio file they are hearing is at least 24-bit and has a sample rate higher than 48 kHz.
All releases sent to Apple with a lossless codec are automatically enabled for Lossless Audio playback and receive the Lossless badge. To achieve the "Hi-Res" label, simply upload a high-resolution lossless audio file to DistroKid. A "Hi-Res" file must be at least 24-bit and have a sample rate above 48 kHz. You can use the same lossless audio formats: FLAC, ALAC, WAV, or AIFF.
Dolby Atmos
In order to get the Dolby Atmos badge in Apple, you first have to upload a compatible Dolby Atmos mix for your music. You can learn how to create a Dolby Atmos mix of your music here: https://support.distrokid.com/hc/en-us/articles/4405783945363.
Once you have a Dolby Atmos mix, it's easy to upload your Dolby Atmos content to DistroKid. Artists can add a Dolby Atmos version of their mix per track for $26.99 each – it will be available on streaming services that offer spatial audio playback, including Apple Music and Tidal. Just make sure to select "Yes" under the "Dolby Atmos / Spatial audio" section of the upload form.
Apple Digital Masters
To get an Apple Digital Master badge for your music in Apple, you must submit a verified Apple Digital Master file for your music through DistroKid.
It's possible to distribute your Apple Digital Masters files through DistroKid.
Apple Digital Masters, formerly "Mastered for iTunes," allows you to deliver high-resolution masters with the highest quality audio to Apple.
If you have Apple Digital Masters files ready to distribute and want to enable the delivery Apple Digital Masters on your account, click here.
Uploading Your Apple Digital Masters File
Once Apple Digital Masters is enabled on your account, you'll see the "Apple Digital Master?" section on the upload form. If you're uploading your Apple Digital Masters file, select "Yes" here. You'll then need to enter the email address of your Apple-approved Apple Digital Masters mastering house on the upload form. The email address you enter must be from an approved mastering house to label your release as an Apple Digital Master. For more information, see Apple's article here.
Outside of the "Apple Digital Master?" section, you'll want to upload your Apple Digital Masters file as the primary audio file for your track(s) on the upload form. The audio file can be uploaded in the "Upload your audio file" section. Your Apple Digital Masters file will be delivered to all services you opt your release into, ensuring each service receives the high-quality file.
If you submitted an artist name change request for your music and the artist name was updated in all services except Apple Music and iTunes, please reach out to our support team, who can assist in getting the artist name updated in Apple.
Claiming your Official Artist Channel on YouTube is quick and easy when you use DistroKid. To do so, you can sign in to DistroKid and open the Features menu in the top right, and click on "Special Access." Then, click "YouTube Official Artist Channel." Alternatively, you can head directly to https://distrokid.com/YouTubeOfficialArtistChannels. The ability to claim an Official Artist Channel is included in each DistroKid plan – Musician, Musician Plus, and Ultimate.
If you've submitted music to YouTube for a new artist and don't yet see the new artist in the dropdown menu at https://distrokid.com/YouTubeOfficialArtistChannels, please allow at least a few days after their first release goes live in YouTube before returning to the page to claim the Official Artist Channel. If the artist's name still does not appear in the list despite their music being live in YouTube Music through DistroKid, please contact our support team.
Please note that DistroKid cannot assist in undoing Official Artist Channel claims or disconnecting these channels once they are established, and deleting your existing Official Artist Channel will not undo its Official Artist Channel status and allow you to claim a different channel. Make sure you submit the correct channel for Official Artist Channel status and that you are sure you want that channel to be an Official Artist Channel in YouTube.
How to Claim Your YouTube Official Artist Channel in DistroKid
Here are the steps you can take to claim your Official Artist Channel in DistroKid:
Ensure you have a dedicated YouTube channel for your artist content, named after your artist name. If you don't, create one and upload at least one video (YouTube Shorts don't count). You cannot apply for an Official Artist Channel with a blank, new channel.
Make sure your artist has at least one uploaded release in DistroKid that has been delivered to YouTube Music and is live in YouTube.
Go to the YouTube Official Artist Channel section of your DistroKid account. To get there, click the DistroKid Features Menu in the upper right , then click "Special access," then select "YouTube Official Artist Channel."
Select the artist you want to associate with your YouTube channel.
Authenticate into your YouTube account.
Claim your channel.
Important Information Regarding Official Artist Channels
Here is some important information regarding Official Artist Channels:
Please allow up to 6 weeks for your channel to be designated as an Official Artist Channel. Applying for an Official Artist Channel is usually quick, but it may take a few days to a few weeks once a request is submitted.
Your personal Channel name must match your artist name in order to apply for an OAC.
You can only link one artist to a YouTube account. A label channel cannot be converted to an Official Artist Channel.
Your Topic Channel remains a separate channel, even after the Official Artist Channel is claimed.
Official Artist Channels are not viewable in YouTube Music – they are shown in the primary YouTube platform.
Official Artist Channel claims cannot be undone or disconnected once they are established.
Official Artist Channel status cannot be transferred to a new channel.
YouTube Music is a music streaming service developed by YouTube, and serves as their dedicated music platform. YouTube Music is integrated with the regular YouTube platform, and music sent to YouTube through DistroKid is available in both YouTube Music and the main YouTube platform.
Delivering your music to YouTube Music ensures that you are eligible to turn your own channel into an Official Artist Channel, which comes with a myriad of additional perks! You can read more about Official Artist Channels here.
YouTube Music is currently available anywhere YouTube has a subscription music service as new territories are supported. For a complete list, see this Google article: https://support.google.com/youtubemusic/answer/6313540
If you're trying to play YouTube Music Art Track videos from outside of these supported territories, you may see a message that the content is not available.
If you have an existing Google account and want to access an associated YouTube account, go to YouTube.com (or open the app) and click "Sign in" at the top right. Use your Google Account email (Gmail or other) and password. If you cannot remember your credentials, use the Google Account recovery tool.
If you're looking to gain access to the account that is related to your topic channel in YouTube, please note that this is not possible. Topic channels are YouTube's way of handling the music we send them and making sure it's available to listen to in both YouTube and YouTube Music.
Topic channels allow your music to appear in YouTube Music, which is YouTube's music streaming service. Topic channels are not designed to be accessible or editable by artists.
If you want your YouTube Music releases available on your own artist channel as well as the topic channel, you'll want to request that your own channel (also known as an Owned and Operated Channel) be converted to an Official Artist Channel (OAC). For more information on Official Artist Channels, please see this article: https://support.distrokid.com/hc/en-us/articles/360036924633.
DistroKid cannot assist in undoing Official Artist Channel claims, disconnecting channels from Official Artist Channels, or transferring Official Artist Channel status once one is established. For this reason, please make sure you submit the correct channel for Official Artist Channel status when requesting it through DistroKid.
Please note that deleting your existing Official Artist Channel will not undo its Official Artist Channel status nor allow you to claim a different channel you own as an Official Artist Channel for the artist.
If you're uploading music through DistroKid and the "Artist already in YouTube Music?" section isn't finding your YouTube Music page despite already having one, you can click "There is a page for [Your Artist Name] in YouTube Music, but it's not listed above" and enter your YouTube Music artist page's Channel ID.
This only works if you either have an Official Artist Channel (OAC) or a Topic Channel for your music. If you have neither of these and only have a YouTube channel you created that isn't an OAC, then the Channel ID for that channel will not work.
Finding Your YouTube Channel ID
To find your YouTube Music Channel ID, head to either your Topic Channel or Official Artist Channel in YouTube (www.youtube.com). Using YouTube Music won't work to find the Channel ID.
Once there:
Click "More" or the "About" section in the channel description
Scroll to the bottom of the section
Click "Share Channel" and then select "Copy Channel ID"
This will copy your Channel ID to your clipboard. Paste it into the field on the upload form, and you're set.
When you upload your music using DistroKid, your music will appear in YouTube Music (YouTube's streaming service) and on YouTube's main video website as Art Tracks. Art Tracks will be placed on an auto-generated YouTube channel known as a Topic Channel.
Topic channels are generated by YouTube to store music releases from distributors. The audio files, artwork, and metadata are used to generate the Art Track, which is a video generated by YouTube that displays the artwork as the audio file plays. They also use these art tracks to populate music in their streaming app, YouTube Music. Here's an example of a topic channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCU6cE7pdJPc6DU2jSrKEsdQ
Neither the Topic channel nor the art tracks are created by DistroKid – they are generated by YouTube and cannot be edited/claimed.
You can always upload music and videos directly to your regular YouTube channel, but it's beneficial to also have your music in its Topic channel to take advantage of the earnings generated from ads on art tracks and royalties generated from YouTube Music.
If you have a personal YouTube channel that's dedicated to your music on YouTube, then you can easily create an Official Artist Channel (OAC) with DistroKid. Once you have an Official Artist Channel, all of your Art Tracks will be linked to your OAC and will display on both your OAC as well as the auto-generated Topic Channel.
When sending music to Facebook/Instagram through DistroKid, your releases should only contain audio that you created yourself. Otherwise, they are not eligible to be sent to Facebook or Instagram and they may be removed.
Your release's audio must be sufficiently distinct in order to be considered eligible for Facebook and Instagram. Audio that is unlikely to be sufficiently distinct include, but are not limited to:
• Production loops • Soundbeds • Sound effects • Soundalikes • Karaoke recordings • Classical music recordings of compositions in the public domain • Film scores • Meditation, yoga, or sleep music • DJ sets or continuous mixes
Musical Content
Your release must also be musical content. Releases that are unlikely to be considered musical content include, but are not limited to:
• Spoken word recordings • Comedy recordings • Film recordings (that are not the musical score to a film) • Speeches • Prayer recordings • Audiobooks • Podcasts • Nature or wildlife recordings • Ambient sound recordings • Recordings or descriptions of sexual acts
With DistroKid, you can distribute your music to Facebook and Instagram for fans to use in Stories and Reels. You can also link your Facebook and Instagram profiles to your music so fans can easily find your artist profiles on the respective service.
To link your Facebook and Instagram artist pages in DistroKid, enter your Facebook and Instagram URLs on the upload form when releasing your music.
Finding your Instagram profile URL
On Instagram, your profile URL is https://instagram.com/YOURINSTAGRAMHANDLE
For example, if your handle on Instagram is @DistroKid, your Instagram URL would be: https://instagram.com/DistroKid
Finding your Facebook URL
On Facebook, your URL is https://facebook.com/YOURUSERNAME
Here's how you can find your username in Facebook via browser:
Log into your Facebook account
Click your profile picture and name in the top left
Your username will be shown in the address bar of your browser
When uploading a video to Instagram or Facebook (and TikTok as well), be sure that you're attaching your music by choosing the songs via the sound library, and not uploading videos with the song already attached. Most of the time, this is what causes videos to be muted on those platforms.
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 have a video that is muted on Facebook or Instagram and would like to prevent future muting on a profile you control by allowlisting/whitelisting it, you can contact our support team for assistance.
Select "Music" at the top of the "Add to story" screen.
Search for your track by ISRC by entering ISRC: followed by the ISRC of your track.
You may also search by the track title and album title, but doing so may result in other songs and artists being displayed in the search results before your own.
Searching Instagram by ISRC
Searching for your music by ISRC in Instagram is particularly helpful if you are having trouble finding your release searching by artist name or title. To search by ISRC, enter ISRC: in the search field followed by your ISRC. You can find your ISRCs to the right of track titles on the album pages of your DistroKid dashboard.
This should locate any release that is correctly in their system, even if search results aren't finding it by title.
To link your song to your Instagram profile on a new upload, enter your Instagram and Facebook profile URLs on the upload form to link your tracks to your profiles. For more information on Instagram/Facebook linking on new uploads, please check out this article.
If your release has already been uploaded, please contact our support team to submit a request to have your music linked to your Instagram profile.
Once we receive the request, we can send an update to Instagram directly to have your existing content linked to your profile.
Requirements for Instagram Linking
Your audio needs to be used in at least one reel to link to an Instagram profile. If there are no reels that include your audio, the profile link will not appear.
If your music was live on Instagram and is now missing, it may be because you uploaded an album with tracks that were previously released as singles. Instagram uses the latest release date for a track to determine if it should be live – if the album's release date is later than the release dates of the singles, it could cause them to become unavailable.
DistroKid was the first distributor to help artists get their releases uploaded to TikTok!
You can opt into distribution to TikTok and other Bytedance stores in the "Services" section of the upload form, along with other stores and streaming services.
You can add a previously uploaded release to TikTok by visiting its album page from your DistroKid dashboard, then clicking "Add to more stores." Once you have clicked this, you will be prompted with a list of stores and services that your music has not yet been delivered to. You can then select TikTok and any other services you wish to deliver your release to, and click "add."
Releases should go live and be searchable in the TikTok app within 1-3 weeks of being submitted via DistroKid.
Can I Get My Release on TikTok Without Paying for Social Media Pack?
You can absolutely send your songs to TikTok without opting into Social Media Pack. Just select TikTok as a service on the upload form, and skip over Social Media Pack in the "Extras" section of the upload form.
This will get your songs into the Bytedance Audio Library to be used in TikTok.
TikTok for Artists is a new platform from TikTok designed for artists, their teams, and label teams. The platform offers valuable data and insights on an artist's music, posts, and followers – this helps artists and their teams boost fan engagement, refine promotional strategies, and guide content creation on TikTok.
The platform also gives artists the ability to create a "Pre-release" campaign for upcoming albums or EPs, which fans can engage with to pre-save the release in Spotify and/or Apple Music.
A certified artist account is required to get access to TikTok for Artists. If you do not yet have an artist account in TikTok, please see the information included in this article on applying for an artist account in TikTok.
If you have a TikTok artist account, visit https://artists.tiktok.com and click "Get Started" to begin the signup process for TikTok for Artists. If you have any issues with TikTok for Artists, please visit the TikTok for Artists help center at https://artists.tiktok.com/help-center.
Requirements for TikTok for Artists
You must have an artist account in TikTok to be eligible for access to TikTok for artists.
Please also note that access to TikTok for Artists may be limited to specific countries and regions. To view the countries TikTok for Artists is available in, see this article: https://artists.tiktok.com/help-center/eligible-users.
How to Apply for an Artist Account in TikTok
Here's how you can apply for an artist account in TikTok, which is a requirement to use TikTok for Artists:
Log in to your TikTok account and go to the profile tab
Tap the 3 dots in the upper right corner.
Select "TikTok Studio."
Select "Artist Hub" / "TikTok for Artists" in the "More tools" section.
Tap the "Apply now" button.
Enter your full artist name to search for your artist profile in the TikTok library.
Find your artist profile and tap the "Claim" button.
Log in to the streaming platform or music distribution platform you use and take screenshots including the profile editing buttons to show you are the owner of the account. Please ensure the screenshot displays the artist name, album titles and/or track titles in the screenshots.
Tap the "Submit" button.
Once submitted, you will get feedback within 30 days. The Music Tab and Artist Tag will be displayed on your profile once your request has been approved.
How to Sign Up for TikTok for Artists
Once you have met the requirements for TikTok for Artists, here are the steps you can take to sign up:
Click "Continue with TikTok" to join as an artist.
Log into your TikTok account.
Accept the request to link your account with a TikTok Business Account, and click "Continue."(Please note: this is required to provide analytics access, and will not change your TikTok account to a TikTok for Business account).
You can now enter TikTok for Artists and access your data.
If you have other team members, invite them to join your Artist Team: Go to "Manage team," click "view," then "invite members," and enter the email addresses. The team members will receive an email invitation to access the account.
Features in TikTok for Artists
Once you sign up for TikTok for Artists, you gain access to the following features:
Song performance data: View counts, video posts using your sound, and creator engagement per track.
Post analytics: Track views, likes, shares, comments, and completion rates.
Follower insights: Understand demographics, including gender, age, and language.
Pre-release: Set up pre-saves for albums and EPs.
Step-by-step guides and resources: Stay updated with the latest features and best practice tips for TikTok and TikTok for Artists.
To get your music linked to your TikTok Profile, you can apply for a TikTok artist account.
All artists that have an artist account on TikTok can display their songs on their TikTok profile with TikTok's "Music Tab" feature. For more information on getting a TikTok artist account, please see this article: https://support.distrokid.com/hc/en-us/articles/41940241945875.
FAQs on TikTok Artist Accounts
Once I get the Music tab, will all of my songs show up?
Yes, all previously delivered tracks will appear on your Music tab, and all future releases will be automatically mapped. TikTok has also reported that they are building a track removal feature to remove older tracks from your Music tab in the future.
Will other users' Original Sounds be added to my Music tab automatically?
No, only officially delivered tracks will be added to your Music tab. To claim an Original Sound that uses your music, check out this article.
Uploading your own music as an original sound on TikTok instead of using the sound library may lead to your video being muted in TikTok. The best way to use your music on TikTok is to add the song to your video using TikTok's sound library.
If you've added music to your video using the TikTok sound library and that video is still muted, our support team can submit a request to allowlist your account if your TikTok account is a Business account.
No, you do not need Social Media Pack to get earnings from TikTok, as you will still receive earnings if your music was delivered to TikTok and is in their audio library. However, if you wish to also get paid for when someone on TikTok uses your music in a video without selecting your music from the TikTok audio library, then the Social Media Pack can help you earn from those videos.
Every day, millions of people go to Roblox to create, play, work, learn, and connect with each other in experiences built by their global community of creators. When creators on Roblox search for songs to use in their games and experiences, your music can be available for discovery in the Roblox Creator Store if you deliver your music to them and it is accepted by Roblox.
DistroKid can help distribute your music to Roblox. To distribute your work to Roblox, just make sure "Roblox" is selected as a service on the DistroKid upload form. If your music is already uploaded, you can add it to Roblox by clicking "+Add to more stores" from the album page in DistroKid.
After selecting Roblox for distribution, DistroKid will send your music to Roblox for their song library. Note that the Roblox Creator Store is curated; opting in doesn't guarantee your release will go live.
Additionally, please note that music sent to Roblox through DistroKid is not monetized at this time.
Requirements for Delivery to Roblox
To send your music to Roblox through DistroKid, you must fully own 100% of your music's publishing rights and not be registered with a Performing Rights Organization like ASCAP or BMI.
Roblox also does not accept explicit content. If your music is explicit, please do not opt it into delivery to Roblox.
See here for more information on Roblox’s Community Guidelines.
Search for your Artist Name or using your Artist Link, click 'Go'.
Select it from the dropdown.
Review your artist information and click 'Next'.
Enter your First Name and Last Name (as written on your passport).
Enter your Email and Phone Number.
Enter your Password (at least 6 characters and 2 numbers).
You will receive an email verification in your inbox. Don’t forget to check your Spam folder as well. Click on the link inside it to verify your email.
Enter the code you receive by SMS to verify your phone number.
Click ‘Claim My Profile’.
Your claim submission will be reviewed within 2 working days and you will be notified of your account status via email.
If you have an Anghami dashboard account, you can check out Anghami’s Playlist Pitching tool by logging in and going to Content Promotion > Pitch to Playlist, and selecting the track you would like to curate.
Their team will check it out for possible curation and notify you via an automated email in case the song was added to one of Anghami’s playlists.
In case you don’t have a dashboard account, you can send your pitching request to artistsupport@anghami.com.
With DistroKid, you can distribute your music to Pretzel. Pretzel is a service that allows streamers to share music on Twitch and YouTube streams without fear of content ID strikes. You can find more details about Pretzel here: https://www.pretzel.rocks/what-is-pretzel.
If you want your music to be distributed to Pretzel, please visit this page. This will enable the delivery of your music to Pretzel on your account.
Once delivery to Pretzel is enabled on your account, you can select it as a service on the DistroKid upload form. If your music is already uploaded, you can add it to Pretzel from the "Add to more stores" section of the album page.
For full rights clearance, Pretzel also requires that artists fill out this form after their music has been submitted to them through DistroKid.
DistroKid and Twitch have partnered to offer qualifying DistroKid artists more opportunities to grow their communities and earn money from music. Streaming on Twitch lets artists interact directly with their fans in a shared, live experience like nowhere else.
Through our partnership, DistroKid artists have the opportunity to be considered for joining The Collective. Artists selected by Twitch for the program will get ongoing support from Twitch, and be eligible for prioritized discovery, promotion, and activations from Twitch, Discord, and other industry partners.
, clicking "Special Access," and then clicking "Spotify for Artists." Alternatively, you can head right to https://distrokid.com/spotify.
, then click "Special access," then select "YouTube Official Artist Channel."