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 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:

1. Select "My music is on the incorrect page."
2. Select the service where your music is incorrectly mapped.
3. Select the release that is incorrectly mapped. (Not required for requests to Spotify or Apple)
4. Select the Artist that is incorrectly mapped.
5. Add a link to the incorrectly mapped release. (Not required for requests to Spotify or Apple)
6. 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.
7. 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.

1. Select "Someone else's music is incorrectly on my page."
2. Select the service where an artist's music has been incorrectly mapped to your page.
3. Enter the link to your artist page on the service you selected.
4. Enter the links to all the releases that have been incorrectly mapped to your artist page.
5. 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 some 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.

For more information on the Spotify Looker-Upper tool, check out this article: https://support.distrokid.com/hc/en-us/articles/360014159394.

For info on the Apple ID Looker-Upper tool, see this article: https://support.distrokid.com/hc/en-us/articles/360016934434.

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.

URI is short for Uniform Resource Indicator. In Spotify's case, URIs are used to uniquely identify artists, tracks, albums, playlists, songwriters, and users on their platform. Apple has a similar resource indicator called Apple IDs that function in much the same way.

At DistroKid, Spotify Artist URIs are used so we can request particular releases to be mapped to specific artist pages.

There are also uses for URI outside of DistroKid. For example, blogs and radio stations may ask for the Spotify track URI for a new single before its release date so they can add it to their playlists on release day.

For more information on finding your Spotify URIs, check out this article: https://support.distrokid.com/hc/en-us/articles/360014159394.

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:

• Spotify: Search at https://open.spotify.com/ 
• Apple Music/iTunes: Search at https://music.apple.com/
• YouTube Music: Search at https://music.youtube.com/
• Amazon: Search at https://music.amazon.com/
• Pandora: Search at https://www.pandora.com/
• Deezer: Create an account at https://www.deezer.com/register to search
• Tidal: Search at https://store.tidal.com/
• iHeartRadio: Search at https://www.iheart.com/
• Saavn: Search at https://www.jiosaavn.com/
• Anghami: Search at https://play.anghami.com/home
• KKBox: Search at https://www.kkbox.com/sg/sc/
• Netease: Search at https://music.163.com/#
• Instagram: Search in the "Music" sticker in stories or in the "Audio" section of reels

Tidal has launched Tidal Artist Home, an artist access portal for managing your profile and using songwriter tools to view your catalog on their platform.

Here's how you can claim your Tidal artist profile using DistroKid:

1. Sign into DistroKid.
2. Click the DistroKid Features Menu in the upper right.
3. Click "Special Access."
4. Click "Tidal Artist Home," and then "Get Started."
5. Follow the instructions provided by Tidal to access your artist profile.

Managing Your Profile in Tidal

Tidal Artist Home helps artists manage the way they show up for their fans in Tidal.

By claiming your artist profile, you can customize key details like your profile image, bio, and social links. In addition, you can get key insights into how your music is performing on Tidal's platform.

You can also always report inaccurate content directly to Tidal in seconds, invite team members, and get access to everything Tidal builds for artists in the future.

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.

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 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.

Each streaming service has their own style guide--the way in which they show information. 

When you upload music to DistroKid, we reformat the data & deliver it separately to each services, complying with each services' style guide.

Below is an example of how featured artists look differently in Apple Music vs Spotify.

Apple Music: 

Spotify: 

It can take up to a week or so for your first DistroKid upload to go live in all streaming services. (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, it may require some additional processing time before DistroKid detects it in streaming services. That said, 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 verify your Spotify for Artists Profile and you see a message saying that your release has not yet been detected, please try again later, or verify directly through Spotify.

Sometimes stuff will appear in streaming services before it has fully processed. If you’re ever worried about something, we recommend giving it 48-72 hours or so to sort itself out.

From the time you upload, it can take 1-2 business days for your release to be reviewed, approved, and sent to streaming services. Then the 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 to 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. Please double check this article in regard to release dates--Particularly the "Note" section.

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.

A Spotify Countdown Page allows fans to pre-save your upcoming release in Spotify, preview the tracklist, watch clips, buy merch, and see a countdown timer for its release, all on one page in Spotify. 

It is not possible to set up a Spotify Countdown Page through DistroKid. To set one up, you will need to log in to Spotify for Artists via website.

Eligibility for Spotify Countdown Pages

Eligibility for Spotify Countdown Pages is handled entirely by Spotify. To check on the latest eligibility requirements, please visit https://support.spotify.com/us/artists/article/countdown-pages.

Creating a Spotify Countdown Page 

If your artist page is eligible for Countdown pages in Spotify for Artists, here are the steps you can take to create a Countdown Page for an upcoming release:

1. Log in to Spotify for Artists on web.
2. Go to the Music tab, then select Upcoming.
3. Select the release, and click Get started.
4. Upload Clips and tag your merch.
5. Review and publish.

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.

Here's how you can get your music into Spotify:

1. Create a DistroKid account.
2. 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.
3. Head to the upload form to upload your work! On the upload form, just make sure that Spotify is selected from our list of partners.
4. Once your music has been listed and is live on Spotify, you can verify and access your Spotify for Artists account from within your DistroKid account at https://distrokid.com/spotify.

You can explore all the Spotify tools available to DistroKid members here: https://distrokid.com/product/get-music-on-spotify.

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.

Using DistroKid's Spotify URI Looker-Upper Tool

Here's how you can use the Spotify URI Looker-Upper tool at https://distrokid.com/uri/spotify:

1. Use the dropdown menu to select the release you want the URI for
2. Click on "What's the Spotify URI?"
3. 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 a day or two for a URI to populate through this tool. Note that direct links to albums or tracks 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):

1. Click to the three dots next to the artist name/album/track title
2. Hover over "Share" to open the secondary menu
3. Hold down the Option key on Mac or the Alt key on Windows
4. 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.

It's possible to claim your Spotify for Artists profile prior to your first ever release with a new artist name. To do so, you will need to locate your Spotify Artist URI and claim the page at https://artists.spotify.com/claim.

In order to make sure you have enough time to claim your profile, make sure to upload your music at least four weeks in advance of the release date.

Finding Your Artist URI

Once you have uploaded your music to DistroKid and you can see that it has been successfully sent off to services, you will need to locate your Spotify Artist URI before claiming your artist page. To find the URI, you can use DistroKid's Spotify Looker-Upper tool at https://distrokid.com/uri/spotify.

Here's how you can use the tool:

1. Use the dropdown menu to select the release you want the URI for
2. Click on "What's the Spotify URI?"
3. See the result that includes the Album, Track, and Artist URIs and direct links for the release

The URI you need in order to claim your artist page will be on the results page under the "Artist:" section. If there are multiple artists on the release you are trying to claim profiles for, all artist profiles and their roles will be listed.

If your release hasn't been ingested by Spotify yet, you will likely come across this message:

Not to worry! It generally takes a day or so for Spotify to ingest releases. Your URI information will be available in the next day or so!

If this is the case, try again after a few days. Spotify will have likely ingested your release by then, and it will be available for URI request.

Claiming Your Artist Page in Spotify

Once you have your Artist URI, you'll need to visit https://artists.spotify.com/claim to claim your page directly through Spotify. Select "Artist or manager" to continue.

Here's how you can add an additional artist to your Spotify for Artists account:

1. Log in to your Spotify for Artists portal via web browser
2. In the upper right corner, click on the circle icon with your initial
3. Select "Teams"
4. Click on “Add Team” near the top right of the "Your Teams" page
5. Select "Artist Team"
6. Follow the instructions and input your artist URI when prompted

You can learn how to find your Artist URI by checking out this article.

You can get instantly verified on Spotify 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 - getting verified on 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 verify your artist page this way. If your release is live and 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.

If you need to verify your page before it goes live, please head to this article: https://support.distrokid.com/hc/en-us/articles/4405839208851

Features of Spotify Verification

Verification also gives you access to "Spotify for Artists," which is Spotify's app that offers:

• ​Stats you can't get anywhere else
• The ability to update your Spotify artist images, Canvases, and bio
• The ability to pitch your new releases to their editorial team
• Access to the Spotify team to answer your questions
• A blue verified checkmark

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:

1. Create a DistroKid account.
2. 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.
3. Head to the upload form to upload your work! On the upload form, just make sure that Apple Music is selected from our list of partners.
4. 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.

That's it. It really is that easy!

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.


Pre-add is only available for EPs and Albums where at least one track has been opted into Instant Gratification. For more information on Apple's requirements for pre-add, check out this article: https://itunespartner.apple.com/music/articles/rights-and-pricing_pre-adds-for-apple-music

For more information on how to opt into an Instant Gratification track on iTunes (which you need to do in order to use pre-add) check out this article: https://support.distrokid.com/hc/en-us/articles/360013647873

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.

Using DistroKid's Apple ID Looker-Upper Tool

Here's how you can use the Apple ID Looker-Upper tool at https://distrokid.com/uri/apple:

1. Use the dropdown menu to select the release you want the Apple ID or link for
2. Click on "What's the Apple ID?"
3. 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:

1. Open the Apple Music/iTunes app
2. Search for your artist name using the search bar
3. Click the "..." to the right of the artist name
4. Click "Share"
5. Click "Copy Link"
   

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.

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.

Dolby Atmos is an audio playback format that creates a three-dimensional, immersive sound experience. You can read more about Dolby Atmos here:  https://support.distrokid.com/hc/en-us/articles/4403029574675.

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.

You can learn more about it here:  https://support.distrokid.com/hc/en-us/articles/360013534534

Due to Apple policy changes, Apple is no longer accepting name change requests under any circumstance. The first artist name that is submitted to Apple on a release will be the name that is permanently associated with this release.

Contacting Apple about this will not result in your name change being processed.

If you would no longer like your release on Apple under the name you originally submitted with, you can request to remove your release from Apple by following these instructions.

If you remove your release and resubmit the same release under a different name than your original name, Apple will remove your release from their service.

However, you can still upload any new releases under a new artist name.

What if Apple States that DistroKid Can Update Your Artist Name?

If you reached out to Apple about your name change (which will not result in your name change being processed), they may have directed you back to DistroKid indicating that as your distributor, we facilitate metadata update requests.

As your distributor, we do facilitate metadata updates! However, DistroKid can only update metadata in ways that align with Apple's formatting rules, and the current policy is that artist names cannot be changed on previously distributed content.

You can still update your artist name on your previously distributed content for other services, and distribute new content to Apple under your new name.

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.

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:

1. 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.
2. Make sure your artist has at least one uploaded release in DistroKid that has been delivered to YouTube Music.
3. 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."
4. Select the artist you want to associate with your YouTube channel.
5. Authenticate into your YouTube account.
6. 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 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 existing music on YouTube Music, you can head to your YouTube Music artist profile to retrieve your Artist URL. YouTube Music is located at https://music.youtube.com/. 

Once there, you can search for your artist name in the search bar at the top of the page.

To find and copy your YouTube Music Artist URL, go to your artist page, click the three dots next to your name, select "Share," and then click "Copy" in the dialog box that appears. 

Your URL should look something like this: https://music.youtube.com/channel/EXAMPLEURL

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.

YouTube has deactivated comments on all auto-generated YouTube Art Tracks, including the videos created when you distribute to YouTube Music through DistroKid.

This is handled by YouTube directly, and not something that DistroKid (or any other distributor) has control over.

However, comments can be enabled for these art tracks if you have an Official Artist Channel. For more information on making your channel and Official Artist Channel in YouTube, check out this article: https://support.distrokid.com/hc/en-us/articles/360036924633.

For more information about art tracks in YouTube, see Google's article here: https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/6007071.

YouTube Shorts library is a database of songs YouTube users can search to select music to add to their YouTube Shorts content. Opting into Social Media Pack gets your release included in the Shorts Library and gets you paid every time someone includes your music in YouTube Shorts content. 

For more information about YouTube Shorts from Google/YouTube, please see here. 

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.

Here's how to find your music in Instagram:

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.

Here's an example of a release that has no reels:

Here's an example of a linked profile:

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

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.

To get this fixed up, please submit an Instagram Resubmission Request here:
Instagram Resubmissions Form.

To avoid this in the future, you can upload the album to DistroKid before the singles.

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.

For more information, check out Facebook's article here: https://www.facebook.com/business/help/585591922881993

Distinct Audio

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

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.

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 this article for information on how DistroKid can help you make your TikTok profile into an artist account: https://support.distrokid.com/hc/en-us/articles/360056468434.

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. If you are interested in using TikTok for Artists and need a TikTok artist account, DistroKid can help. To start the TikTok artist account process via DistroKid, visit https://distrokid.com/tiktok-artist-account.

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 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:

1. Go to TikTok for Artists at https://artists.tiktok.com and click the "Get Started" button.
2. Select "Artist."
3. Click "Continue with TikTok" to join as an artist.
4. Log into your TikTok account
5. 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)
6. You can now enter TikTok for Artists and access your data.
7. 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.

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.

Here's how you can find a link to your sound on TikTok:

1. Open TikTok, and then click on the "Search" feature.
2. Search for your Artist Name and Song Name.
3. On the top row that filters results, you should see an option that says "Sounds", click that and find your audio.
4. Click the "Share" Icon in the upper right to copy your sound link.

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.

For more information on how music is used and monetized in TikTok, check out this article: https://support.distrokid.com/hc/en-us/articles/30785053437331.

To get your music linked to your TikTok Profile, you can apply for a TikTok Artist Account directly through DistroKid! 

To get started, you can open the Goodies menu from the upper-right in DistroKid, click "Special Access," then select "TikTok Artist Account." Alternatively, you can head directly to https://distrokid.com/tiktok-artist-account. 

All artists that distribute through DistroKid and have an Artist Account on TikTok can display their songs on their TikTok profile with TikTok's "Music Tab" feature. 

Requirements for TikTok Artist Accounts

The only requirement for a TikTok Artist Account is that you have at least one song distributed to TikTok. Please also ensure your TikTok account is dedicated specifically to your music and has your artist name listed.

Please note that DistroKid does not have any control over TikTok's eligibility requirements for Artist Account claiming and we do not have access to the status of these requests.

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.

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.

It's easy to copy a link to your favorite tunes on Anghami. First, search for the song, album, or artist for which you wish to get the URL. Next...

1. Click on the three dots next to the artist name/album/track title
2. Click “Share”
3. Click “Copy”

Now you have the URL in your clipboard!

To claim your artist page on Anghami, please go to artists.anghami.com and follow the steps below:

1. Go to artists.anghami.com,
2. Click on ‘Claim your Profile’,
3. Search for your Artist Name or using your Artist Link, click Go,
4. Select it from the dropdown,
5. Review your artist information and click Next,
6. Enter your First Name and Last Name (as written on your passport),
7. Enter your Email and Phone Number,
8. Enter your Password (at least 6 characters and 2 numbers).
9. 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,
10. Enter the code you receive by SMS to verify your phone number,
11. 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.

You will get automatic verification when you claim your Anghami artist profile and create a dashboard account.

Learn how to claim your Anghami profile here:
https://support.anghami.com/hc/en-us/articles/1260806760170-How-to-claim-my-artist-profile

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. 

Twitch has all the info you need to go live, build your community and earn money doing what you love.

Apply to join The Collective today!

Notes: Currently, this program is only open to artists who live in the US or Canada and who are 18+.

Need more help? Join the Twitch Music Assist community on Discord for advice from Twitch music creators on hardware, software and setting up your channel.