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.

We totally get it: you have set up everything about your release to be perfect, but on release date, you find out your music is on another artist's profile. 😱😭

This is one of the most frustrating thing artists face in the modern landscape of streaming services. While DistroKid has set up a bunch of tools to try and get the artist page mapping correct on the first try, ultimately mapping is not something your distributor has direct control over as it is handled by services.

THAT BEING SAID, DistroKid has ALSO built some tools to help you verify your music is on the right page after submission.

To check which profiles your release will be mapped to on release day prior to your release date, you can simply request your URIs or Apple IDs using DistroKid's Spotify URI and Apple ID Looker Upper Tools! You can find these tools at the following links...

Spotify URI Looker-Upper: https://distrokid.com/uri/spotify

Apple ID Looker-Upper: https://distrokid.com/uri/apple

Let's try it out with the Spotify URI Looker Upper tool. First head over to https://distrokid.com/uri/spotify. Then, select your release from the drop down menu. I only have one release on this account so it has already been selected. Note that if you are not seeing a release, it's possible that we may not have delivered it to Spotify quite yet, please check back tomorrow!

After you have selected your release, go ahead and click on the "What's the Spotify URI" button. If your release has already been ingested by Spotify, you should see your album, track, and artist URIs

If you have multiple artists on your release you are trying to confirm are headed to the correct profiles, not to worry! All artist profiles and their roles will be listed under the "Artist:" section. Check it out!

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

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, check back in the next few days. Spotify will have likely ingested your release and it will be available for URI request on this page. 

Once you have located your artist URIs / Apple IDs via the looker upper tools, make sure those artist profiles match your existing profiles in stores. You can do this by following the URLs provided on the looker upper pages, or by entering the URI directly into the Spotify search. 

If your profiles match, woohoo!! Everything has been mapped correctly, and you should be all set for release day. 

If they aren't mapped correctly, you can visit https://distrokid.com/fixer to submit a request to create a new page if needed, or move your work to your existing page if services didn't get it right off the bat. 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.

It's generally possible to search for your releases or artist page in various services 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

If you find you're on the wrong artist page, or another artist is on your page, head over to https://distrokid.com/fixer and we'll help get that cleared up!

TIDAL now has an artist access portal, TIDAL Artist Home where you can manage your profile on Tidal, as well as use their Songwriter Tools to get visibility into your songwriter catalog and maximize potential royalties.

Manage Your Profile on Tidal

TIDAL Artist Home helps artists manage the way they show up for their fans on TIDAL.

You can claim your artist profile and customize key details like your profile image, bio, and social links, as well as view several key stats regarding 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.

Access Tidal Artist Home Songwriter Tools

TIDAL Artist Home’s songwriter tools help you get visibility into your catalog and guidance on the registration and publishing process, so you can be confident that you’re getting credited and compensated correctly. Here’s how:

Step 1:
Get organized. Take control of your identity as a songwriter with guidance and visibility into the registration and publishing processes. Register with a PRO (AllTrack); organize your IPI, PRO, and publisher information all in one place; and set yourself up for royalty collection success with simple checklists.

Step 2:
Review your catalog. TIDAL cross checks your works from a variety of sources and intelligently categorizes them into three groups: Completed Works, Works Without Recordings, and Unmatched Works. This clear visualization gives you deeper insight and visibility into your catalog, highlights missing metadata, and provides guidance on how to fix mismatches or gaps to enable optimal (and accurate) compensation.

Step 3:
Optimize your works. Review individual works to report inaccuracies, add ISWCs, edit matched recordings, and build out split sheets that can be shared with co-writers to track composition ownership.

To claim your TIDAL Artist profile using DistroKid:

• Sign into DistroKid
• Click the DistroKid Features Menu in the upper right
• Click "Special Access"
• Click "TIDAL Artist Home" and then "Get Started"
• Follow the instructions provided by TIDAL to access your Artist Profile

To get your music into Instagram and Facebook's music catalog, select "Instagram & Facebook" in the "Services" section when uploading your music to DistroKid.

If your music has already been uploaded and you want to send it to Instagram and Facebook, you can add it from your release's album page. To get to the album page, sign into DistroKid and click your release from the main dashboard. From the album page, click "Add to more stores" under the "Stores" section, and then select "Instagram/Facebook" (along with any other services you want to send your release to), and then click "Add."

There is no charge for opting into distribution to Instagram/Facebook and adding your music to their audio library, which allows people to add your music to their posts within Instagram and Facebook. If you'd like to also allow Instagram and Facebook to search for posts that use your music natively (without use of the audio library) and help you get paid for that usage, check out DistroKid's Social Media Pack here.

Please note that 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.

Monetization in Instagram/Facebook

Opting into distribution to Instagram/Facebook allows users to put your music in the content they create by using the searchable audio library. Earnings are sent by Meta for use of your music through their audio library.

If you would like to monetize user-generated content on Facebook and Instagram, check out DistroKid's Social Media Pack here.

If you searched for your music in services by artist name or release title and still cannot find it, it is likely that one of the following has occurred: 

• Your music may not be live yet. For more information about how long it takes a release to make it into services and go live, click here.

• 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.

Most services & streaming services compress audio files to make them download faster. An unfortunate side-effect is that compressed audio may not sound as good as the original tracks you uploaded to DistroKid.

As streaming services increasingly embrace uncompressed, “lossless” streaming, this will become less of a problem.

In the meanwhile, there's usually a way for listeners to make audio sound better. For example, in the Spotify app (desktop or mobile), paid users can go into "Preferences" and turn on "High Quality Streaming." 

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.

That's it. It really is that easy!

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 Goodies 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

We are currently experiencing delays in delivering new releases and updates to Apple (iTunes and Apple Music).

• New releases: Expect an additional delay of a few days beyond the normal processing time.

• Metadata updates and lyrics deliveries: These may experience extended delays of up to a few weeks.

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"
   

Yes!

Apple Digital Masters (formerly 'Mastered for iTunes') allows you to deliver high-resolution masters with the highest quality audio to Apple. 

Make sure your audio is a 24-bit resolution WAV file, with a sample rate of 44.1kHz or higher. By encoding from high-resolution masters, Apple music engineers are able to capture all of the detail of a recording in a size that is convenient for streaming and downloading. Using 24-bit files means less noise and higher encoding efficiency, making your uploads virtually indistinguishable from the original master recordings.
To enable Apple Digital Masters on your account, click here.

Once enabled, you'll be asked to enter the email address of your Apple-approved Apple Digital Masters mastering house on the upload form. The email address must be on Apple's list of approved mastering houses in order for your release to be labelled an Apple Digital Master. For more information, see Apple's article here.

Note: All former Mastered for iTunes songs will continue to be available under the Apple Digital Masters program

Apple offers a variety of audio formats and quality standards that they indicate to listeners using various badges. 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

For much of music streaming history, audio had to be compressed so that the large file sizes of the audio files could be played back in realtime on slower connections. As mobile internet has gotten faster, and bandwidth has increased, services have been able to offer uncompressed, full quality masters for your listening enjoyment! 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. 

How do I get the Lossless Audio badge on Apple Music?

It's simple! Absolutely every release that is delivered to Apple with a lossless codec is opted in automatically to Lossless Audio playback and will have the Lossless badge. All you need to do is upload a lossless audio file format to DistroKid when you upload your music. Lossless file formats include: FLAC, ALAC, WAV, AIFF

Hi-Res Lossless

Remember all that stuff about lossless audio? Well Hi-Res Lossless audio is just that but even more hi resolution. This badge lets listeners know that the audio file they are hearing is at least 24bit and has a sample rate higher than 48khz! Talk about hi-def!

How do I get the Hi-Res Lossless Audio badge on Apple Music?

The same as with Lossless Audio, every release that is delivered to Apple with a lossless codec is opted in automatically to Lossless Audio playback and will have the Lossless badge. To get the "Hi-Res" designation, all you need to do is upload a hi resolution lossless audio file format to DistroKid when you upload your music. In order to be considered "Hi-Res", your lossless audio file must be at least 24bit and have a sample rate higher than 48khz. You can use the same lossless audio formats: FLAC, ALAC, WAV, AIFF

Dolby Atmos

You have heard of stereo, but have you heard of... ULTRA STEREO? 

...nah, but for real, Dolby Atmos is a new 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

How do I get the Dolby Atmos badge on Apple Music?

In order to get the Dolby Atmos badge, you first have to upload a compatible Dolby Atmos mix for your work. 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 supported devices and streaming services 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

Apple Digital Masters (formerly 'Mastered for iTunes') allows you to deliver high-resolution masters with the highest quality audio to Apple. You can learn more about it here:  https://support.distrokid.com/hc/en-us/articles/360013534534

How do I get the Apple Digital Master badge on Apple Music?

If you already have your music mastered via an approved Apple Digital Masters mastering house, let us know by selecting "Apple Digital Masters (MFiT)" on our contact form, and we can enable you to upload this audio with the Apple Digital Masters designation. 

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 Goodies 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.

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 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, such as the videos created when you distribute to YouTube Music.

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

More info from YouTube here: https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/9293636

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. 

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 reach out to us directly 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.

Your releases should only contain audio that you created yourself. Otherwise, they are not eligible to be sent to Facebook or Instagram, or 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
• Sound-alikes
• Karaoke recordings
• Classical music recordings of compositions in the public domain
• Film scores
• Meditation, yoga, or sleep music
• DJ sets or continuous mixes

Your release must also be musical content. Releases that are unlikely to be considered music 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

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

Yes! You can select “Instagram & Facebook” as a store on the upload form and get your release added to the audio library on both platforms. 

Users on Instagram & Facebook will be able to find your music in the audio library and use it in their Stories and Reels. 

However, if you want to monetize UGC (User-Generated Content using your song that gets posted to the platforms without selecting it from the audio library) you’ll need to opt into Social Media Pack.

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.

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.

Sometimes users upload sounds to TikTok that contain music in their videos instead of using TikTok's built-in music catalog. You can tell if a TikTok video uses an original sound instead of distributed music by clicking on the sound icon at the bottom left of any given TikTok video.

If you have opted into Social Media Pack, you can request to claim an original sound and merge it with your distributed release. You can find a link to the original sound page by tapping on the sound icon in the bottom left of the TikTok video and then tapping the share icon on the resulting page: 

If you are certain your music has been used in an original sound on over 1000 videos, you can submit a request to claim your song on TikTok by contacting us here.

Make sure to note the time range where your release appears in the original sound (e.g. 0:30-0:38). We'll need this information to get your request sent off to TikTok.

Please note that claiming a sound is different from linking a release to a profile. If you wish to have your releases on TikTok linked to your verified TikTok artist profile, please follow the steps here.

DistroKid can help you secure earnings for the use of your music in TikTok and other Bytedance services. To do so, you can deliver your music to the Bytedance audio library, and also purchase the Social Media Pack album extra for your music.

By adding your music to the Bytedance audio library, TikTok users can easily use your music for their videos within the app. If their video had no music in it, and then your music is added to the video this way, TikTok will send earnings for its use.

If someone uploads a TikTok video that already has music in it (without use of the Bytedance audio library), it is classified as user-generated content (UGC). You won't earn from UGC videos unless you opt your music into the Social Media Pack album extra. This helps TikTok track your music usage in UGC videos and send earnings to DistroKid for that usage.

Bytedance Audio Library Monetization

To add your music to TikTok's audio library, use the DistroKid upload form to select "TikTok & other Bytedance stores" during upload, or choose "Add to more stores" from your release dashboard if it's already uploaded.

100% of revenue we receive for the use of your music through the Bytedance audio library goes to you and can be tracked in your DistroKid Bank Tab.

User-Generated Content Monetization

User-Generated Content (UGC) is that in which a creator uses your music in a video, but did not select your specific song clip from the audio library. Typically, this occurs if your music is included in the audio of an uploaded video, and not added to the video afterwards within TikTok.

Simply delivering your audio to be included in the TikTok audio library will not allow this type of content to be monetized on your behalf. To monetize this UGC content on TikTok, purchase the Social Media Pack Album Extra for your tracks. This will add the selected tracks to TikTok's music identification service, and you'll receive 80% of all future UGC-generated revenue.

For more information on the Social Media pack album extra, check out this article: https://support.distrokid.com/hc/en-us/articles/30785369645843.

Adding your music to "TikTok & Other ByteDance Stores" from the upload form or release page will make your music available on a variety of apps and services in the TikTok family. These services include:

• TikTok 
• Luna
• CapCut

Yes! 

We can distribute your music to Roblox. 

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.

To distribute your work to Roblox, just make sure "Roblox" is selected on the DistroKid upload form.

To add previous releases to Roblox:

1. Sign into DistroKid
2. Go to your album page
3. Click your album (or single)
4. Click "Add to more stores"
5. Select "Roblox" from the list that populates.

Please note: 

• The Roblox Creator Store is curated. Opting your release  in does not guarantee that your release will go live on the platform.
• Roblox does not accept explicit content.
  • See here for more information on Roblox’s Community Guidelines.
• You must fully own 100% of your publishing rights and not be registered with a Performing Rights Organization (like ASCAP, BMI, etc.)
• Music on Roblox is not monetized at this time.

Once you've opted in, DistroKid will deliver your music to Roblox for their songs library. 

When creators on Roblox search for songs to use in their games and experiences, your music (if accepted by Roblox) will be available for discovery in the Roblox Creator Store.

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. 

Yes!

We can distribute your work to Pretzel.

Pretzel is a service that allow streamers to share music on stream. You can find more details and frequently asked questions about Pretzel here:
https://help.pretzel.rocks/pretzel#faq

If you want your work to be distributed to Pretzel, please reach out to us here, and we can enable Pretzel submissions on your account. You can request access to Pretzel by clicking on "My Music" on that contact form, and then select "Opt In Services".

Pretzel also requires that artists fill out this form after their work has been submitted there, for full rights clearance.

To send your music to Pretzel, just make sure "Pretzel" is selected on the DistroKid upload form.

To add previous releases to Pretzel (after opting in):

1. Sign into DistroKid
2. Go to your album page
3. Click your album (or single)
4. Click "Add to more stores"
5. Select "Pretzel" from the list that populates.

Also! If you have a Twitch channel, you can link that channel to your DistroKid account. That way, Twitch will link to your Twitch channel (and your Spotify page) whenever your music is streamed. To do this, visit:
http://distrokid.com/twitch-connect.

Note:

Twitch has informed DistroKid that Soundtrack by Twitch will be sunsetting on July 17th, 2023.

At this time, all existing content will remain available for use through their service until July 17th, but no new content will be added to Soundtrack by Twitch. 

As always, DistroKid pays out 100% of earnings, and we will continue to collect earnings on all content live on their service through their targeted sunset date of July 17th, 2023. 

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.