How to Upload Music to Spotify and Start Earning (Step-by-Step Guide)

The Best Distribution Services for Independent Artists & Cover Songs

Introduction

Uploading music to Spotify, Apple Music, and other streaming platforms is now easier than ever. Whether you’re releasing original tracks or cover songs, you’ll need a music distributor (aggregator) to get your music on major platforms.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through how to upload your music to Spotify and start earning streaming revenue, using trusted distributors like Soundrop, Gyrostream, and Symphonic.

1. Choose the Right Music Distributor

Spotify doesn’t allow direct uploads—you need a third-party distributor to handle licensing, metadata, and royalty payments.

Here’s a breakdown of the best options:

For Cover Songs: Soundrop

✅ Best for: Musicians uploading cover songs
✅ Why?: Automatic licensing included (no need to secure mechanical rights yourself)
✅ Pricing: No upfront fees—they take a 15% revenue cut
✅ Platforms: Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, and more

💡 Best for: If you regularly release instrumental covers, vocal covers, or rearrangements, Soundrop is the easiest way to stay legal and avoid copyright strikes.

🔗 Sign up for Soundrop

For Independent Artists: Gyrostream

✅ Best for: Indie artists & bands looking for regional support (especially in Australia & Asia)
✅ Why?: More control over royalties, plus label services, PR, and playlist pitching
✅ Pricing: They have different plans to choose from for example one-time $9.99 per single / $49 per album (100% royalties kept)
✅ Platforms: Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal, Amazon Music, TikTok, and more

💡 Best for: If you’re an independent artist looking for label-like services and additional promo help, Gyrostream offers flexibility without taking a percentage of your revenue.

🔗 Sign up for Gyrostream

For Established Artists & Labels: Symphonic Distribution

✅ Best for: Artists with a growing audience or small labels
✅ Why?: Advanced tools, sync licensing opportunities, and royalty splits
✅ Pricing: They have different plans you can choose from
✅ Platforms: Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Content ID, Deezer, and more

💡 Best for: If you want premium distribution services, sync licensing for TV/film, and royalty management tools, Symphonic is ideal.

🔗 Sign up for Symphonic

2. Prepare Your Music Files & Metadata

Before uploading your song, make sure you have:

🎵 High-quality audio files

  • Format: WAV (16-bit, 44.1kHz recommended)
  • MP3s are accepted but lower quality

📝 Essential metadata

  • Song Title – Avoid ALL CAPS or special characters
  • Artist Name – Ensure consistency across releases
  • Genre & Subgenre – Helps with playlist placements
  • ISRC Code – Most distributors will generate this for free

🎨 Album Cover Art

  • Size: At least 3000×3000 pixels (JPEG or PNG)
  • No text violations – Avoid URLs, social media logos, or misleading text

3. Upload Your Music to Your Distributor

Once your files are ready, log into Soundrop, Gyrostream, or Symphonic, and:

✅ Select “New Release”
✅ Upload your album art and information, generate UPC code
✅ Upload your WAV files for each track and generate ISRC codes
✅ Choose platforms (Spotify, Apple Music, etc.)

🎵 For Cover Songs (Soundrop Users Only):

  • Select “This is a cover song” for each cover track
  • Soundrop will handle mechanical licensing for you

💡 Pro Tip: Set a future release date (at least 2–4 weeks ahead) to allow time for playlist pitching.

4. Monetize & Earn Revenue from Your Music

Once your music is live, you’ll start earning royalties based on:

💰 Spotify Royalties Per Stream:

  • $0.003–$0.005 per stream (varies by listener location & account type)
  • 100,000 streams ≈ $300–$500

🎧 Other Revenue Streams:

  • YouTube Content ID – Earn from YouTube videos using your music
  • TikTok & Instagram Reels – Short-form video revenue

💡 Pro Tip: To maximize earnings, release music consistently every 4–6 weeks to keep your catalog growing.

5. Promote Your Music for More Streams

Uploading your song is just the first step—now you need listeners!

📌 Spotify Playlist Pitching

  • Use Spotify for Artists to submit tracks to editorial playlists
  • Consider Gyrostream’s playlist pitching service

📌 Instagram & TikTok Promotion

  • Use short clips of your song in Reels & TikTok videos
  • Ask friends & followers to use your song in their content

📌 Submit to Blogs & YouTube Channels

  • SubmitHub and IndieMono are great for blog outreach
  • Get your music featured on lo-fi, ambient, or fantasy playlists

📌 Leverage Spotify’s Algorithm

  • Release consistently to boost Release Radar & Discover Weekly
  • Encourage saves & playlist adds for better algorithmic recommendations

Conclusion: Start Uploading & Earning Today

Uploading music to Spotify, Apple Music, and other platforms is easy when you use the right distributor.

🎵 Best Distributors for Different Needs:

  • ✅ Soundrop – Best for cover songs (automatic licensing included)
  • ✅ Gyrostream – Best for independent artists (playlist pitching + royalty control)
  • ✅ Symphonic – Best for serious artists & labels (sync licensing + advanced tools)

With the right strategy, you can build your audience, increase streams, and start earning real income from your music.

💡 What’s your experience with music distribution? Let us know in the comments!

Keywords Used in This Article

  • How to upload music to Spotify
  • Best Spotify distributor for cover songs
  • How to get music on Spotify and start earning
  • Soundrop vs Gyrostream vs Symphonic
  • Best music aggregator for independent artists
  • How much does Spotify pay per stream?
  • Step-by-step guide to release music on Spotify