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How to Release Your Music on Spotify – Step by Step Guide for Artists

Releasing your own music to the world has never been easier – or more important. Whether you're a solo artist, producer, or part of a band, getting your track on Spotify, Apple Music, or even into Instagram Stories is a key step in growing your audience. In this article, we’ll walk you through how to release your music on Spotify, how to distribute it to other streaming platforms, and how to get your music into Instagram and Facebook libraries.

Step 1: Finish Your Song - Professionally

Before you upload anything, make sure your track is 100% finished – and that means not just produced, but also professionally mixed and mastered.

Why is this so important? Because streaming platforms like Spotify, Apple Music or YouTube Music apply their own compression algorithms, volume normalization and conversion processes – and that can alter your sound if it's not prepared properly.

 

A professionally mastered track will:

  • Translate well across all platforms and devices

  • Maintain clarity, loudness, and dynamics after upload

  • Make a strong first impression with both listeners and curators

 

In fact, some artists even go the extra mile by requesting separate masters for specific platforms – for example, one for Spotify, one for Apple Music, one for YouTube. While not mandatory, it’s a great way to make sure your sound is always optimized.

If you're not sure how to prepare your music for streaming, a studio like A2Z Studio can help you get it sounding exactly how it should.

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Step 2: Choose a Music Distributor

As an independent artist, you can’t upload music directly to Spotify, Instagram or TikTok. Instead, you’ll need to work with a digital distributor – a service that handles distribution to streaming services and social media libraries.

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Some of the most popular platforms include:

  • DistroKid

  • TuneCore

  • CD Baby

  • Amuse

  • LANDR

  • Ditto

  • RouteNote

 

These platforms usually distribute to:

  • Spotify

  • Apple Music

  • YouTube Music

  • Tidal

  • Amazon Music

  • Deezer

  • Shazam

  • Instagram & Facebook

  • TikTok

  • and many more

 

👉 We’ll dive deeper into how to choose the right distributor in a separate blog post, comparing features, royalties, pricing and artist tools.

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Step 3: Upload Your Music and Metadata

Once you’ve picked your distributor, you’ll need to upload:

  • Your final mastered audio file (usually WAV, 16-bit or 24-bit, 44.1 kHz)

  • Cover artwork (minimum 3000 x 3000 pixels, JPG or PNG, square format)

  • Track title, artist name, release date

  • Genre, language, label (if applicable)

  • Contributors or featured artists

  • Lyrics (optional)​

 

Note: The artwork resolution requirement may vary slightly between distributors, but 3000x3000 pixels is a safe industry standard and ensures compatibility across all platforms.

Take the time to enter your metadata correctly – errors can delay your release or even get your track taken down later.

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Step 4: Set Your Release Date

Plan your release ahead of time – ideally 2 to 4 weeks in advance. This gives you a solid window to:

  • Submit your song for Spotify playlist consideration

  • Promote the release on social media

  • Set up a pre-save link to build momentum

  • Reach out to blogs or YouTubers for possible coverage

 

Most distributors allow you to pick the exact release date, and some even support pre-orders for Apple Music or Amazon.

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Step 5: Get Your Music on Instagram & Facebook

If you want fans to be able to use your music in Instagram Stories, Reels, or Facebook videos, make sure your distributor sends your track to Meta's Music Library.

This option is usually enabled by default on most distribution platforms, but it doesn’t hurt to double-check.

Once processed and accepted by Meta, your fans can search for your artist name or song title when adding music to their content.

 

Related keywords for discoverability: get your music on Instagram, upload music to Facebook, Instagram Reels music, Meta music library, how to distribute music to social media

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Step 6: Promote Your Release

Your song is live – now what?

Getting music onto Spotify is only half the job. Now it’s time to get people to actually hear it. Promotion is what separates a hidden gem from a viral hit.

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Here are a few effective ideas:

  • Share short previews on Instagram Reels, TikTok, and YouTube Shorts

  • Send the track to playlisters, music blogs, and influencers

  • Create a smart link (like Linktree or ToneDen) to share your release across all platforms

  • Ask your fans to add the song to playlists and share it in Stories

  • Submit your song to Spotify editorial playlists through Spotify for Artists

 

Marketing takes creativity, consistency, and a bit of strategy – and it's absolutely worth doing right.
👉 We’ll go deeper into how to promote your music online in an upcoming blog post dedicated to music marketing.

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Final Thoughts

Releasing your song on Spotify, Apple Music, or Instagram is an achievable goal for any independent artist today. But to stand out from the noise, you need more than just a good track – you need great sound and a clear release plan.

If you're serious about your music, make sure it's presented at the highest level possible. A2Z Studio is here to help you deliver a sound that’s ready for the world.

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Need professional mixing or mastering before your release?

We’ve worked with international artists – and we’re ready to help you, too. Let’s make your next release unforgettable.

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