Spotify made an announcement today about a new feature that will allow unsigned, independent artists to upload their music directly to the platform for free. While larger labels have been able to upload music directly to the platform, independent artists had to pay a third-party digital aggregation service like TuneCore to upload music on their behalf.
The new initiative is currently being tested in an invite-only beta mode. The company has been working with a handful of independent artists and labels — like Noname, Michael Brun, VIAA, and Hot Shade — for feedback in shaping the feature.
How it works.
You’ll be able to deliver music straight to Spotify and plan for the perfect release day. You’ll see a preview of exactly how things will appear to listeners before you hit submit. And even after your music goes live, you’ll be in full control of your metadata with simple and quick edits.
Just like releasing through any other partner, you'll get paid when fans stream your music on Spotify. Your recording royalties will hit your bank account automatically each month, and you’ll see a clear report of how much your streams are earning right next to the other insights you already get from Spotify for Artists. Uploading is free to all artists, and Spotify doesn’t charge you any fees or commissions no matter how frequently you release music.
Over the next few months, Spotify will ask more of you to participate — make sure to join their mailing list so you’ll be the first to know about any new announcements. You can learn more by checking out the Spotify for Artists guide.
