Frequently asked questions
Short, sourced answers to the questions independent artists ask about releasing, promoting and getting paid.
Distribution
- Is RouteNote or DistroKid better?
- What famous artists use DistroKid?
- Why did DistroKid charge me $40?
- Is my distributor paying me correctly, and what can I do if it won't pay me?
- Why can't I see my release in Upcoming after it was delivered?
- My distributor released my album early. What now?
- I uploaded the wrong song. Can I change tracks, titles or the ISRC after upload?
- Why aren't my credits showing on Spotify?
- Is DistroKid's Content ID worth it if I already have a PRO?
- Why is my own song getting Content ID claims?
Getting on platforms
Release prep
- Why do releases come out on Friday, and is it midnight in my time zone or theirs?
- Should I release singles first or the whole EP at once?
- Will an earlier single merge with the EP version?
- Does remastering a single reset its play count?
- What is a waterfall release strategy?
- Why does my track sound quieter than other songs on Spotify?
- Laylo vs Feature.fm: which pre-save tool is better?
Spotify for Artists
- My song is on the wrong artist's page, or someone else's song is on mine. How do I fix it?
- How do I merge duplicate profiles or separate two artists with the same name?
- Why doesn't our collab show on both artist profiles?
- Why has my profile claim been pending for weeks, and how do I claim it if the producer uploaded the songs?
- Why can't I change my Spotify header image?
- Why don't my Spotify for Artists stats match, and is Spotify discounting real listens?
- Does Spotify flag songs that get heavy streams in one area?
- Why did Fans Also Like disappear from my profile?
- Why can't I see the pitch option in Spotify for Artists?
- What can you do with Spotify for Artists?
Promotion
- How do I get my first 1,000 streams, or 100 streams a day?
- Should I build fans first or songs first?
- SubmitHub vs Groover: which is worth it?
- Is it safe to be on reposting playlists?
- Why is TikTok's Promote button disabled on my own song?
- Is TikTok removing Spotify links from bios?
- How much does a Meta-to-Spotify ad campaign cost, and what listener retention should I expect?
- Should ads send people to a playlist or my Instagram?
- Why do my ad streams drop on weekends?
- Should I hire an agency or a freelancer, or run music ads myself?
- How much should an indie artist spend on promotion?
- Can I get on the radio without a label?
- Is a press release a week after release pointless?
Money and royalties
- If 500 people stream my song 1,000 times, am I paid for 1,000 or 500?
- What counts as a stream on Spotify?
- I'm Canadian with SOCAN. Do I also need ASCAP or BMI?
- Songtrust vs TuneCore Publishing: what's the difference?
- Do I need The MLC if I already use a publishing admin?
- I already have a PRO. Do I need SoundExchange too?
- How do I check if a song is copyrighted?
- Is a 50/50 split fair, 50/50 of what, and does a paid producer get writer credit?
- Can I register a song made on a leased beat, and what happens when it passes the stream cap?
- How is DistroKid income taxed (the 1099)?