MUSIC DISTRIBUTION SERVICES
A distributor puts your music on Spotify, Apple Music and other stores. Here's how to choose one without getting stuck.
THE MAIN PRICING MODELS
Some charge a yearly fee for unlimited releases. Some charge per release. Some are free upfront but keep a percentage of your royalties. Compare current pricing on each service's site, since it changes.
WHAT TO CHECK BEFORE YOU PICK
What happens to your music if you stop paying? Do you keep 100% of royalties? Do they assign free ISRC and UPC codes? Can you split payments with collaborators? How fast is support?
WHAT DISTRIBUTION DOESN'T DO
A distributor gets your music online. It doesn't get it heard. You still need promotion: playlists, press, shows, and radio play.
Independent Radio FM guarantees your song a Saturday radio play and a written DJ review every week for $49 a month.
GUARANTEED AIRPLAY EVERY SATURDAY
Submit one song a week and it airs on the Hot Artists or Upcoming Artists portion of the Saturday show starting at 3 PM Eastern / 12 PM Pacific, with a personal review from our DJs.
- $49 per month, cancel anytime
- One new song every week — every song you send gets played
- Saturday show at 3 PM Eastern / 12 PM Pacific
- A personal DJ review of every song
- Your own artist profile page with your bio, links, and review archive
- Private member wall and direct messaging with other artists and our DJ
- A new press-release article about you every 30 days, with your music embedded
- Daily motivation messages from DJ SKI FACE
- Chance to win $100 every month
- No approval process. Everyone is accepted.
Our first show airs October 3, 2026.
COMMON QUESTIONS
Do I need a distributor to get on Spotify?
For most independent artists, yes. Spotify works with distributors rather than taking uploads from individual artists directly.
Can I switch distributors?
Yes. Keep your same ISRC codes when you move so your play counts and history carry over.