How to get music on download stores
A clear path from finished master to distributor delivery, store metadata, artist pages, and post-delivery quality control.
Most independent artists reach download stores through a distributor or label delivery partner. The distributor sends audio, metadata, rights information, artwork, territories, pricing instructions, and release dates to selected retailers.
Store access is not identical across distributors. Compare destination coverage and support before choosing a provider.
What matters
- Confirm store coverage before paying a distributor.
- Use stable artist spelling and complete rights metadata.
- Deliver early enough to correct store-page errors.
- Keep distributor and store URLs in one release record.
Choose the delivery relationship
An artist can release through a label, a self-service distributor, or a label-services partner. Compare fees, commission, accounting, takedown rules, support response, and access to specialist stores.
Prepare the delivery package
Use the distributor's current technical specifications. Keep clean masters, artwork, credits, identifiers, territories, genre, label name, and dates together.
- Lossless master in the required format
- Artwork without unauthorized logos or unclear rights
- Consistent primary and featured artist names
- Correct original, remix, radio, and extended-mix labels
Review the first live pages
When store links appear, verify every visible field and play the preview. Check whether the release is attached to the correct artist profile. Report errors through the distributor's documented correction process.
Keep an operations record
Save delivery dates, identifiers, support cases, live URLs, and corrections. This record becomes especially valuable when several versions or collaborators are involved.