DistroKid in 2025: A Step-by-Step Upload Guide
Gary WhittakerShare
DistroKid in 2025: A Step-by-Step Upload Guide
If you want a fast, effective way to publish music on leading platforms, DistroKid is a top choice. Below is a concise roadmap for 2025 uploads, including timestamps from my video. Embed your full walkthrough video on this page for a deeper look.
1. Choose Your Plan
- Musician Plan: $23/year. One artist, basic features.
- Musician Plus: Custom label name, scheduling, multiple artists.
- Label: Higher tiers for managing five or more artists.
(See video at 0:00 for an overview.)
2. Select Stores & Beatport
- Leave the default selections (Spotify, Apple, TikTok, YouTube Music) checked.
- Beatport is a $10/month add-on mainly for EDM. Non-EDM creators can still opt in for exposure to DJs.
(Video at 0:16 discusses store setup. Beatport at 1:17.)
3. Confirm Rights & Metadata
- Publishing Rights: Check the Snapchat/TikTok/Roblox boxes only if you own 100% of the rights. Roblox requires no PRO affiliation (ASCAP/BMI).
- Artist Name: Avoid duplicates or trademark conflicts.
- Release Date: Give yourself 1–2 weeks, or even a month, for review and playlist pitching.
(Video at 2:12 for rights details, 3:40 for track count, 4:21 for new artists.)
4. Artwork & Credits
- Use a clean, square cover image you own. No social-media logos or URLs.
- Apple Music now requires at least one performer and one producer credit.
- For covers, pay $12/year per track to legally release them.
(Artwork at 9:59, Apple credits at 19:44, cover songs at 15:17.)
5. Optional Extras
- Leave a Legacy: $29 for singles, $49 for albums to keep releases live if you stop paying for DistroKid.
- Social Media Pack, Loudness Normalization: Evaluate if they fit your needs.
- DistroVid: $99.99/year for unlimited music video distribution.
(Video at 20:59 for a quick breakdown.)
6. Final Checks & Upload
- Accept the terms, confirm you own or licensed all content.
- After upload, watch for these status indicators in DistroKid:
- Yellow Dot: Pending approval
- Green Dot: Sent to stores
- Red Dot: Rejected (requires fixes)
- Some stores go live within hours, while Spotify may take a day or two.
(Wrap-up details at 24:20 – 26:01.)
Key Reminders
- Plan the release at least a week in advance—preferably a month.
- Check your PRO registrations if you use Roblox or specialized services.
- Update your artist profiles (Spotify for Artists, Apple Music for Artists) once your track is live.
- Don’t buy streams—focus on organic promotion for real engagement.
Want the full rundown? and jump to the timestamps listed for specific steps. For more music distribution insights, bookmark JackRighteous.com.
2 comments
✅ How to Handle Apple Music Credit Requirements on DistroKid (2025)
For songwriters uploading original songs without official performer/producer teams
🎯 The Issue:
Apple Music now requires at least one performer and one producer to be credited before accepting your song for release. If you leave either blank, DistroKid won’t let you proceed.
💡 Your Songwriter Workaround:
If you’re the songwriter but don’t have session musicians or producers to credit, do this:
Credit Yourself as Performer:
Even if you’re not the vocalist or beatmaker, you are still the creator of the musical composition.
In the “Performer” field, put:
Your Artist Name – Songwriter/Composer
This satisfies Apple’s need for attribution while keeping your role accurate.
Credit Yourself as Producer (if applicable):
If you created the instrumental (e.g., using Suno, BandLab, or a DAW), you’re technically the producer.
In the “Producer” field, put:
Your Artist Name – AI Music Production
or
Your Artist Name – Self-Produced
If You Used AI Tools:
For Suno, BandLab, or similar tools, list them in parentheses if needed:
Your Artist Name (via Suno AI)
or
Produced by [Your Artist Name] using AI tools
Never Leave It Blank.
Even dummy credits like “Self-Produced” or “Performer: [Your Name]” will pass the validation gate.
Apple just needs a name in each role to allow the submission.
📌 Example for Beth:
If your artist name is “Beth J.” and you created the track solo using AI or digital tools:
Performer: Beth J. – Songwriter/Composer
Producer: Beth J. – Self-Produced (via Suno AI)
✅ This setup is accurate, ethical, and accepted by DistroKid & Apple Music in 2025.
🧠 Extra Tip from Jack Righteous:
If you’re building a brand around your music (even as a songwriter), consider using this moment to:
Develop your artist identity
Register for Spotify for Artists
Link each upload to a landing page or freebie (e.g., newsletter, toolkit, lyrics pack)
Check out: https://jackrighteous.com/products/get-jacked-ai-starter-kit — free tools to help artists and writers own their publishing.
How to by pass the message about Apple credits to list a performer or producer before I can submit my songs. I am a songwriter trying to upload my songs.