Digital Music Distribution in India: How to Release on Spotify, JioSaavn and Gaana
You have finished a track. Now you want it on Spotify, Apple Music, JioSaavn, Gaana, Wynk and YouTube Music. Here is how that actually happens.
You cannot upload directly
None of these platforms accept uploads from individual artists. They only accept content from approved distributors — companies with direct delivery agreements.
The distributor handles delivery, metadata, rights registration, royalty collection and payouts. You supply the music and the information.
What you need before you start
The audio
- WAV format, 16-bit or 24-bit, 44.1 kHz or higher
- Properly mastered — platforms normalise loudness, so over-compressed masters actually sound worse
- No silence at the start; a clean fade at the end
The artwork
- 3000 × 3000 pixels, square, RGB, JPG or PNG
- No URLs, no social handles, no promotional text like “out now”
- No logos you do not own
- Text must be legible at thumbnail size — most people will see it at 60 pixels
Artwork rejections are the most common cause of release delays, and almost always for one of the reasons above.
The metadata
This is where most first releases go wrong. You need:
- Track title, exactly as it should appear (mind the capitalisation)
- Primary artist name — consistent across every release, forever
- Featured artists, listed separately, not jammed into the title
- Composer and lyricist credits (mandatory for royalty collection)
- Genre and sub-genre
- Language
- Explicit content flag
- Release date
- Copyright line (℗ and © with year and owner)
Artist name consistency matters enormously. If you release as “Raj Kumar” once and “RAJ KUMAR” the next time, platforms create two separate artist profiles and your streams get split across both. Fixing this later is tedious.
ISRC and UPC codes
- ISRC — a unique code per recording, used to track plays and route royalties. Every track needs one.
- UPC / EAN — a unique code per release (single, EP or album).
Distributors normally issue both at no extra charge. If you already have your own ISRCs, you can supply them — never reuse an ISRC across different recordings.
Timeline
| Stage | Time |
|---|---|
| Delivery to platforms | 1–3 days |
| Platform processing | 3–7 days |
| Live everywhere | 7–14 days typically |
Submit at least 3 to 4 weeks before your intended release date. This gives time for rejections and, more importantly, makes you eligible for editorial playlist consideration — Spotify’s pitching window requires the track to be delivered well ahead of release.
Rush releases go live, but they go live with no playlist support.
How royalties flow
- Platform counts your streams
- Platform pays the distributor, typically 45–90 days after the reporting month
- Distributor deducts their share
- You are paid according to your agreement
Expect a real-world delay of 2 to 3 months between a stream happening and money reaching your account. This is normal across the industry.
Per-stream rates vary widely by platform and territory. Indian streams generally pay less per play than US or European streams, so a track with strong domestic numbers can still produce modest revenue. Volume matters.
YouTube Content ID for your music
This is the part independent artists most often miss.
When your track is distributed with Content ID enabled, YouTube fingerprints it. Then every time someone uses your song — in a vlog, a reel compilation, a dance video, a cover — that upload is matched and you can claim the revenue.
For music that gets used by other creators, this frequently generates more revenue than the streaming platforms combined. It is the single strongest argument for distributing through a partner with Content ID access rather than a basic upload-only service.
Two cautions:
- Do not enable Content ID on tracks containing uncleared samples. You would be claiming revenue on content you do not own, which gets your partner’s access revoked.
- Whitelist your own channel so your own uploads do not get claimed.
SN Media Venture handles distribution alongside Content ID across YouTube and 20+ music platforms, which keeps both revenue streams under one agreement.
Choosing a distributor
Compare on these points:
- Revenue split — and whether there is also an annual fee
- Which platforms are included, particularly Indian ones like JioSaavn, Gaana, Wynk and Hungama
- Content ID — included or not, and at what split
- Payout threshold and how often payouts run
- Rights on exit — can you take your catalogue elsewhere, and what happens to your ISRCs and Content ID references
- Editorial pitching — do they actually submit your releases for playlist consideration
That last point separates real distributors from upload pipes.
Common mistakes
- Inconsistent artist naming across releases
- Artwork containing text platforms prohibit
- Releasing three days after submitting, then wondering why no playlist picked it up
- Leaving composer and lyricist fields blank — this permanently forfeits publishing royalties
- Not registering with a publishing society for the composition side
Planning a release?
If you have a track ready and want the metadata and Content ID set up correctly the first time, talk to us before you submit anywhere.
- Call or WhatsApp: +91 8898888911
- Email: [email protected]