How to Get Your First Song on Spotify (Without a Record Label)

🚀 A Step-by-Step Guide for Independent Artists 🎶

Getting your music on Spotify, Apple Music, and other streaming platforms isn’t just for signed artists anymore. Thanks to digital distribution, any independent musician can release their songs worldwide—without a record label.

If you’re wondering how to get your first song on Spotify, you’re in the right place. At Sound Sanctuary, we help artists record, mix, master, and release their music every day. This guide will walk you through the entire process, from finishing your track to promoting it after release.

Step 1: Write & Record a High-Quality Song

💡 The Problem: Many artists rush their first release, putting out unfinished or poorly recorded tracks that don’t stand out.

✅ The Fix:
🎙️ Get a professional recording – A clean, well-recorded song makes a huge difference in streaming success.
🎼 Make sure your song structure is solid – Listeners decide within seconds whether to keep listening or skip.
🎛️ Mix & master properly – Streaming platforms compress your music, so a professional master ensures it still sounds great.

🔥 Need help recording? Sound Sanctuary offers recording, mixing, and mastering services to make your song radio-ready.

Step 2: Choose a Digital Distributor

To get your music on Spotify (and Apple Music, Amazon, Deezer, etc.), you need a digital distribution service. These platforms upload your music and collect streaming royalties for you.

Popular Distributors:

✅ DistroKid – Fast uploads, unlimited releases for a yearly fee.
✅ TuneCore – Pay per release, keep 100% of your royalties.
✅ CD Baby – One-time fee per release, great for indie artists.
✅ AWAL – No upfront fees, but you need approval to join.
✅ Amuse – Free option available but with limited features.

💰 How much does it cost? Most distributors charge between £10-£40 per year or a one-time £30-£50 per release.

Step 3: Upload Your Song (And Get the Details Right!)

When you submit your track to a distributor, you’ll need to fill out key details to make sure it appears correctly on streaming platforms.

🎵 Metadata You’ll Need:
📌 Song title & artist name (Make sure it’s consistent!)
📌 Cover art (At least 3000×3000 pixels, no text required)
📌 Audio file (WAV or FLAC for best quality)
📌 Genre & mood tags (Helps with playlist placements)
📌 Release date (Schedule at least 2-4 weeks in advance!)
📌 Explicit lyrics? (Tick the box if needed!)

🔥 Pro Tip: Set your release date at least 4 weeks ahead so you can submit your song to Spotify playlists before it goes live.

Step 4: Submit to Spotify Playlists

💡 The Problem: Many artists release their song and hope for the best, without promoting it to the right audience.

✅ The Fix:
🎧 Submit your track to Spotify’s official playlists – This is 100% free and can get your song in front of thousands of listeners.
📢 Pitch to independent curators – Sites like SubmitHub and Playlist Push let you submit your track to popular playlist owners.
📱 Share on social media – Create Instagram Reels, TikToks, and posts before release day to build hype.

🎶 At Sound Sanctuary, we help independent artists plan their releases and give advice on playlisting strategies.

Step 5: Promote Your Release (Before & After It Drops!)

Releasing a song isn’t just about uploading it and waiting—you need to actively promote it so people hear it.

📅 Before Release:
✅ Announce your song – Post about it on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, Twitter.
✅ Create a pre-save link – Most distributors provide one—this helps boost streams on day one.
✅ Tease snippets – Post behind-the-scenes clips, lyrics, or artwork to build anticipation.

📅 After Release:
✅ Encourage fans to share – Word of mouth is still the best marketing tool.
✅ Submit to music blogs & YouTube channels – Sites like IndieShuffle, EARMILK, and Hype Machine feature new artists.
✅ Perform live or do a livestream – Even a small gig can boost engagement.

Step 6: Track Your Performance & Keep Releasing!

The biggest mistake new artists make is releasing one song and stopping. Streaming rewards consistency—the more often you release, the more Spotify’s algorithm will promote your music.

📊 Check your stats in Spotify for Artists – See who’s listening, where they’re from, and how they found your song.
🚀 Plan your next release – Keep up the momentum by working on your next track right away.
🎤 Experiment & evolve – See what genres, lyrics, or marketing strategies work best and refine your approach.

Final Thoughts 🎶

You don’t need a record label to get your music on Spotify, Apple Music, and other platforms. With a great song, the right distributor, and smart promotion, you can start building an audience and earning from your music today.

✅ Record & master your track properly – A polished song performs better on streaming.
✅ Use a digital distributor – Upload your music without a label.
✅ Plan your release date – Submit at least 4 weeks in advance.
✅ Pitch to playlists – Get free exposure through Spotify’s playlist system.
✅ Promote your music – Social media, YouTube, and live gigs help grow your fanbase.
✅ Keep releasing! – Consistency = success in the streaming world.

🎤 Ready to record and release your first song? Come to Sound Sanctuary and let’s make it happen!