How to Get Your Music Ready For Streaming Services

In 2025, streaming is the primary way music is consumed around the world. Whether you’re targeting Spotify playlists, aiming for Apple Music exposure, or trying to build an audience through Deezer or Amazon Music, one thing remains the same: your music needs to be properly prepared before it ever goes live.

Getting your music ready for streaming isn’t just about finishing the track and uploading it; it’s about presenting yourself professionally, ensuring your files meet technical standards, and setting your release up for long-term success.

Finish the Track, But Don’t Rush the Release

You’ve finished recording and mixing your track; that’s a huge achievement. But before you rush to release it on Spotify, take a step back. The biggest mistake independent artists make is uploading music too quickly, without taking time to prepare the supporting elements.

Streaming platforms favour quality and consistency. To stand out and attract algorithmic support or playlist consideration, your release needs to look and sound professional across the board.

Master Your Track for Streaming

Mastering is a vital part of your preparation. It ensures that your music sounds polished, balanced and competitive across all devices, whether it's played on headphones, in a car, or through a club system.

In 2025, most platforms normalise audio levels, so mastering to around -14 LUFS (Integrated Loudness) is generally ideal for streaming. Avoid overly compressed, harsh mixes that could be fatiguing to listeners. If in doubt, use a mastering engineer or trusted AI mastering service, but never skip this step entirely.

Prepare Your Artwork and Visual Assets

Streaming platforms are visual as well as auditory. Your artwork is the first impression, especially in playlists and search results.

Make sure your cover art is:

• Exactly 3000 x 3000 pixels

• Square format (1:1 ratio)

• Under 10MB in size

• Free from logos, URLs, and social media tags (unless you own them)

• Professionally designed to reflect your sound and aesthetic

Poor-quality artwork can hold you back from editorial consideration. Many distributors will reject submissions that don’t meet the visual guidelines.

Ensure Your Metadata Is Spot-On

Metadata is the backbone of streaming. If your track information is incorrect or incomplete, it can result in missed royalties, misattribution or even rejection from the platform.

Your metadata should include:

• Track title and artist name (exact spellings matter)

• Featured artist credits (as opposed to using “feat.” in the title)

• Songwriter and producer details

• ISRC code for the recording (automatically generated by most distributors)

• Release date and genre tags

• Composer and publisher info if you have it

If you plan to pitch your track for playlist placement or sync opportunities, metadata accuracy is essential.

Choose a Reliable Distributor

To get your music onto Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon, Tidal and others, you’ll need a digital distributor. These services handle the delivery of your music to all platforms and ensure you receive royalties from streams.

Popular options in 2025 include:

• DistroKid – fast and affordable, good for frequent releases

• CD Baby – solid for one-off releases and sync opportunities

• Ditto – UK-based with artist-friendly support

When choosing a distributor, consider your release goals. Some take a cut of royalties, others charge upfront. Some help with playlist pitching; others offer publishing admin. Think long-term and avoid switching services mid-catalogue unless necessary.

Set a Release Date and Pre-Save Campaign

Plan to schedule your release at least 2–4 weeks in advance. This gives you time to:

• Submit the track for Spotify playlist consideration via Spotify for Artists

• Set up a pre-save campaign to build hype and collect email addresses

• Send advance copies to blogs, influencers, and potential curators

• Line up visual content (teasers, video clips, behind-the-scenes posts)

Spotify’s editorial team requires at least seven days’ notice before release, but the longer the runway, the better. Pre-release promotion shows momentum and makes your song look active before it even drops.

Register for Royalties and Rights Collection

Before releasing your track, make sure you’re registered with:

• PRS for Music (UK) – for performance royalties from live and streamed plays

• PPL (UK) – for neighbouring rights and radio royalties

• MCPS (if you’re manufacturing CDs or vinyl)

• A publisher or admin service like Songtrust (optional but useful)

Proper registration ensures your royalties are tracked and paid, even from international plays. It also makes future sync licensing opportunities much more accessible.

Test Everything Before Release Day

Once your track is uploaded, most distributors allow you to preview how it will appear on platforms before it goes live. Use this chance to:

• Check spelling of names and titles

• Confirm the correct audio file was used

• Verify the artwork is displayed correctly

• Ensure featured artists and collaborators are properly credited

A simple typo or incorrect file could derail your whole campaign. Double-check everything.

Make Every Release Count

Releasing music in 2025 is easier than ever, but standing out takes preparation. Treat each release like a proper campaign, with mastered audio, strong artwork, accurate metadata and a clear plan. By getting your music ready the right way, you’ll give yourself the best chance to break through the noise, reach listeners and earn income.

At Music Mogul Marketing, we help artists release with impact. From metadata optimisation to release strategy and playlist campaigns, we ensure your music gets heard. Get in touch if you're ready to level up your next drop.