Switching Music Distributers: How to Do it Without Losing Streams?

Succeeding in this streaming era of music is a big challenge for artists. It requires a lot of marketing strategies as well as producing good music that goes well with the trends. This is where music distribution companies come with a lot of advantages. Every artist needs a reliable distribution company that publishes their work. These digital distribution companies get the artists and their music listened to by a wider group of audience and get their music up on streaming services like SoundCloud and Spotify. At the same time, these music distribution companies also help artists to collect and then distribute royalties which helps independent artists to build their careers from the zero.

Artists switching distribution companies is not uncommon. This thing happens due to the sudden shifts in fee or royalty structures, terms of features, or even promotional tools by music distributors. While the transition from an old distributor to a more fitting new distributor can be done easily, often this causes a loss in streams on digital platforms. So, every artist must do this transition more safely, with proper strategies so they do not lose their hard-earned stream count in the process. So, how does this process go? That is exactly what we are here to tell you.

Why do artists change distributors?

There are several reasons you might choose one distribution company over another. Here are some factors to consider:

Royalties: Some music distributors might waive yearly or monthly fees in exchange for a percentage of your streaming royalties to offset maintenance expenses. Be cautious, as switching distributors can affect your royalty output and may result in regular account fees. Other distributors might charge per project.

Label Services: You don't necessarily need a traditional major label contract to access label-like services in today’s music industry. Some tailored distribution services (often invite-only) offer additional support, such as syncing pitches and connecting you with playlist curators and bloggers.

If you obtain one of these distribution deals, it may require transferring your library to their backend distribution system. Although you might have someone from your team manage this process, it's wise to monitor the transfer closely.

Customer Service: While it may not seem like the most appealing aspect of distribution companies, having responsive customer service can be crucial during busy release cycles. If you're new to releasing music, consider choosing a distributor recognized for their strong responsiveness. You can check crowd-sourced sites to gauge the response times of various distribution companies.

Additional Tools: More music distributors now provide extra tools such as marketing materials, presave links, and the ability to split royalties among different collaborators on the backend. You may also discover resources for music video distribution and royalty collection via YouTube content ID.

Step-by-step guide to change distributors -

Every data needs to be the same:

The first rule every artist needs to understand about changing or switching distributors is that every piece of data needs to be the exact same when they are seriously considering changing or redistributing their music through another distributor. It starts with the audio files that you have created for your first album, they should be the exact same, with the same name and format that you have used to distribute with the other platforms. At the same time, you should also make sure that the ISRC and UPC numbers are identical before the redistributing is done. This is how you will be able to dodge any authenticity problems before rereleasing the music. It is VITAL that everything stays exactly the same, from the images, and logos, to the album covers. This will ensure that the changes go smoothly, without causing any problems.

For the distribution swap to go smoothly and you do not lose any stream count while swapping distributors, the following key points need to be met -

    • Song or album covers, logos, and artwork need to be the same. 

    • Song titles, artists, or band names need to be identical. 

    • The release type needs to be the same such as a single, EP, or album. 

    • Audio files, format, and track length need to be the same. 

    • The original ISRC and UPC numbers need to be used. 

    • The artist needs to use the original release date.

Collect the ISRC and UPC numbers:

The second step is to collect your ISRC and UPC numbers. Each song is assigned an ISRC number. On the other hand, UPC numbers are assigned to releases such as a single, EP, or album release. Don’t think that getting the ISRC number is not in your hand, because no matter which distributor you are using, you can easily find each song’s ISRC number. For this, you have to log in to the distributor’s backend and then, click on the release. You will find that there is an ISRC number that is assigned to each track. Here you will also find the V assigned to each release.

If you are wondering what the functions of these two numbers are, then these codes are used to give a file a legitimate owner and authenticity. This is the owner who has all the creation and distribution rights. When you request another distribution company to work with your music, these are the two codes you need to give them with complete accuracy. During this process, do not make any mistakes because this can cause the entire documentation process to stop. As a result, all your plans to rerelease your music will be delayed.

Matched streaming data:

There will be two different versions of the product for the artist on the profile. The musician will find a button named something similar to “1 other release” on Spotify. You can use this button to switch between two products uploaded by your two different distributors. Once you have all the streaming data visible on both products, you will know that the matching is done from both ends. Now, the old product is ready to be removed.

Withdrawing from the old distributors:

You have now reached the end of the switching process so let’s learn how to initiate the withdrawing process for your songs and albums. This is the only way to redistribute your music through a different distribution platform. This might seem easy and straightforward at a glance, but this is actually a complicated process that requires attention and strategies.

First, you need to send an email to your current music distributor to request the withdrawal. This will inform them of which specific songs or albums you are requesting to remove. The distributing companies typically have detailed instructions on their website that outline the withdrawing process and canceling the distribution service. However, this depends on the distribution company you are working with. In the cases of some distribution companies, you will need to send them a detailed email consisting of the name of each song along with its ISRC and UPC numbers. This is a way to ensure originality and develop a seamless withdrawal procedure. Other distribution companies might have simpler processes that allow artists to remove songs directly from the website through their accounts.

Something you need to remember -

The following information is the most crucial point in this process. Earlier, it was mentioned that once you have successfully uploaded your music to the new distributor, you should only remove the previous release after the new one is available on your streaming platforms. This will cause a temporary duplicate release, which is completely normal. During this time, Spotify will indicate "1 More Release." Start by fully completing the music upload process with your new distributor (as outlined in the first two points). Before withdrawing your songs from the old distributor, make sure the new release has been correctly uploaded. Here you need to ensure that all titles, artwork, streaming numbers and other pertinent details match the original distribution format. After registering with your new music distribution service, ensure any music you plan to transfer remains uploaded.

It is advisable to keep them up for at least 2-3 days after confirming the presence of duplicate versions. After the new release has been active on Spotify for several days and you've verified that the play counts are consistent across both releases. This can be checked by hovering over the popularity bar. Then you can proceed to remove the release from your old distributor. Many distributors offer a straightforward takedown button, whereas others may need an email request or official submission.

After you remove the track, wait for the process to complete. Next, send the music to your new distributor and begin making your desired changes. You can adjust the official artwork for each single on major streaming platforms, modify the title, and alter the format if it is required. Once you have made the switch to your new distributor, the process will become more streamlined. This will allow you to regain control of your work under the updated terms agreed upon with your new agency.

This simplified guide will help you seamlessly transition from your old music distributor to your new music distributor, without losing any hard-earned stream count.