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How to Release Your Song on Spotify in India: Step-by-Step (2026)

How to Release Your Song on Spotify in India: Step-by-Step (2026)

Getting your music on Spotify from India is straightforward once you know the steps. Here's the complete process, from finished master to live release.

Step 1: Finish your master properly

Spotify can't fix a bad master. Export your final mix as a WAV file — 44.1 kHz / 16-bit minimum, 24-bit preferred. Check for clipping and leave proper headroom. This is the file every platform will transcode from, so quality here matters more than anywhere else.

Step 2: Prepare your cover art

Spotify requires square artwork, minimum 3000×3000 pixels, in JPG or PNG. No blurry images, no stretched logos, no social media handles or "coming soon" text on the cover — these are the most common reasons releases get rejected. Make art you'd be proud to see on a playlist.

Step 3: Choose a distributor

You cannot upload to Spotify directly — you need an approved distributor. Compare royalty splits, payout methods (do they pay to Indian banks?), delivery speed and contract terms. The Imaginary Records delivers to Spotify with no joining fee, and you keep up to 85% of royalties.

Step 4: Upload and enter your metadata

Through your distributor's portal, upload the WAV and artwork, then fill in: song title, artist name (exactly as you want it displayed — this creates your Spotify artist profile), featured artists, genre, language, release date, songwriter/composer credits and lyrics if you have them. Double-check every spelling — metadata errors are painful to fix after release.

Step 5: Pick a release date 2–3 weeks out

Delivery takes 24–48 hours with us, but Spotify needs a few days to process. More importantly, pitching for Spotify's editorial playlists requires your release to be delivered at least 7 days before release day. Give yourself 2–3 weeks of runway.

Step 6: Claim your Spotify for Artists profile

Once your first release is delivered, claim your artist profile at artists.spotify.com. Add a profile photo, bio and social links. This is also where you pitch upcoming releases to Spotify's editorial team — do it the moment your release is delivered, not on release day.

Step 7: Release day and after

Share your Spotify link everywhere, submit to independent playlist curators, and post consistently for the first two weeks — the algorithm watches early velocity. Then check your Spotify for Artists analytics to learn who's listening and where, and plan the next release. Consistency beats one big launch.

Common mistakes to avoid

Uploading MP3s instead of WAV. Setting the release date too close and missing playlist pitching. Typos in the artist name that create a duplicate profile. And the biggest one: releasing once and disappearing — Spotify rewards artists who release regularly.