{"id":12459,"date":"2019-05-01T11:11:52","date_gmt":"2019-05-01T16:11:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/online.berklee.edu\/takenote\/?p=12459"},"modified":"2026-01-16T15:54:25","modified_gmt":"2026-01-16T20:54:25","slug":"cd-baby-guest-post-the-5-most-important-things-to-know-about-music-distribution-in-the-streaming-era","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/online.berklee.edu\/takenote\/cd-baby-guest-post-the-5-most-important-things-to-know-about-music-distribution-in-the-streaming-era\/","title":{"rendered":"Music Distribution in the Streaming Era (CD Baby Guest Post)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

What Independent Artists Should Know About Releasing Music Effectively Across Modern Streaming Platforms<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The following is a guest post from Chris Robley, Senior Content Specialist for CD Baby<\/a>. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I work at CD Baby, where we help hundreds of artists every day release and monetize new music. Many of those artists are understandably excited to get their stuff out ASAP.
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And while yes, we can<\/em> make songs available on platforms like Spotify and Apple Music in a matter of days, artists who rush through the music distribution process often miss opportunities that could\u2019ve helped their music go further.<\/strong>
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Here are five key things to consider when releasing new music:
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1. You should release a single first<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019ve never released music before under your current artist name, you MUST put out a single first. Why? Because you can\u2019t claim your artist profiles on many of the popular streaming platforms until you have music ON those platforms. <\/strong>
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In order to use the pre-release promo tools these services provide (such as those within Spotify for Artists), you\u2019ve gotta plant your flag with a single<\/a>. Then you\u2019ll be ready to make the most of your promotion for a follow-up single, EP, or album.
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If you DO have music out there, you probably already know singles are a solid way to build momentum towards a larger release. So plan to distribute at least one song ahead of your album launch.
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2. Release dates don\u2019t matter, but release timelines do<\/strong>
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Most bloggers and editorial teams only push what\u2019s fresh. But in the age of algorithmic playlists and limitless digital shelf-space, many LISTENERS don\u2019t give a damn how old or new your music is<\/a>, only whether it sounds good and fits their needs. That\u2019s great for you as an artist, because it means your back catalog can keep working for you long-term (and your oldest songs will always be new to someone).
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In that sense, release dates don\u2019t matter, and there\u2019s no such thing as an expiration date. However, release timelines are VERY important.
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Here are just a few of the music promotion and retail opportunities that require you to plan in advance:<\/strong>
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