How To Upload Music To YouTube Music as an Artist

If you make music, chances are you’ve already shared it on platforms like SoundCloud. But if you want real listeners, the kind who follow artists and scroll for new music every day, YouTube Music is where you need to be. It’s one of the biggest music streaming platforms in the world.

But unfortunately, there’s no simple upload button in the platform. Rather, there’s a proper process for artists to upload tracks on YouTube Music. And once you understand it, YouTube becomes the first choice for your music distribution 😉.

In this blog, we will explain all you need to know about how to upload music to YouTube Music.

In this article, we’ll cover…

• 5 Powerful Reasons to Upload Your Music on YouTube Music
• How to Upload Your Songs to YouTube Music
• Step-by-Step Guide: Release Your Music on YouTube Music Easily
• Live Example: Uploading Music to YouTube Music with DistroKid
• Proven Tips to Get More Plays and Views on YouTube Music
• Your YouTube Music Upload Questions — Answered! (FAQs)

Why Upload Your Music On YouTube Music? 5 Great Reasons

When you release a song, you need to be everywhere your fans are. And for a massive audience, that’s YouTube. Have a look at some reasons why uploading music to YouTube Music is one of the best moves for an independent artist: 

1. Large, Targeted User Base

YouTube Music has over 80 million premium users and many more free listeners. Unlike social media platforms where people scroll aimlessly, users here open the app with one clear intention: to find and listen to new music. So, when you upload your music on YouTube Music, you’re putting it right in front of people who want to hear new music.

2. Leverage Content ID System

When you distribute your music, it gets registered with YouTube Content ID. It’s just like a digital fingerprint. Once it’s registered, YouTube’s system will automatically scan every single video uploaded to the platform. 

If it detects a match, Content ID will automatically claim that video on your behalf. You can then choose to monetize it  and collect a share of the ad revenue. 

3. Get an Official Artist Channel (OAC)

After you’ve distributed music, you become eligible for an Official Artist Channel (OAC). It works as a portfolio that combines all your content: your official music videos, your Art Tracks, and any live performance videos.

This makes it incredibly easy for fans to find all of your music in one place. An OAC also gives you a verified music note symbol and access to special analytics that let you learn more about your audience.

4. Powerful Algorithm To Increase Reach

The YouTube algorithm always prefers entertainment content like Music that engages the audience. If the first few views are positive, the algorithm considers it as a positive factor and pushes your new Art Track to users who like similar artists or genres.

It also adds your music to automated playlists like “My Supermix” and other curated lists. In short, your burden of self-promotion and paid ads gets lower with natural promotion.

5. Create a Professional Feel

It’s okay to upload a song as a regular YouTube video, but it doesn’t give you the same credibility. When you distribute your music to YouTube Music properly, it appears like a professional release. It’s complete with album art, artist name, lyrics, track details, and it’s linked to your Official Artist Channel.

How to Upload Music to YouTube Music as an Artist

You can’t upload a song to YouTube Music the same way you upload a video to YouTube. There’s only one guaranteed way to do it for official distribution: a digital music distributor.

A music distributor is a service that sends your audio file, metadata (like the song title, credits, lyrics, and cover art), and release information to popular streaming sites like YouTube Music, Spotify, and Apple Music. Some of the prominent distributors on YouTube Music are DistroKid, TuneCore, CD Baby, and so on.

You might be thinking, “Can’t I just upload a video of my song myself?” 

You absolutely can!  But it’s not the same thing. Even though it appears on YouTube Music, there are many significant drawbacks, like: 

• It will not have the right album information or a link to your artist catalog.

•  You’ll miss out on music streaming revenue since views are treated like regular video plays.

• Your track won’t be recommended alongside other songs in your genre on YouTube Music. Only people who find your channel will be able to see it.

• YouTube Content ID doesn’t automatically apply to direct uploads. Even if somebody uses your song in their video, you won’t get a notification or the ability to monetize their upload.

Step-by-Step Guide To Upload Music to YouTube Music as an Artist

If you’re serious about your music career and want your tracks to appear professionally with streaming revenue, the best (and really the only) way is to upload music to YouTube Music through a distributor.  I chose DistroKid, and here’s exactly how I got my music from my hard drive into every major platform:

1. Prepare Your Music for Release

Before you think about distribution, make sure your song is ready for the world. A well-prepared track avoids rejection from distributors and looks professional when it goes live. 

It must be complete, with:

• Final Mix and Mastering: Distributors need audio files that are of good quality. A .WAV or .FLAC file is a lossless format that is used in the industry. This keeps the quality of your mix and master high, so your song will sound great on all streaming services. (MP3 is not usually accepted for distribution).

• Cover Art: Every song needs a picture on the cover. It has to be a perfect square and have at least 3000 x 3000 pixels of resolution. Avoid using blurry pictures or designs that feature logos protected by copyright. Read this blog to understand the best fonts that you can use to make it more attractive. 
• Lyrics and Credits: A lot of distributors let you upload lyrics, songwriter names, and producer credits. This makes it easier for people to find your music and makes it look more professional.

2. Pick a Music Distributor

As mentioned earlier, you can’t upload music to YouTube Music on your. You need authorized music distributors for that.

DistroKid, TuneCore, CD Baby, Amuse, and Ditto Music are all well-known choices. The pricing varies from distributor to distributor. Some of the most common models are:

• Subscription Model: You pay a yearly fee (like DistroKid) and keep all of your royalties. This is the subscription model. It’s suitable for musicians who plan to release music on a regular basis.

• One-Time Fee: You pay a one-time fee for each release. This option works for artists who only release music occasionally.

• Commission-Based Model: If you don’t have much money initially to pay for a distributor, you can also opt for a commission model, where the distributor takes a cut of your revenue.

No matter what your choice, you must have clarity on what services exactly you’re paying for. Ask specifically:

• What all streaming services do they cover?

• Is YouTube Content ID free with them? 

• Can they help you get your Official Artist Channel?

I’m using Distrokid for the purpose.

3. Sign Up On Distrokid

Register an account on Distrokid. Now, pick a pricing plan that suits you:

Aspect	Musician	Musician Plus	Ultimate
Price	$2.08 / month	$3.75 / month	$7.50 / month
Upload unlimited songs	✅	✅	✅
Upload unlimited lyrics	✅	✅	✅
Spotify verified checkmark	✅	✅	✅
Create royalty splits	✅	✅	✅
Access to free promotional tools	✅	✅	✅
Mobile app access	✅	✅	✅
Synced lyrics in Apple Music	❌	✅	✅
Daily streaming stats	❌	✅	✅
Customizable label name	❌	✅	✅
Customizable release date	❌	✅	✅
Custom iTunes pricing	❌	✅	✅
Monitor your music on Spotify & Apple Music	❌	❌	✅
1 TB instant file sharing	❌	❌	✅
Advanced analytics & stats	❌	❌	✅
Replace song audio	❌	❌	✅
Search engine for playlist contact info	❌	❌	✅

As soon as you complete the plan, you’ll get redirected to the dashboard. Click on Upload Music.

4. Filling in the Release Details

The upload form walks you through everything you need to deliver to YouTube Music and the other platforms.

First of all, select the platforms where your music needs to be published. Luckily, Distrokid supports a wide range of platforms like YouTube Music, Spotify, Apple Music, TikTok, Snapchat, Amazon, Pandora, and so on. Next, fill in details like:

• Select how many tracks you’re uploading (you can do up to 20 tracks at once!)

• Answer whether the song has been released previously

• Choose an artist or band name from the list of artists you can manage on the plan

• For each major platform, select whether you already have an existing artist account. If you don’t have one, you can use DistroKid to create a brand-new profile for each.

5. Schedule the Release

It’s a great idea to plan this at least a few weeks in advance to give you time to promote your music and create anticipation.

Select when you wish to publish the music and enter the following details:

• Record Label Name (you can use your artist name if you don’t have a formal label)

• Language of lyrics

• Primary and Secondary Genres

6. Upload The Cover Picture

You must upload a high-quality and professional cover pic for the music to attract listeners. It must be high-resolution (3000×3000 pixels) and in the JPEG format.

7. Enter More Details

After cover pic uploading, enter the following details, too:

• Exact Song Title and, if applicable, would add a featured artist

• Version, if it’s Original, Radio, or something else

• Upload the main audio file (my high-quality WAV) confirm if it was Dolby Atmos encoded or not

• Writer Name (who composed the song) and specify crucial details like whether the track has lyrics, is a radio edit, or is purely instrumental

• Track price

• How the preview clip is selected. You can either set it up manually or let the streaming service pick the best part

8. Submit The Release

Scroll down and tick all the checkboxes to confirm the terms and conditions (make sure you read them!). Then, hit that Submit button. That’s it, you’ve officially submitted your music to YouTube Music!

9. Claim Your Official Artist Channel (OAC)

After your music is on YouTube Music, the next step is to connect it to your YouTube account. You can do this by claiming your Official Artist Channel. It’s very simple with DistroKid!

From the main DistroKid dashboard, click on Goodies section at the top right, and then select YouTube Official Artist Channel. Here are the two main requirements to complete it:

• You must have a music-specific YouTube channel (not any other niche)

• Must have at least three official music releases through DistroKid

For a clearer visual guide and even more details on the platform’s options, make sure to watch our comprehensive tutorial on how to upload music to YouTube Music with DistroKid:

Tips to Get More Plays & Views on YouTube Music

Getting your song live on YouTube Music is just the tip of the iceberg. The real challenge begins after the release: making sure people actually listen, save, and share your tracks. Check out some practical tips to increase your reach and streams on YouTube Music:

1. Optimize Your Metadata for Visibility

YouTube uses metadata to categorize your music and recommend it accordingly. If you set it up correctly, YouTube Music’s algorithm is more likely to push your song to new listeners. Here’s how to do it in the right manner:

• Choose the right genres and moods. Don’t just pick “Pop” because it’s popular. Pick the categories that really fit your music, like Indie Pop, Lo-fi Beats, or Afro House. That’s the best way to bring in a targeted audience.

• Add full credits, including songwriters, producers, and featured artists. The more complete your credits are, the easier it will be for fans and collaborators to find you.

• Add lyrics whenever you can. That can help fans sing along and make your music easier to find.

• You can also fine-tune some relevant keywords for better search engine visibility. Use our free keyword search volume checker to pick the most result-oriented terms. Or, if you aren’t much interested in the technical part, you can outsource it to our YouTube ranking service.

2. Make Use of YouTube Shorts

Nowadays, YouTube Shorts are one of the best ways to attract an initial reach. Most Shorts, even from new channels, score a few hundred views without much optimization. Have a look at how you can use this format to improve your music reach:

• Create Your Own Shorts: Share interesting 15–60 second clips that feature an important musical moment from your song. It could be the chorus, a beat drop, or a line that sticks in your mind. You can make it visually interesting by adding some behind-the-scenes footage.

• Encourage Fan-Generated Content: Use your song in a trend or challenge and ask your fans to make their own Shorts with your music. The YouTube algorithm really likes content that drives user engagement and creation.

Read our guide on how to get more views for your YouTube videos.

3. Optimize Your Videos with Cards and End Screens

Don’t let someone leave your page without a call to action. If someone has already watched your content till the end, they’re exactly the kind of listener you want to keep. The best thing you could do is to guide them to more of your music. And YouTube gives you built-in tools to do just that.

• Info Cards: Add clickable cards to your official music videos or lyric videos. You can use these to link to your artist channel or a playlist of your other songs.

• End Screens: Put a clickable end screen at the end of your video, between 5 and 20 seconds. This is a great chance to link directly to your latest music or a whole album playlist to get people to binge-watch.

Unfortunately, almost everyone uses cards and end screens now. Because of that, most viewers treat them as background noise. If you want people to actually follow through, your calls to action need to stand out visually.

4. Leverage YouTube Playlists

Playlists are the most important part of finding new music. Getting into the right one can really help you increase the streams. You can:

• Pitch to popular playlists created by distributors

• Create your own thematic playlists that mix your songs with popular tracks in your genre. It’s a good idea to grab search engine traffic.

5. Use Music Promotion Services

Let’s accept it. Organic channel growth takes time. Building an audience from scratch and waiting for streams to snowball can take months. But if you’re an independent artist, your reality might be different. Bills, studio costs, or label expectations often don’t give you that luxury of waiting.

So, if you want to accelerate your reach more quickly, paid promotion could be a good idea. Of course, running YouTube ads could be the first option. But the problem over ads is that it’s not as simple as you might think. 

You need precise audience targeting, optimized ad creatives, tactical budgeting, and retargeting strategies to succeed in a saturated space like music. This level of technical knowledge requires much time to master (more than organic reach). Without proper technical knowledge, you may end up spending even more than your music budget for literally nothing.

Practically, outsourcing is the best way for independent artists who’re just getting started. At LenosTube, we offer affordable music video promotion services built specifically for artists who want to grow on YouTube Music. 70% of the views will come from YouTube ads itself and 30% would be external traffic through articles, social media shares, comments, likes, etc. Try it out now!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) ❓

1. How long does it take for my music to appear on YouTube Music?

It usually takes between 3 to 14 days after submitting through a distributor. The exact time depends on how long it takes the distributor to review your work.

2. Is it possible to release both singles and albums on YouTube Music at the same time?

Yes, you can. A lot of artists put out singles first to get people excited, and then include them in a full album release on YouTube Music later.

3. Do I need a record label to upload music to YouTube Music?

No, you don’t. Independent musicians can send their music straight to YouTube Music without a label, using services like DistroKid or TuneCore.

4. Is it okay to put remixes on YouTube music?

Only if you have the right licenses or permissions. Distributors may reject copyrighted material without clearance, so make sure you have the rights first. If you don’t have sufficient funds to buy the music rights, it’s good to attempt remixes with popular copyright-free tracks.

Conclusion

Creating a good music is just half the way. The ‘where’ and ‘how’ to release part are also equally important. Luckily, YouTube music is one of the best platform for that.

The process might sound a bit technical at first: pitching to a distributor, uploading, setting up your profile, and promoting it. But once you’ve done it, you’re a brand with a global stage and a sound the world is finally ready to hear! 😎👌