Spotify
Market: Worldwide
Overview
Spotify is a music and podcast streaming service with 777 million monthly active users and 300 million Premium subscribers (Spotify, Q2 2026), available in 184 markets.
Listeners find new music through Spotify’s editorial playlists, such as New Music Friday, and algorithmic playlists such as Discover Weekly and Release Radar.
Market / Platform Focus
Spotify is available in 184 markets, with a Free (ad-supported) tier and a Premium subscription. Premium streams contribute more to the royalty pool than Free streams, so where your listeners are and which tier they use both affect what you earn.
Yes — LabelGrid delivers your releases to Spotify. Distribution is included on every distribution plan, whether you are a record label, a distributor or an independent artist.
SPOTIFY AT A GLANCE
- Typical go-live: Spotify says it needs 5 business days from delivery to get new music live; submit at least 2 weeks ahead, and set your live date at least 7 days ahead to be eligible for editorial playlist pitching.
- Audio accepted: WAV (preferred; 16-, 24- or 32-bit) or FLAC (16-bit only), 44.1 kHz or higher; deliver one high-quality stereo master per track.
- Loudness: Spotify normalizes playback to -14 LUFS without altering your delivered file; masters louder than that are turned down during playback.
- Territory: worldwide.
- Artist profile: claim and manage via Spotify for Artists; Canvas visual loops and editorial pitching supported.
- Royalties: tracked in LabelGrid’s royalty accounting with automated splits from the Basic plan up.
LABELGRID
LabelGrid Integration
LabelGrid is a Spotify Preferred Provider and delivers your releases to Spotify with complete metadata. Every release goes through LabelGrid’s review before it is delivered to Spotify.
Getting Started
To release your music on Spotify through LabelGrid, prepare your audio and artwork, then check your metadata against our specifications. Select Spotify when scheduling your release, and LabelGrid reviews it and handles delivery. Whether you're an independent label managing multiple artists or a solo release, LabelGrid scales to your needs.
LabelGrid provides the tools you need beyond distribution: catalog management for your metadata and releases, royalty accounting with artist statements from the Basic plan up, and promotion tools including smart links and Spotify pre-saves.
Spotify delivery specifications
| Spec | Detail |
|---|---|
| Audio formats accepted | WAV (preferred, uncompressed; 16-, 24- or 32-bit) or FLAC (lossless, 16-bit only) — 44.1 kHz or higher (44.1 or 48 kHz recommended); one high-quality stereo master per track |
| Loudness normalization | Spotify normalizes playback to -14 dB LUFS (integrated); this does not alter your delivered file — if you master louder, keep True Peak below -2 dB TP |
| Spatial audio / Dolby Atmos | Verify current Spotify support — deliver a standard stereo master |
| Artwork requirements | TIFF, PNG, or JPG (lossless encoding), square 1:1, between 640 and 10,000 px per side on Spotify (LabelGrid requires at least 3000×3000 px), sRGB at 24 bits/px; no upscaling, no promotional text or URLs |
| Metadata required | ISRC per track, a release barcode (UPC-A or EAN-13 — LabelGrid assigns one if you don’t have it), one artist per field, and full contributor credits (composer on every track; lyricist on every track with vocals) |
| Territory / availability | Worldwide |
| Monetization model | Subscription and ad-supported streaming; royalties tracked in LabelGrid accounting with automated splits from the Basic plan up |
| Artist-profile linking | Spotify for Artists — claim and manage your profile, add Canvas visual loops, and pitch to editorial playlists |
| Release date & pitching | Set the live date at least 7 days ahead for editorial pitch consideration |
| Typical go-live after submission | Spotify needs 5 business days from delivery; LabelGrid’s release review comes first, so submit at least 2 weeks ahead and allow extra time for any metadata or artwork rejections |
| Delivery method | Delivered by LabelGrid |
Spotify’s published specs (loudness, artwork format and dimensions, metadata, release timing) are verified against its official documentation; the accepted audio formats and bit depths, the 3000×3000 px artwork minimum and the no-text/URL artwork rule are LabelGrid’s upload requirements — requirements change, confirm current specs.
How long until my release is live on Spotify?
Spotify says it needs 5 business days from delivery to get new music live, and LabelGrid reviews your release before delivering it, so submit at least 2 weeks ahead. To be eligible for editorial playlist pitching through Spotify for Artists, set your live date at least 7 days in the future and pitch before release day. Discovery Mode is not available through LabelGrid; Canvas visual loops (3–8s, vertical 9:16) can be added once your profile is claimed.
Related: music distribution · royalty accounting · automated royalty splits · pricing · compare distributors · LabelGrid for labels · Spotify help article
WHY SPOTIFY
Artist Benefits
Distributing to Spotify gives you editorial playlist pitching, algorithmic recommendations and detailed analytics via Spotify for Artists. Estimate your Spotify earnings with our free royalty calculator.
Key Features
- Available in 184 markets
- Algorithmic and editorial playlist placement opportunities
- Spotify for Artists analytics and promotional tools
- Lossless FLAC streaming (up to 24-bit/44.1 kHz) for Premium subscribers in supported markets
- Canvas (looping visuals) support
DEEP DIVE
What You Should Know About Spotify
Platform Scale & Reach
Spotify reported 777 million monthly active users and 300 million Premium subscribers for Q2 2026, and is available in 184 markets.
How Spotify Pays Artists
Spotify uses a streamshare model: each month, a market’s subscription and ad revenue forms a pool, and each track receives a share proportional to its streams there. There is no fixed per-stream rate, so what a stream earns varies by country and subscription tier. Tracks must reach 1,000 streams within a rolling 12-month period, plus a minimum number of unique listeners, to earn recording royalties. Estimate your Spotify earnings with our free royalty calculator.
Premium streams contribute more to the royalty pool than Free (ad-supported) streams, and per-stream value differs from country to country.
Discovery & Promotion
Spotify’s algorithmic playlists include Discover Weekly and Release Radar. Editorial playlists such as New Music Friday are curated by Spotify’s team. Artists can pitch unreleased tracks to editorial curators via Spotify for Artists at least 7 days before release.
Audio & Technical Requirements
LabelGrid accepts WAV (16-, 24- or 32-bit) or 16-bit FLAC at 44.1 kHz or higher; for a 24-bit master, upload WAV. Spotify normalizes playback to -14 LUFS without changing your file; if you master louder, keep True Peak below -2 dB TP. Spotify streams lossless FLAC (up to 24-bit/44.1 kHz) to Premium subscribers in supported markets.
Tips for Success on Spotify
- Submit releases 3 to 4 weeks early for editorial playlist consideration
- Claim your Spotify for Artists profile to access analytics and pitching tools
- Add a Canvas (3–8 s vertical loop) to your tracks via Spotify for Artists
- Master your tracks to -14 LUFS to avoid normalization turning down your music
- Credit a composer on every track, and a lyricist on every track with vocals, using full names — LabelGrid’s review rejects missing or abbreviated writer credits
- Convert between Spotify URLs and URIs with our Spotify URL/URI converter
- For detailed delivery guidelines, see our Spotify distribution guide
RESOURCES
Spotify Resources
Official tools and documentation for Spotify.
- Spotify for Artists
- Help Center
- Provider Directory
- Campaign Kit
- Discovery Mode (not available through LabelGrid)
- Developer Portal
- Newsroom
COMMON QUESTIONS
Frequently Asked Questions
Ready to Try LabelGrid?
Try LabelGrid free for 7 days, then distribute to Spotify and all major platforms. Published pricing, no charge until the trial ends.