The complete 2026 guide for Indian artists — requirements, timelines, royalties and the free way to get on Spotify, Apple Music, JioSaavn and 150+ stores.
Here is the truth most new artists don't know: Spotify does not accept direct uploads. Every song on Spotify — from global superstars to independent Ahirani artists — reaches the platform through a music distributor. The good news: with T9music, getting on Spotify from India is completely free, and the same upload also covers Apple Music, JioSaavn, Wynk and 150+ stores.
A distributor delivers your audio and metadata to stores and collects royalties for you. What to check before choosing: Indian store coverage (JioSaavn, Wynk, Gaana), transparent royalty reporting, INR payouts, and support in your language. T9music's free plan covers all of this with unlimited uploads — no per-song fees.
Create your free account at the T9music artist portal, upload the track, fill in title, language, genre and credits, and pick a release date at least 7 days out — that buffer lets you pitch to Spotify editorial playlists before release day.
Releases typically appear on Spotify within 2–7 days. Then claim your Spotify for Artists profile: you get the blue verified badge, control your bio and photos, see listener analytics, and can pitch upcoming releases to editorial playlists directly.
Spotify pays per-stream royalties that vary by listener country and subscription type. Your distributor collects them and reports monthly. On T9music's Pro Artist plan (₹1,999/year) you keep 100% Music Rights; the free plan runs a transparent 70/30 split. Full breakdown on the pricing page.
Spotify is just one store. Most Indian listening happens across JioSaavn, Wynk, Gaana, YouTube and caller tunes. One T9music upload covers all of it — including CRBT caller tunes on Jio, Airtel, Vi and BSNL and YouTube Content ID so every reel using your song pays you.
No. Spotify does not accept direct uploads from artists — every song reaches Spotify through a distributor. T9music distributes to Spotify free from India, along with 150+ other stores.
With T9music it is free — unlimited uploads on the free plan with a 70/30 royalty split, or ₹1,999/year for Pro Artist with 100% Music Rights. There are no per-song upload fees.
Typically 2–7 days after your release is approved. Schedule your release at least 7 days ahead to unlock Spotify editorial playlist pitching via Spotify for Artists.
Distributors accept WAV or FLAC at 16-bit/44.1kHz or higher. Never upload an MP3 converted to WAV — stores can detect it and quality suffers.
Claim your Spotify for Artists profile after your first release goes live. Verification is free and instant once your claim is approved — T9music support helps you through it.
Join 3500+ labels and thousands of independent artists distributing with T9music since 2010.