
Its “preferred” distributors are DistroKid (in which Spotify owns a minority investment), CD Baby and EmuBands. Going forward, indie artists will need to sign up with a Spotify-approved distribution company, which provide direct access to the Spotify for Artists tool and handles licensing and distribution and pays streaming royalties.

“The most impactful way we can improve the experience of delivering music to Spotify for as many artists and labels as possible is to lean into the great work our distribution partners are already doing to serve the artist community,” Spotify wrote in a blog post Monday. A rep said the size of the program was deliberately kept to a small number during the closed beta period.

Spotify said hundreds of artists used the direct-upload beta test, but didn’t provide a specific number.
