How to Distribute Your Music Video

 

Platform-specific guides:

→ How to Submit a Music Video to Apple Music
→ How to Distribute Music Videos to Vevo

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For Spotify, TIDAL, XITE, please follow the steps below :

Step 1 — Upload your video to YouTube first

Before submitting any distribution request, you must upload your video to your own YouTube channel. This is required for all platforms. Once your video is live, you'll paste the YouTube URL into your submission form.

What you'll need before submitting

• Your YouTube video URL — must be live before submitting
• ISRC — use the ISRC assigned to the audio release already distributed to DSPs
• Video Title, Main Artist(s), Featured Artist(s), Song Version, Genre, Language, and Parental Advisory — these must match your existing DSP audio release exactly
• Video file transfer link — Dropbox, Google Drive, WeTransfer, etc.
• Release date and time (EST) — if no time is selected, the video defaults to 12:00 AM EST / 9:00 PM PST worldwide
• Thumbnail / cover image (optional) — if not provided, defaults to the frame at the 10-second mark of the video

Important: Your video metadata must match your DSP audio release exactly — artist name, title spelling, and ISRC. Mismatches are the most common reason a video fails to link to its audio release on streaming platforms.

Video file requirements

• Minimum resolution: 1080p Full HD (4K preferred)
• Format: H.264 or HEVC (.mp4 or .mov)
• Frame rate: 23.976, 24, 25, 29.97, or 30 fps
• Audio: Stereo AAC, minimum 320kbps
• Aspect ratio: 16:9
• Max file size: 10GB

Video content types

Not all platforms accept every type of video. Here are the standard content type definitions:

1. Official Music Video — The primary creative visual for a song. High-production, scripted or cinematic.
2. Official Lyric Video — Lyrics displayed on screen in sync with the audio.
3. Official Live Video — A filmed live performance, concert footage, or studio session.
4. Official Audio (Audio Still) — A static image (usually album or single artwork) displayed for the full duration of the track.
5. Official Visualizer — Looping graphics or abstract imagery that complements the song's mood.

Accepted content types by platform:

• Apple Music — Official Music Video, Lyric Video, Live Performance
• Spotify — Official Music Video, Lyric Video, Live Performance
• TIDAL — Official Music Video, Lyric Video, Live Performance
• XITE — Official Music Video, Lyric Video, Live Performance
• Vevo — All types (Official, Lyric, Live, Audio Still, Visualizer, Behind the Scenes)
• YouTube Content ID — All types (Official, Lyric, Live, Audio Still, Visualizer, Behind the Scenes)

• Apple Music

Metadata updates, file replacements, and takedowns are all supported via automated distribution feeds after delivery.

→ How to Submit a Music Video to Apple Music

• Vevo

Vevo is a highly secure video network that distributes music videos on YouTube and connected TV (CTV) channels. When your video is delivered through Vevo, a dedicated channel is created in the format ArtistNameVEVO. You cannot log into a Vevo channel directly — all uploads, thumbnail changes, and edits must go through EngineEars and typically take 24–72 hours to process.

File updates: Vevo does not accept file overwrites. To replace a video, the existing asset must be taken down first and a new version submitted. UPC and ISRC do not need to change.

Contributor credits added during submission are backend only and will not be publicly visible. If you want credits to appear publicly, include them in the video description field on the intake form.

Limitations: Vevo channels do not support YouTube Shorts, live streams, or Community Tab posts. Once merged into an OAC, artists can use their personal channel identity to reply to comments on Vevo videos.

→ How to Distribute Music Videos to Vevo

• Spotify · TIDAL · XITE

These platforms support automated metadata updates, file replacements, and takedowns via distribution feeds after delivery.

• YouTube Content ID

Content ID fingerprints your music and automatically scans every video uploaded to YouTube. When a match is found — a fan video, cover, reaction clip, or reel — YouTube places a claim on that video and routes the ad revenue to you. Enabling Content ID does not harm the uploader's channel; it is a claim, not a copyright strike.

Content ID supports all modifications after delivery, including metadata updates, file replacements, and takedowns.

If you have specific videos already on YouTube that you'd like exempted from claims, you can whitelist individual videos (not entire channels) by providing the video URL and UPC on the intake form.

Topic Channels and Official Artist Channels (OAC)

When your music is distributed to YouTube, an auto-generated "Artist Name - Topic" channel is created to house your releases. No one can log into a Topic Channel — it is algorithmic and auto-populated by YouTube Music.

An Official Artist Channel (OAC) merges your Topic Channel with your personal YouTube channel into one unified profile. Once approved, the Topic Channel disappears from search results, subscriber counts are combined, and a 🎵 verified artist badge appears next to your name.

OAC eligibility requirements:

• Channel must represent a single artist or band only — not a label or compilation channel
• At least one official music release delivered to YouTube via an approved distributor
• Channel name must exactly match the artist name in the distributor's metadata (including capitalization and spacing)
• At least one public video manually uploaded by the artist (YouTube Shorts may not count)
• No active Community Guidelines violations or copyright strikes

You can request a Topic Channel merge and/or a new OAC directly in the Spotify · TIDAL · XITE · Content ID intake form.

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Related articles:

→ How to Submit a Music Video to Apple Music

→ How to Distribute Music Videos to Vevo

 

 

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