Everything you need to know about music distribution, our service and more is listed below. For any additional questions, please write to support@mgmh.net
What is Music Distribution?
Music distribution is the process of making music accessible to audiences through various channels. This includes streaming platforms like Spotify and Apple Music, digital downloads, and physical formats such as CDs and vinyl records.
What is a Digital Distributor?
Before the internet, musicians needed a record label to release their songs. But now, with streaming platforms like Spotify and Apple Music, anyone can release music. To get songs on these platforms, artists (and even labels) need a digital distributor or aggregator. These companies act as the middlemen, helping artists upload their music to all major streaming services. MGMH Groove is one such digital distributor that supports independent artists in sharing their music worldwide.
How Do I Distribute my song?
Here’s a video that guides you through the process of distributing a new song:
How do I move my entire back catalogue to Groove for free?
At Groove, we’re offering free back catalog transfers for a limited time. If you have songs or albums with another distributor and want to move them to us, we’ll take care of it for you.
Just create an account and upload the music (follow the instructions below) till just before you have to pay and email us at support@mgmh.net—no payment needed. Once you reach out, we’ll handle the rest!
RE-UPLOADING YOUR RELEASE
Create an account with MGMH Groove (if you haven’t done so already!)
Click the ‘Create New Release’ tile in the artist dashboard.
Choose the ‘re-release of an existing single/album’ option
When adding your tracks, select the option to enter your existing ISRC. Ensure you do this for EVERY track. This is how the tracks will link on Spotify and your streaming count will merge across. You will find this information on your old distributor’s dashboard. You can use the same UPC code as well. You can add a 0 before if the numbers are enough.
Submit your release and we’ll do the rest!
PS: You can only update your song file (remastered) if the song footprint (Length is the same) everything else must remain the same
SWITCHING OVER
To ensure your stream counts merge to the Music Gets Me High versions, ensure that your new release is delivered and live for 48hrs prior to issuing a takedown with your old distributor. If you click into the album page on Spotify desktop, look for the ‘1 More Release’ icon which indicates that the 2 releases have successfully merged. (Note this can take 48hrs).
When you see this symbol, send a request to your previous distributor to remove their version from all online stores;
Distrokid – click on the ‘Remove my music from all stores’ button after you click into your product
DITTO – go to your release and click on ‘Takedown’ button.
New Credit Requirements for Music Release
Important updates regarding credit requirements that are now being enforced by major DSPs like Apple, Deezer, and Spotify.
What’s changing?
DSPs now require minimum credit information at the track level. This ensures that the right people get recognized for their work and that platforms have the data they need to display accurate credits.
Why this matters:
Proper crediting isn’t just about compliance—it’s about giving creators the recognition they deserve. These platforms are putting a stronger emphasis on transparency, and we want to support that.
Here’s what’s now required for every track:
Main Artist – already a standard requirement
Composer & Lyricist – Both required for vocal tracks; only Composer for instrumentals
Performer – at least one performance role (e.g., vocals, guitar, drums)
Additional Contributor or Remixer – typically a producer, mixer, etc.
Important note on naming:
For composer and lyricist credits, full names are now required:
✅ Bryan Adams = valid
❌ Beyoncé = not valid
DSPs are actively checking this.
However, for performer and producer roles, using the artist’s stage name is totally fine.
Where can I update this?
If you are missing any of these credits, you can update this by navigating to the MY CATALOGUE section of your artist dashboard.
What are the artwork requirements for upload?
The name on artwork MUST match the release name. The file format must be .jpg/.jpeg/.png in RGB Colour (not CMYK). The file size must be no larger than 10Mb image dimensions at least 3000 x 3000 pixels, and perfect square. The art must not contain website addresses or social media links.
What format music do you accept and how long is an album?
We accept .WAV audio files in 16bit 44.1kHz resolution (CD Quality), and 24bit WAV files at the most common sample rates. We do not accept mp3 files or 32bit files. You can convert other file types to WAV using iTunes or other web-based conversion apps.
An album can have 25 tracks maximum.
My release is stuck during inspection for missing credits.
As per recent updates to DSP guidelines, streaming services now require all releases to include the following credits:
Performer
Composer/Songwriter
Lyricist (excluding instrumental releases)
Producer
Please ensure you fill of them correctly.
Can my song title be in all caps?
Yes you can submit your song title in all caps, however some platforms like Apple do not accept it. In that case, we would have to manually send an update to Apple.
How Do I distribute Spatial Audio (Dolby ATMOS + Apple Digital Masters)?
In order to submit a song for Spatial audio delivery please upload the stereo mix with the regular version of your release first. Then please follow the steps below and write to our tech team via the artist form on the dashboard.
Create a new release in your artist dashboard. Please use the original audio and metadata.
Please ensure you DO NOT use the same ISRC as the original release.
Leave the release as incomplete and do not submit it for review – our team will manually push this through
Please send us an email via the contact us form on the dashboard once you have finished creating your release and send us a download link for your Dolby ATMOS file (via Google Drive/DropBox). Please ensure you check your sharing settings so our team can access the files (ensure there are no time restrictions on the file and do not use WeTransfer).
Our team will notify you when your Dolby ATMOS release has been sent to the relevant stores.
We’ll also need the Apple Digital Masters Engineer’s Email in order to apply for the badge on Apple Music.
I have an issue with my release, how do I contact tech support?
If you’re facing any technical issues with your release for example: if you have artist profile linking issues or need any changes done to your release etc. Please only write to tech support via the contact us form in your artist dashboard. Please do not contact us on the mgmh ID or message us on whatsapp or instagram. Please contact via this form only to get a speedy response. Please give between 24-48 hours for our team to respond. Sending multiple emails for the same issue will just clog the system and delay the response.
You can place a track on hold before release by editing the release and moving the release date to a date well in the future, then editing the release and changing it again when you have a set date.
Can I change an artist name after release?
You may be able to edit the featuring artist on a song post release as long as the main artist (primary artist) remains the same. For this you can write to tech support via the artist dashboard.
Due to recent constraints from DSPs, we are no longer able to facilitate primary artist name changes directly. However, you can update your artist name on platforms by following these steps: Create New Releases: In your artist dashboard, create new releases under your new artist name. Ensure you input the correct ISRCs for all your songs and update your artwork to reflect the new name. Notify Us: Once your new releases are delivered, please reply to this email. Our support team will then remove your previously released content under the old artist name. Claim New Artist Pages: You will need to claim the newly generated artist pages. Please note that we cannot guarantee the merging of streaming data or follower counts from the old pages to the new ones.
Do I get a refund if I cancel a release or if it's rejected during inspection?
We do not offer refunds if you cancel a release after payment or if your release is stopped during the inspection process due to issues. Please double-check all details before uploading and finalizing your release..
How do I do a waterfall release?
In a waterfall strategy, essentially you set up the releases with each single building up to an EP/album release. There are quite a few artists doing waterfall strategies these days. Each release is a standalone product, so you need to upload each new single with the previous singles re-uploaded on the tracklist, and using the same ISRC for each previous single on the new product
eg.
Release 1
1. Single #1
Release 2
1. Single #2
2. Single #1
Release 3
1. Single #3
2. Single #2
3. Single #1
And you keep the same ISRC for Single #1 / Single #2 across all releases.
Then you can takedown the previous releases each time a new one comes out.
How long does it take for my release to go live on digital stores?
The turnaround time can vary from store to store. We recommend submitting your album at least four weeks prior to your intended release date. This gives enough time for us to ingest and deliver your tracks, and for the services to also ingest, index and display them on their own sites. We will advise you from your catalogue page if your release has been delivered to stores, but this does not mean the store itself has been able to get the tracks live on their site (which is out of our control).
My Music has gone into the wrong artist profile:
This happens a lot especially with artists having similar names. We can send a request to the platform to make the change. Please fill up this form for each platform change. Please note we cannot change this ourselves and hence have to send a request to each platform. The change can take up to a week to reflect.
You should first upload your single, once the single is delivered it will be issued an ISRC code. Now you can upload your album and for that particular single add the ISRC code issued. For the rest of the songs that are new, request an ISRC code. When you use the same ISRC code, your stream counts will combine and you can see the song under singles with single artwork and you can see the song under album under album artwork.
Do you deliver to Beatport?
Yes we do! However Beatport needs to approve the label before we can deliver. Please fill up this form:
And once it is approved by them, we will turn on your label in your dashboard to choose under label listing. Then you can upload and deliver.
How does Playlist pitching work?
When you fill up our form with all information, we will send that across to platforms like Apple, Amazon music, Hungama, Gaana, YouTube and Saavn. We cannot force them or tell them where to place the songs. If their team likes the music, they will pick it up and place it on an official playlist or offer a playlist cover. Being on an official playlist increases an artist’s streams and helps them get discovered by newer audiences. Please note there are NO guarantees that your song will get picked up. DO NOT believe anyone who claims they can 100% get you placement. To access the playlist form and other perks, check out Groove Plus tab on your artist dashboard.
Will pitching to Press & Festivals from Groove guarantee a slot?
No. We cannot promise you coverage or a performance slot as this isn’t in our hands. We hope to just make it easier for artists to get their details across to prominent festivals & media that we are in touch with. We hope this opens new doors for you and you do get picked up.
How do I add more platforms to the share link?
Most Indian platforms like Saavn, Gaana don’t allow pre-save or auto add. So once your music is released, you can send us the link for the song on Gaana, Saavn etc and we can add it to your share link.
Why can't I access my Tik Tok and other platform accounts?
Some platforms like Tik Tok are banned in India or not available. Hence our tech support can provide you with a link to your release on these platforms, but you may not always be able to access them if you’re based in India.
Do you do caller tunes?
At the moment we do not deliver caller tunes and have no plans to start as we don’t get a lot of requests for it.
What’s better: yearly payment or one time payment?
There are no right or wrongs, however do keep in mind that with yearly payment, you will have to continue to pay each year to keep your songs online. If you forget to pay one year, your music will go offline. Also in the long run, yearly payments tend to work out more expensive for artists as opposed to one time payment + percentage. Because in percentage deals, the distributor only makes money when the artist does.
Can I release a cover song?
It is NOT legal to release cover songs in India and across the world without the permission of the copyright holder. In India, most of the times the copyright is held with a label. You may have seen websites like easy song licensing that claim to provide you with a license for covers. Please note this license is ONLY applicable for release in America and not worldwide. If you’re caught releasing someone else’s copyright without permission you can be blacklisted by music streaming platforms. No distributor can help you secure a license for India and outside America.
What if my song is in Public Domain?
In India a song’s copyright is valid for 60 years after the death of the copyright holder, after that the song becomes public domain (unless copyright is extended) and hence one can release covers without a license. However, certain platforms like instagram, Facebook and Youtube content ID, do not monetize public domain songs and hence may remove the tracks from their platform.
Are you using licensed or bought beats/samples? + Why is my music not on IG/Facebook?
Your music will be monetized on IG, Facebook and Youtube content ID only if you have created all parts of the song. If you have: – Content licensed non-exclusively from a third party (such as samples or beats that are not exclusively licensed), Cover songs, Public domain songs, Content containing sound effects, loops etc from audio samples library, then your tracks will not be monetized on the above platforms.
What is an ISRC code? and why do I need it?
An ISRC code is an International Standard Recording Code. It is used to identify individual sound recordings. So if an album has 10 songs, each song will be assigned an ISRC code and hence you will have 10 codes. You need to use the ISRC code when you’re switching distributors or when you wish to use the same song that has been previously released (same recording) for example as a single; as part of an album or compilation. If you use the same ISRC of the single as part of your album, then you will see both the single release with its artwork as well as the song as part of the album with the album artist, However the stream counts will be combined.
What is a UPC code? and why do I need it?
A UPC code is a universal product code or barcode you see on any sale item. One UPC/ Barcode is issued for each point of sale. So for 1 single you will get 1 UPC code and for 1 album you will get 1 UPC code. You need to know the UPC code, if you’re switching distributors so you can use the same barcode.
How do I add lyrics?
There are 2 main external sites you need to upload your lyrics to be shown on stores. Instagram stories pulls its lyrics from musixmatch.com. Apple Music uses the service genius.com. If you register an account with these services you can upload your lyrics and make them available to users on these services.
When do I get paid?
You get paid when we do. Royalties can sometimes take 3-6 months to be processed from the end of actual month sales, depending on the platform. For the major services who pay royalties on a regular schedule (eg. Spotify + Apple), royalties are available 3 months from the end of the stream month. For example, all of January streams will be deposited in your dashboard on 16th March. The delay is a common issue with all distributors who need to wait until the music services process and audit all their sales figures. We then need to process these statements and attribute the royalties to each of our artists. As soon as this is done you can access your money from the payments page in your dashboard, and request a withdrawal. You can withdraw your money from your dashboard once it crosses AUD$10 or Rs.600
It’s release day and I can’t find my songs?
Providing you have given at least 2 weeks for stores to ingest your release, if you have received a notification from us that your release has been successfully delivered and can’t find it on iTunes or Spotify, please contact us from your dashboard and we will investigate. If you are a brand new artist, the search indexing on these stores can take some time to update (especially on Friday’s which is global release day!), so it usually resolves itself throughout the day.
Can I access my music and art files after I’ve uploaded them?
Yes, your music is stored safely in the system. We store and backup every music file you upload, which you can access any time you need. View your single or album from your MY CATALOGUE page, and you can play or download any of the audio tracks you have uploaded (just right-click and ‘save file as’). To download your art files, just right click the album art on the main MY CATALOGUE screen and right-click ‘save file as’ to download the full resolution version.
How do I enable Discovery Mode?
If you have any tracks that are eligible for Discovery Mode, a button will appear under your account settings that allows you to opt-in!
You can opt in and out of individual tracks on a monthly basis. Please see more information from Spotify here. Again, only eligible tracks are invited to apply for discovery mode, the criteria are;
Track must be distributed by us
The artist must be credited as a main artist or remixer
Track must have been released more than 30 days ago
Track must have at least 1 radio and autoplay stream in the past 7 days. Please check your Spotify for Artists analytics if unsure about this.
Our system recognizes any releases over 3 tracks as EP/Albums however we can change the metadata of the release to show up as EPs when we distribute the release. However please note different DSPs will have their own guidelines on how many tracks and the minimum release length required for each release type so this may not always be reflected on each store.
Please let us know via the main artist dashboard support once you’ve uploaded the release with us so we can update the release type to EP for you.
Can I change my audio file after release?
There’s no restriction on how many times you can change the audio to a release, so long as the new file doesn’t differ significantly from the original. Changes to the mix or master of any given track would be accepted without any issues.
What are the Copyright & Evidence Requirements?
All distributed content must have clear, verifiable copyright ownership. As such, we require: ● Legal proof of ownership or licensing agreements for all submitted content when requested by our copyright team. ● Metadata accuracy when uploading, including correct songwriter/composer, producer, and performer credits. These credits are now mandatory for many DSPs. ● Documentation for cover songs, samples, and interpolations, including proper licensing agreements to be made available on request. Failure to provide sufficient evidence may result in content rejection or removal.
Can I upload AI Generated Tracks?
Due to ongoing copyright litigation and legal uncertainty surrounding AI-generated content, we do not distribute fully AI-created songs at this time, including output from services such as Suno or Udio. This includes: ● Fully AI-generated compositions, lyrics, or vocals. ● AI-modified versions of existing copyrighted works. ● AI-assisted remixes that may infringe upon third-party rights. Any attempt to distribute AI-generated will be blocked.
What About Artificial Streaming?
We strictly prohibit any form of artificial streaming, including: ● Use of bots, click farms, or incentivized streaming services. ● Manipulation of playlists or repeated playback to inflate stream counts. If a DSP fines or penalizes us due to fraudulent streaming, these fines will be passed on to the responsible label or artist. Repeat violations may result in content takedown and account termination.
What content is Ineligible for distribution?
The following types of content are no longer accepted for distribution: ● Generic music library content (e.g., royalty-free stock music, production music,non-unique sound effects), that may be intended to game the DSP ecosystem. ● Generic artist names such as ‘Sleepy Dreamy Music’, ‘Happy Sound’, ‘Rain Sleep Story’. ● Unedited loops, nature sounds, functional music, or single-tone audio files with limited artistic merit. ● Sped-up / slowed-down versions of existing tracks, unless officially released by the original rights holder. ● Soundalike recordings that mimic famous artists or songs to mislead listeners.
Artist Profiles: Amazon Music
Amazon Music has recently launched a mobile app and desktop website for artists to track the success of their tracks on the platform and recieve insights on their Fan and SuperFan audience segments. You can also find out how many people are asking for your music using their Alexa devices! The app is available globally and on both Andriod and iOS operating systems so go on, download it and claim your artist profile.
Artist Profiles: Apple Music
Be sure to register at artists.apple.com first, so you can gain insights into your listeners, like where in the world your fans are based, as well as playlist stats. The site can also tell you how many times your track has been shazamed, and how many people are listening to your music over time. Distribution services (like US!) can now update your profile on Apple Music for you. From 23/01/20, Shazam for Artists will be moving over to Apple Music, and operated from the same dashboard.
Artist Profiles: Spotify
The big cheese! Register for your artist profile at artists.spotify.comand await verification. Once your profile’s been approved, get ready to set it up! You need to include a biography, a photo and a cover photo. It’s especially important to include the photos on Spotify because sometimes the service sends emails to your fans to let them know about upcoming tours and releases, but they only do this for artists who have uploaded photos. Spotify also has another handy feature when you write or edit your bio – it allows you to tag artists/playlists/songs/albums as direct links. Always link to your social media platforms from Spotify too.
Artist Profiles: YouTube
YouTube is the premium platform for music videos. It offers useful stats like views by city and play counts. This is ONLY available to artists who distribute their music with MGMH Groove. We cannot request updates to accounts distributed by other distributors.
New Releases end up on a ‘Topic’ channel, unless you have successfully applied for an Official Artists Channel (you need a minimum of 1 delivered releases to apply, seehere.for details). If you think you meet these requirements we can help you apply for an OAC on your behalf. Email: mgmhgroove@distrosupport.freshdesk.com.
Please be aware we can’t guarantee you’ll be accepted to their program. We also suggest that you be a part of the YouTube Partner Program, which you can read more about here.
How do I move my tracks from topic file on YouTube to My personal channel?
To get your tracks moved from the generic ‘Topic’ channel to your personal channel, we need to apply for an ‘Official Artist Channel‘. Sometimes it can take at least a month to be approved by YouTube, and you need at least one distributed release to qualify for an OAC. See here for more details.
If you get accepted, the topic channel is merged with your user channel, and a new section is added with those videos. You need to already have some content on your user channel and YouTube expects that it should already have some traction and the same name on the channel. They will refuse to process OAC requests for channels with no content. There is no option for artist separation on YouTube, we can apply for an Official artist channel (OAC) to link your topic channel so all releases show up on your OAC.
If you think you qualify and would like to apply, please confirm the following details for us via support email on main artist dashboard;
