🎵 Your Music Stays Live the Whole Time
MusicSpark handles catalog migrations with a zero-gap approach — your tracks are re-delivered to all stores before your old distributor's copies are removed. You keep earning, your fans keep streaming, and you keep full ownership of your ISRCs throughout.
01
What You'll Need to Prepare
Your Catalog Info
- All ISRCs and UPCs for your releases
- Original audio files (WAV or FLAC preferred)
- Cover artwork at 3000×3000px minimum
- Metadata: titles, artists, genres, release dates
- Lyrics and credits if applicable
Rights Documentation
- Proof of ownership / master rights
- Publishing splits or PRO affiliations
- Any existing licensing agreements
- Content ID claim history if relevant
- Collaborator agreements for featured artists
Payment & Account
- Bank account or PayPal for royalty payouts
- Tax form (W-9 for US, W-8 for international)
- Final royalty statement from old distributor
- Government-issued ID for verification
- Any outstanding balance status at old distributor
Platform Access
- Spotify for Artists login (to claim your profile)
- Apple Music for Artists access
- YouTube OAC channel link (if applicable)
- List of all DSPs your music is currently live on
- Any pre-saves or smart links to update post-migration
02
Step-by-Step Migration Process
1
Preparation
⏱ 15–30 minutes
Create Your MusicSpark Account
Sign up at musicspark.io and complete full account verification before starting the migration. This includes identity verification and setting up your payout method.
📧Use the same email linked to your Spotify for Artists and Apple Music for Artists accounts for easier platform claiming.
🪪Verify your identity — upload a government-issued ID and complete the tax form. This unlocks full royalty payouts.
💳Add your bank account or PayPal. Royalties from migrated catalog will route here once migration is complete.
2
Preparation
⏱ 30 min – 2 hours depending on catalog size
Export Your Catalog Data from Old Distributor
Before you do anything else, export a full catalog report from your current distributor. This is your safety net — never delete anything from your old account until the migration is fully confirmed live.
📊Download your ISRC & UPC report — this is critical. You need these codes to preserve your streaming history and stats.
💰Export your latest royalty statements. Any earnings up to your final payout cycle still belong to you — confirm with your old distributor when your final statement will be issued.
🗂️Download all original audio files and artwork from your current dashboard as a backup.
3
Action
⏱ 1–3 hours depending on catalog size
Submit Migration Request to MusicSpark
In your MusicSpark dashboard, open the Migration Center and start a new migration request. Our system will guide you through importing your catalog data.
🔢Enter your ISRCs and UPCs — we'll use these exact codes so your streams, saves, and playlist placements remain intact across platforms.
📁Upload your audio files and artwork. Supported formats: WAV, FLAC, AIFF for audio; JPG/PNG (3000×3000px min) for artwork.
📝Fill in or confirm all metadata — track titles, artists, featured artists, composers, release dates, genres, and territories.
🌍Select your distribution territory and confirm all 150+ DSPs you want your music live on.
4
Review
⏱ 1–2 business days
MusicSpark Reviews & Validates Your Catalog
Our migration team checks every release for metadata accuracy, audio quality, artwork specs, and rights conflicts before delivery. You'll be notified of any issues to fix.
🔍We cross-check your ISRCs against our database to flag any conflicts or duplicates before they cause issues on DSPs.
✅Audio and artwork are scanned for quality standards — if anything fails, you'll get a clear fix request in your dashboard within 24 hours.
🛡️Rights verification: we confirm you are the rights holder before starting delivery to prevent Content ID conflicts.
5
Action
⏱ 5–10 business days for full global delivery
MusicSpark Delivers to All DSPs (Re-delivery Phase)
Once approved, MusicSpark delivers your catalog to all selected platforms using your original ISRCs and UPCs. Your music will show up under the same listings — no duplicate tracks.
🎧Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, Tidal, YouTube Music, and 145+ more stores receive your catalog simultaneously.
📌Do NOT take down your catalog from your old distributor yet. Wait for MusicSpark to confirm delivery is live on all platforms first.
🔔You'll receive email + dashboard notifications as each major DSP confirms the delivery is live.
6
Wait
⏱ 1–3 days to verify
Confirm Everything is Live Before Leaving Old Distributor
This is the most important step. Before you cancel or take anything down from your old distributor, verify your music is live under the MusicSpark delivery on every platform.
🔎Check Spotify, Apple Music, and your 2–3 highest-traffic platforms manually. Confirm the track links still work and stream counts are intact.
📊In MusicSpark dashboard, your delivery status will show "Live" for each DSP. Wait for 100% confirmation before proceeding.
⚠️If any DSP shows "Pending" for more than 14 days — contact MusicSpark support immediately. Do not take down from old distributor in the meantime.
7
Action
⏱ 3–7 business days
Take Down From Old Distributor
Once MusicSpark confirms 100% live delivery, you can safely initiate takedowns from your previous distributor. Use their official takedown process — don't just delete your account.
📋Request selective takedowns per release, not full account deletion, so you can still access past royalty statements and documentation.
⏳Store takedowns at old distributor can take 1–5 business days to fully process. Minor overlap is normal and won't cause duplicate listings due to matching ISRCs.
💸Confirm with old distributor when your final royalty payment will be issued. Keep your payout details active there until that's settled.
8
Complete
⏱ 30–60 minutes
Claim Your Artist Profiles & Start Earning
Migration complete. Now claim your Spotify for Artists and Apple Music for Artists profiles under MusicSpark, update any smart links, and watch royalties start flowing in.
🟢In Spotify for Artists, re-verify ownership. Your existing profile, streams, and monthly listener count stay intact.
🍎In Apple Music for Artists, claim your artist page. If you had it claimed with your old distributor, you'll need to re-link it with MusicSpark as your new delivery partner.
🔗Update any smart links, bio links, or pre-save pages that reference your old distributor. The Spotify/Apple links stay the same — just your backend changes.
📈Royalties begin accruing under MusicSpark from the moment your music goes live. Your first payout will arrive at your next scheduled payment cycle.
04
Common Migration Questions
Will my stream count reset when I switch to MusicSpark?
No — as long as we use your original ISRCs and UPCs (which we always do), your stream count, saves, playlist placements, and monthly listeners are all preserved. Spotify and Apple Music associate stats with the ISRC code, not the distributor delivering it.
What happens to royalties still owed by my old distributor?
Any royalties earned while your music was with your previous distributor are still owed to you by them — MusicSpark only begins collecting from the moment your catalog goes live with us. You'll need to settle your final balance with your old distributor separately. We recommend not closing your old account until that final payment clears.
Will my music go offline during the migration?
No, if you follow our process. MusicSpark delivers your music to all platforms before you take anything down from your old distributor. We confirm 100% live delivery before you initiate any takedowns. The only scenario where downtime can occur is if you remove your catalog from your old distributor before MusicSpark delivery is confirmed — which we explicitly advise against.
Can I migrate only part of my catalog?
Yes. You can migrate individual releases or your entire catalog. Many artists start by moving their newest or best-performing releases first, then migrate the rest over time. MusicSpark handles partial migrations without issue.
How long does the migration take from start to finish?
For a typical catalog (10–50 releases), the full process takes 7–14 business days. Larger catalogs (100+ releases) may take 3–4 weeks. The limiting factor is DSP delivery times — some stores like Spotify process quickly (2–3 days), while others (regional stores) can take up to 10 days.
What if my old distributor owns my ISRCs?
Some older distributors assign their own ISRCs and retain ownership. If this applies to you, contact our migration team before starting. In many cases we can request ISRC transfers on your behalf, or if that's not possible, we'll issue new ISRCs — with a plan to update metadata across platforms to consolidate your streaming history over time.
Do I need to notify my old distributor first?
You don't need permission to move your catalog, but it's good practice to review your contract for any notice periods or outstanding obligations. Some distributors require 30–60 days notice. Always confirm when your final royalty statement will be issued before initiating takedowns.