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Music Distribution 101: Get Your Songs Out & Get Paid
6 students
Last updated 11/2025
English

What you'll learn

  • Understand how music distribution and aggregation really work
  • Choose the right distributor or aggregator for your music
  • Prepare your music properly for submission (split sheets, tagging & metadata)
  • Upload your music step-by-step without losing rights or payments
  • Read and analyze royalty statements from platforms like CD Baby and DistroKid
  • Protect your ownership before distribution

Course content

7 sections16 lectures1h 11m total length
  • Welcome & Course Objectives0:32
  • How Distribution Fits Into the Bigger Music Royalties Picture1:03

Requirements

  • Have a completed song that's ready to share with the world

Description

Releasing your music is exciting — but if you do it wrong, you could lose your royalties before you even start earning them. This course gives you a clear, beginner-friendly roadmap to getting your songs onto streaming platforms the right way, while protecting your ownership and ensuring you get paid. You’ll learn how distribution fits into the bigger music royalty system, what distributors like CD Baby, DistroKid, and TuneCore actually do, and how to avoid the hidden pitfalls in their contracts. Then, we’ll walk through preparing your music for release — from split sheets and metadata to file formats and upload steps. Finally, you’ll learn how to read your royalty statements, spot errors, and understand the flow of money from stream to payout. If you’ve ever said: “I just want to upload my music and get paid.” This is the course that shows you how—simply and clearly.

Stop feeling overwhelmed by the music business and start building a sustainable career. You will gain the confidence to manage your catalog independently, making informed decisions that benefit you for years to come. Don't let confusion stop you; take control of your music's future and turn your passion into a profession. Enroll today and finally release your music with total confidence.

Who this course is for:

  • Independent artists releasing their first songs
  • Music producers and beatmakers managing their own releases
  • Small labels and artist managers
  • Anyone who wants to understand how distribution affects royalties