You can switch music distributors without treating your catalogue as brand-new music. The safest method is to reuse each recording’s ISRC, upload the same audio and metadata to the new distributor, wait until the replacement is live and matched, and only then ask the old distributor for a takedown.
That sequence gives Spotify and other services the best chance of recognising the replacement as the same recording. It is not a guarantee. A different master, duration, title, artist role or store profile can break the match, so a careful switch is mostly an exercise in keeping boring details identical.
Before you switch, decide what you are moving
A distributor switch is much easier when the scope is clear. Are you moving one single, one artist, a whole label catalogue or only the stores your current distributor does not serve well?
Make a release inventory before touching either account. For each release, record:
- release title and version;
- primary and featured artists;
- original release date;
- track order;
- ISRC for every recording;
- UPC or EAN for the release;
- current artwork file;
- exact audio master used for delivery;
- label and copyright lines;
- store territories;
- Spotify, Apple Music, Beatport and other live links; and
- important playlist placements or visible play counts.
Do this while the old account is open and paid. A cancellation screen is a poor place to discover that the only copy of an ISRC was in a dashboard you can no longer reach.
The identifiers you need
ISRC: the recording code
An ISRC identifies an individual sound recording. A radio edit, live version, remaster and extended mix should each have their own code because they are different recordings.
When the recording is unchanged, carry the ISRC to the new distributor. Do not generate a new one just because the delivery company changed. Our ISRC guide covers where to find the code and when a new version needs a new one.
UPC or EAN: the release code
A UPC or EAN identifies the release package: the single, EP or album as a product. Save it even if the new distributor will not accept it. Some services let you bring the existing code; others issue a new one.
The recording can still carry its original ISRC when the new distributor assigns a different UPC. That is why the two codes should not be treated as interchangeable. Read our UPC guide for the practical difference.
Download more than the codes
Your identifier spreadsheet is only useful if the assets match it. Keep the lossless audio file originally delivered, not a later MP3 download from a store. Save the approved high-resolution artwork. Export the metadata and credits rather than rebuilding them from memory.
Download royalty statements too. Store reports arrive late, so the old distributor may continue receiving and reporting money after its delivery is removed. Keep tax documents, payment records and support emails until the final reporting periods have cleared.
For a label, record who owns each master and who should be paid. Changing distributor does not rewrite artist agreements or royalty splits. If rights have changed hands, settle that separately and give the new distributor accurate ownership information.
A safe distributor-switch timeline
| Stage | What to do | What not to do |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Prepare | Export identifiers, assets, metadata, links and statements | Cancel the old plan |
| 2. Rebuild | Create matching releases at the new distributor | Fix titles or replace masters |
| 3. Deliver | Send to the same stores and artist profiles | Request the old takedown |
| 4. Verify | Check live links, play counts, profiles and credits | Assume “approved” means matched |
| 5. Remove | Ask the old distributor to take down its delivery | Leave duplicate deliveries running indefinitely |
| 6. Reconcile | Monitor stores and collect final statements | Close access before late royalties arrive |
Leave several weeks for the whole job. Distributor review and store processing are separate queues. A quiet week is not a failure, but it is a reason to build more time into the plan than a normal Friday upload.
Step 1: upload to the new distributor first
Create the replacement while the old version is still live. Use the original release date and send it to the same territories and services where supported.
A short duplicate overlap is normal during a controlled migration. DistroKid’s own switching guidance recommends uploading first and removing the old delivery after the new one is live. That is different from leaving identical releases with two distributors long term, which can split reporting, cause conflicts and make support harder.
For a large catalogue, begin with a test batch. Pick two or three releases that include the situations you need to prove: a single with a healthy play count, an album, a collaboration and perhaps a Beatport title. If they match cleanly, move the next batch.
Step 2: reuse every ISRC correctly
Enter the old ISRC against the same recording. Check every character. ISRCs are short enough to copy by eye and long enough for one wrong digit to create a mess.
Do not reuse an ISRC when the audio has materially changed. A new vocal, remaster, different edit, added section or changed mix is a new recording. Give that version its own code and treat it as a new release rather than trying to inherit the old track history.
File format changes do not automatically make a new recording. DistroKid’s current ISRC guidance says a code stays with the recording through distributor, ownership and file-type changes. The important question is whether the recording itself is the same.
Step 3: keep the metadata boringly identical
Spotify says its track-linking process needs the old and new audio and metadata to be the same, including duration, title and artist name. Those are the fields it names publicly. In practice, treat the entire release as fixed during the move.
- Keep capitalisation and punctuation the same.
- Use the same primary, featured and remixer roles.
- Keep version information such as “Radio Edit” or “Extended Mix”.
- Use the same explicit or clean flag.
- Keep the original release date.
- Keep the track order.
- Use the same language, composer and performer credits.
- Keep the audio and duration unchanged.
A migration is not the time to tidy a typo, shorten an artist name or replace an old master. First get the replacement matched. Once the old delivery has gone and the catalogue is stable, request amendments through the new distributor.
This discipline also protects royalties. Bad or incomplete credits can create problems well beyond the visual release page. Our post on metadata mistakes explains why a small field deserves more attention than it usually gets.
Step 4: map the right artist profiles
Reusing an artist name is not enough when several artists share it. Give the new distributor the existing Spotify, Apple Music and other artist links or IDs if its upload form allows that.
After delivery, check every service. A perfectly matched ISRC on the wrong artist profile is still a failed migration. Collaborations are especially easy to misroute because the main artist, featured artist and remixer can each have separate pages.
If a release lands on the wrong profile, contact the new distributor while both versions are visible. Send the correct artist URL, wrong artist URL, release link, UPC and ISRC. Clear evidence saves a support team from having to rediscover the problem.
Step 5: wait until the replacement is live
“Submitted”, “approved” and “delivered” are milestones inside a distributor. They do not prove the consumer-facing release is available or linked.
Open each store yourself. Check:
- the release plays from start to finish;
- it appears on the correct artist profile;
- the original release date is shown;
- titles, roles, artwork and credits are correct;
- the visible Spotify play count matches; and
- important playlists still open the track.
Spotify’s official re-uploading guide says matching play counts show that track-linking has worked. Use the desktop app and widen the window if the count is hidden.
Other services do not expose the same simple check. Compare old and new links, artist pages, release dates and library behaviour. If two versions remain separate, save screenshots and contact the new distributor before taking anything down.
Step 6: request the old takedown
Once the replacement is live and matched, ask the old distributor to remove its version. Remove the delivery, not the artist profile.
Stores process takedowns at different speeds. For a while you may see two versions, one version or a mixture across territories. Keep a simple checklist and mark each store only when the old delivery has gone and the replacement still works.
Do not close the old account immediately. Late usage reports can arrive for months, and support may need the old UPC, delivery date or store link. Cancel renewal when the move is secure, but retain whatever management access the old service provides.
What happens to Spotify streams?
Spotify supports re-uploading without losing the play count through track-linking. It compares the release information and recording, and specifically tells artists to keep the audio, duration, title and artist name the same.
If the two deliveries link, the replacement should show the existing count. The count is attached to Spotify’s matched track, not transferred by one distributor sending a spreadsheet to another.
No distributor can guarantee that Spotify will link a release. An incorrect ISRC, different duration, altered artist role or new master can split it. If matching fails, give support both track URLs, the ISRC and the exact fields used in each delivery.
What happens to playlists and saves?
When Spotify recognises the replacement as the same recording, playlist placements and saves often continue with it. DistroKid says services will try to preserve play counts and playlists when the audio, ISRC and metadata match, but it also says the result is not guaranteed.
Record your important placements before starting. Include editorial playlists, user playlists and any high-traffic algorithmic placements visible in Spotify for Artists. After linking, open the playlists from a listener account and check the track plays.
If the service treats the replacement as a separate track, a user-created playlist owner may need to add it again. Editorial restoration is the store’s decision. Your distributor can raise a delivery problem, but it cannot promise a playlist slot.
What about Apple Music?
Apple Music works with distributors to manage delivery, metadata, assets and financial reporting. Apple does not publish the same track-linking checklist that Spotify does, so avoid promising an identical result.
Use the same ISRC, audio and metadata, supply the existing Apple artist link, and check whether the replacement appears on the right profile with the original date. Libraries, play counts and editorial placements are controlled by Apple. If the pages do not consolidate, ask the new distributor to investigate.
Can you change the artwork while switching?
You can try, but the safest answer is: not during the migration. Use the currently approved artwork so the new delivery looks like a replacement, not a new edition.
After the stores have matched the release and the old distributor’s copy is gone, submit the artwork change through the new distributor. Separating the move from the amendment leaves fewer possible causes when something goes wrong.
The same applies to title corrections, new credits and remasters. Move first. Edit second.
Will a new UPC break the switch?
Not necessarily. The ISRC identifies the recording and is the critical code to preserve. Some distributors accept the existing release UPC; others insist on generating a new one.
DistroKid, for example, says it does not accept a custom UPC for an upload, although eligible higher plans allow a custom ISRC. A move to DistroKid can therefore keep the track’s ISRC while using a new release code.
Save the old UPC anyway. It helps identify the previous delivery in statements and support conversations, and a new distributor such as Kinjari may allow you to reuse it.
Watch for Content ID and social-platform conflicts
Catalogue moves are not limited to Spotify and Apple Music. YouTube Content ID, Meta, TikTok and other fingerprinting systems may receive overlapping claims while two distributors are active.
Before enabling monetisation at the new distributor, check how the old service releases claims. A controlled overlap in streaming stores may be fine, while overlapping Content ID administration can claim your own channel or create competing ownership records.
LANDR’s current migration guide also warns that TikTok does not support ISRC migration, so TikTok statistics will not sync when the old version is removed. Store behaviour differs; do not treat Spotify’s process as universal.
What if the old distributor removes the music first?
There may be downtime, but the catalogue is not automatically lost. Recreate the release from your saved files:
- upload the exact original master;
- reuse its ISRC;
- copy the artist names, titles and roles exactly;
- use the original release date;
- supply the correct artist profile links; and
- deliver to the same territories and stores.
Spotify can still track-link a re-upload, but the missing overlap makes the result harder to verify and no service promises restoration. If it does not match, send the former URL, new URL, ISRC and screenshots to the new distributor.
Do not invent a new ISRC in a panic. That tells stores they are looking at a different recording and makes a clean match less likely.
Moving a large catalogue
Do not submit 400 releases on Monday and cancel the old account on Friday. Move in batches that one person can check properly.
A sensible label sequence might be:
- two test releases from one artist;
- the rest of that artist’s catalogue;
- one collaboration-heavy batch;
- Beatport and specialist-store releases;
- the remaining straightforward catalogue; and
- compilations and edge cases last.
Keep a shared sheet with the old and new UPCs, every ISRC, submission date, live date, store match and takedown date. Give one person responsibility for signing off each row. A migration becomes risky when “someone checked it” is the entire audit trail.
Switching from DistroKid
Export your masters, art, metadata, ISRCs and statements before cancelling. Add Leave a Legacy only if you want selected releases to remain under DistroKid after cancellation; it is not required when a clean replacement is already live elsewhere.
Upload to the new distributor, reuse the original ISRCs and verify the store matches. Then delete the DistroKid delivery and allow time for stores to process it. DistroKid says outstanding earnings remain accessible after the annual membership ends.
If you are moving in the other direction, DistroKid’s Musician Plus and Ultimate plans allow custom ISRCs; the entry Musician plan does not. DistroKid generates a new UPC for the upload.
Switching from LANDR
LANDR has a catalogue importer that can pull release details from Spotify or Apple Music into draft releases. It still requires you to review the metadata, provide original lossless audio and artwork, and submit the replacements.
Its migration guide says to keep the old delivery live until the new one is approved, sent, available and merged. It also makes clear that merging is not guaranteed.
When leaving LANDR, use the same sequence in reverse. One policy difference is worth noting: LANDR says releases remain live after cancelling a distribution subscription, with a 15% commission, unless you request removal or another agreement reason applies. You may therefore have more time to complete the move than with a service that removes music when renewal ends. Check the account’s current terms before relying on that.
Switching to Kinjari
Kinjari accepts existing ISRCs and UPCs without an extra charge. Upload the original masters, artwork and matching metadata, then wait for the store versions to appear before asking the old distributor for a takedown.
Kinjari aims to approve and process releases within seven working days. Stores then add their own processing time, so leave several weeks for a move rather than treating seven working days as a live-date promise.
The distribution agreement is non-exclusive, but you should not leave the same release delivered to the same store through two distributors beyond the controlled transition. Long-term duplicates can interfere with royalties and statistics.
If you later cancel Kinjari, your existing releases remain live and you continue to keep 90% of royalties. Your account switches to management-only, so you can continue to receive and withdraw royalties, but you cannot upload new music.
A worked example
Suppose an artist has an eight-track album, three singles and one collaboration. The album has meaningful Spotify counts; one single is on user playlists; the collaboration appears on two artist profiles.
First, the artist exports 12 ISRCs, four release UPCs, the four covers, original WAV files, credits, release dates and store links. The artist submits the album and one single as a test batch, using the same metadata and profile links.
After the new versions are live, the artist checks Spotify desktop. The album tracks show the old play counts, but the single lands on the wrong profile. The old delivery stays up while the new distributor fixes the profile. Only after the correction and playlist check does the artist request takedown for those two releases.
The remaining singles and collaboration move next. The collaboration receives extra attention because both artist mappings must be right. Final statements continue arriving from the old distributor after its deliveries disappear.
Nothing about this is glamorous. That is the point. A controlled, documented switch is far safer than a dramatic account cancellation.
Distributor-switch checklist
- Define which artists, releases and stores are moving.
- Export ISRCs, UPCs, metadata, statements and store links.
- Save the exact audio and artwork files.
- Upload matching releases to the new distributor.
- Reuse the original ISRC for every unchanged recording.
- Keep names, titles, roles, dates, flags and duration identical.
- Supply existing artist profile links.
- Wait until the replacements are live.
- Check play counts, profiles, playlists, artwork and credits.
- Resolve any mismatches before takedown.
- Ask the old distributor to remove its delivery.
- Monitor specialist stores, Content ID and social platforms.
- Keep the old account accessible for final royalties and support.
Frequently asked questions
Can I switch music distributors without losing streams?
Often, yes. Spotify supports track-linking when the audio and metadata match, including duration, title and artist name. No distributor can guarantee the match.
Should I take the old release down first?
No. Upload the replacement, wait until it is live and check that it has matched. Then request the old takedown.
Do I need the old ISRC?
Yes. Reuse it for the same recording. A new master or materially changed version needs its own ISRC.
Do I also need the UPC?
Save it. Some distributors accept the old release code and some issue a new one. A new UPC does not automatically prevent the recordings from keeping their original ISRCs.
Will my Spotify playlists carry over?
They often do when Spotify links the replacement to the same track, but it is not guaranteed. Record important placements and verify them before removing the old delivery.
Can I change my artwork during the move?
The safer approach is to use the current artwork, complete the migration, then request the change through the new distributor.
Will my old distributor still pay me?
It should continue reporting and paying royalties collected under your old agreement. Store reporting is delayed, so keep access and statements until the final periods clear.
How long does switching distributors take?
Allow several weeks. Approval, delivery, matching and takedown each take time, and large catalogues should move in tested batches.
Can I use two distributors at once?
A short overlap for a controlled migration is common. Do not leave the same release delivered to the same store through two distributors long term; it can create ownership, reporting and monetisation conflicts.
Moving a catalogue? Bring your existing ISRCs, UPCs and release metadata to Kinjari.
Migration guidance checked 20 August 2026 against current information from Spotify, DistroKid, LANDR and Kinjari.
