Many musicians today do not want to worry about the hassle of getting signed onto a record label, and are instead interested in promoting their work independently. In the past two decades, platforms known as music distribution sites have been created to help artists promote their music without needing to be signed onto a record label.
An artist who uses a music distribution site needs only to upload their music to one place; from there, the platform will distribute this music to a wide variety of music stores. This allows people from across the globe to listen to that artist’s music.
There are countless music distribution sites available today, and it can be difficult for an upcoming artist to figure out which site to use. If you are looking for a platform that will allow you to distribute your music throughout the world, then read on! Spinnup may be just the site you are looking for.
->> Check Out the ULTIMATE Music Distribution Guide (Reviews & Chart)
What is Spinnup?
Spinnup is one of the many music distribution sites available to musicians today. It was founded in 2013 by Universal Music Group as a way for musicians to independently upload their own content online. Spinnup was founded in Sweden and is based mainly in Europe.
Its services, however, are available to users across the globe. Unlike many other music distribution sites, such as TuneCore and Ditto Music, Spinnup is also a way for its founder, Universal Music Group, to discover upcoming artists and potentially sign them onto their record label. As of 2020, over 70 different Spinnup artists have been signed by the Universal Music Group.
Key features of Spinnup
Spinnup comes with a variety of features that are useful to both upcoming and experienced musicians.
Artists who upload their content onto Spinnup are given access to a wide variety of music stores, including iTunes, Apple Music, and Spotify. In total, there are over 40 different distribution stores available to Spinnup users.
A few of these stores, however, only accept certain kinds of music. For example, Beatport only accepts EDM, so it is not available to every artist who uses Spinnup.
Another useful feature available through Spinnup is the ability to withdraw music at any time. If an artist ends up losing more money than they make, they can easily remove their music from the site and not have to pay for their music during subsequent years.
Spinnup is also one of the only music distribution sites run by a record label, and its users have the choice to make their profile viewable by Universal Music and other potential scouts. This is particularly helpful for artists who would like to start promoting their work independently, but are still interested in getting signed onto a record label.
The site also has a News section which provides many articles, videos, and other free content to help users learn more about the music industry. These guides cover topics such as promoting your work on social media, connecting with agents, and how to produce music at home.
Spinnup users are also given access to a feature which allows them to track their music sales across a variety of music stores. This feature provides the artist with in-depth information on their sales statistics and number of plays.
If you choose to connect your social media sites, Spinnup will use these sites to help you track data from there, as well. Artists can use this information to learn what their fanbase is, and to learn which sales techniques work the best. This is very helpful in allowing artists to learn how to grow their sales more effectively.
Finally, Spinnup also lets users see where their fans are located. This is an excellent feature that allows users to decide which places would be best to promote their music, as well as which locations would be best to tour.
What should you expect from Spinnup?
While Spinnup does not have as much renown as some of the larger music distribution sites, it still has a good reputation. Some music distribution sites have earned negative reviews for hidden fees, but Spinnup’s pricing format is upfront. It may not have as many special features as a large site like TuneCore, but it provides all of the necessary features to any upcoming artists looking to promote their music.
Although Spinnup boasts excellent customer support, there have been some users who complain that it isn’t very responsive. There are also some users who claim that Spinnup does not promote their music as well as promised. However, this is a subject for debate; being a successful artist is about more than just promotion.
Frankly, if an artist’s music isn’t good, people aren’t going to listen to it no matter how well it was promoted.
Overall, there are countless users who are very satisfied with Spinnup, and most reviewers agree that the site delivers on the promises it makes.
How do you upload your music using Spinnup?
Uploading your music onto Spinnup is a fast and simple process. Here is a step-by-step mini guide to get you started.
Step 1: Create an Account
The first step is to create a free account on spinnup.com. To create an account, the only information you need to enter is your name and your email address. From there, you have the option to link your social media accounts, as well as edit your profile.
You can choose to make your account public, private, or viewable only to Universal Music and its teams. By selecting the final option, Universal Music can view your profile and potentially contact you about getting signed onto their record label.
Step 2: Selecting a Payment Plan
While setting up an account on Spinnup is entirely free, you will have to pay an annual fee for the music you choose to upload on the site. Spinnup gives you three different options for payment based on the type of music you plan to upload: Singles, EPs, and albums. We will be further discussing payment details later in this article.
Step 3: Uploading Your Music
After selecting a payment plan, you can then upload your music files. In order to upload music onto Spinnup, the audio file must be formatted as either WAV or FLAC.
To upload your music, you simply have to select a file from your computer, or drag and drop it onto the screen. Once your file has been uploaded, you must provide the track and release info. For the finishing touches, you can add your cover art.
Step 4: Review
After your music has been uploaded, you will have to wait 1-3 days for the Spinnup team to review your audio and make sure it follows all of the guidelines. Once your music is approved, Spinnup will distribute it to its many different music stores, and you can start making money!
Price and plans
Rather than making all users pay a set annual fee, Spinnup gives its users the opportunity to customize their payment plan based on the type of music they are distributing. There are three different payment plans available:
- Single: $9.99/year
- EP (3-6 tracks): $19.99/year
- Album (7-25 tracks): ?$39.99/year
Pros of Spinnup
Now let’s recap some of the main advantages of using Spinnup.
Firstly, Spinnup gives its users 100% of the royalties they make off of their music. In contrast, artists who work with record labels only make about 10-15% of their total earnings. This makes Spinnup an excellent choice for artists who want to earn every cent that their music makes.
While TuneCore is the most widely used music distribution site available today, Spinnup’s payment options are more versatile. TuneCore users are not provided the cheaper option of uploading an EP; instead, they have to pay the price for uploading an entire album.
Spinnup users, however, have the ability to pay $20 less per year in order to upload their EP. This is especially good for upcoming artists who don’t have enough content to produce an entire album yet, but don’t want to pay an absurdly high amount in order to release only a few songs.
Spinnup also provides easy access to statistics so users can track their music sales. This data helps artists learn how to better promote themselves in order to maximize sales.
Cons of Spinnup
Spinnup offers many great features, but like any service, it does have some drawbacks.
Perhaps the most glaring of these drawbacks is the small number of music stores that Spinnup has access to. Spinnup users can only distribute to around 40 different music stores, which is a very small number when compared to the 150 different stores available through TuneCore. Still, it is worth noting that Spinnup does give its users access to all of the major music stores.
Secondly, there have been complaints from users that Spinnup’s customer support is not very responsive, which can be frustrating to an upcoming artist who has questions about how to get started.
Many larger music distribution sites offer exclusive features such as publishing administrations and promotions from social media influencers. Spinnup, unfortunately, does not give its users access to these same features.
The Verdict
While Spinnup may not be the ideal site for more experienced artists who are looking for access to exclusive promotional features, it is an excellent site for upcoming artists. It may not have access to as many stores as larger music distribution sites, but Spinnup still distributes music to the most widely used sites, such as Spotify, iTunes, and Apple Music, making it a great way for artists to get their music out into the world.
It is also great for beginning artists who are searching for a site that offers cheap and versatile prices. Finally, its easy access and user-friendly interface make it the ideal choice for the musician who is just starting to promote their work.
If you are an upcoming artist looking for a way to get started promoting your music, then Spinnup is an excellent choice.
->> Check Out the ULTIMATE Music Distribution Guide (Reviews & Chart)
