When it comes to switching distributors, several questions may arise in the mind of an artist. It may happen that you distributed a track with the digital distributor company that you later found not perfect for you. In this case, an artist is left with just a single option to choose another digital distributor and leave the current one. Nowadays, a number of digital distribution companies have hidden costs that artists are not made aware of. Some digital distribution companies promise to offer free service and take about 15% to 20% of the earnings. Some companies lure emerging artists into choosing them by sending promotional emails. If you are one of those artists who intend to switch distributors but are worried about losing their stream counts, here is how you can switch a music distributor without losing stream counts or playlists.

Remember Before You Redistribute a Track

When you plan to redistribute your previously released track via another distributor, make sure that the song title, artwork, and artist name should be as it is. The audio file should be the same, and no changes to the audio file should be made. You must use genuine ISRC and UPC numbers. The release date should also be as it is. If you take down the previous release after the newly-distributed one is live, you will see the duplicate release for the same track on the music stores. It’s okay.

Know about ISRC and UPC Numbers

In the world of music distribution, ISRC numbers are the most important numbers that stand for the recognition of a song. The UPC numbers are generally for a single release, album, and EP. You should keep both of these secure and safe as both ISRC and UPC numbers are asked to verify the authenticity of the artist. You can log in to your user account and ask their support team about the ISRC and UPC numbers.

What to Do with UPC and ISRC Numbers

When you redistribute a track, keep in mind that you can’t do so unless you have the correct UPC and ISRC numbers. Contact your digital music distributor to know these. After you have found ISRC and UPC numbers, it is time to apply for the redistribution of the track. Fill in all the accurate album details. From song title, artist’s name, to artwork, nothing should change at all. When you submit all these details, you will be asked to fill in the UPC and ISRC numbers. Just copy these numbers and paste them in the empty field on another digital distributor’s details section. Don’t make any mistake while filling both UPC and ISRC numbers.

How to Take Down a Song and Redistribute It

If your song has not performed well in the recent past years and you want to take it down from the current distributor, All you have to do is email the support team. While making a take-down request, you must include ISRC and UPC numbers in the email. The support team may require some more details to complete the process. After the song has been taken down, you can apply for distributing the same track with another digital distributor. You can change the artwork, song title, or artist’s name, or other album details as per your choice.

Conclusion

The process of switching another music distributor is quite simple. The tips shared above will not let artists lose their stream counts and playlists even if they switch distributors. We have also mentioned the ways to take down and redistribute the same track with new artwork and a song title. We hope the information proves vital to you.

Source: https://a7office.co.uk/how-to-switch-music-distributor-without-losing-stream-counts-or-playlists/