How to Add Your Own Music to Spotify

Whether you are an independent artist looking to share your original tracks with millions of listeners worldwide, or a casual listener wanting to listen to unreleased mixes, rare live recordings, or personal audio files on your Spotify app, adding your own music is completely achievable.

Depending on your ultimate goal—publishing music officially for the world to hear or importing local files just for your private device library—the process takes two entirely different paths. Here is your complete guide to doing both.

Method 1: How to Officially Release Your Music on Spotify (For Artists)

Spotify does not allow independent artists to upload tracks directly to its platform. Instead, they work with digital music distributors who act as the bridge, formatting your tracks, delivering them to streaming services, and collecting royalties on your behalf.

Step 1: Choose a Music Distributor

Popular and reliable music distribution services include:

• DistroKid (Popular for a flat annual fee and unlimited uploads)
• TuneCore / CD Baby (Great for per-release or subscription models)
• SoundOn / iMusician (Offers great integrations and tiered features)

Step 2: Prepare Your Files and Metadata

Before uploading, make sure your assets meet industry standards:

• Audio Format: Export your audio as a high-resolution, lossless file (typically a 24-bit/44.1kHz or higher WAV file).
• Cover Art: Must be a high-resolution square image, usually 3000 x 3000 pixels, in JPEG or PNG format.
• Metadata: Have your track title, artist name, featuring artists, genres, release date, and songwriter credits ready. Double-check spelling so your music lands on the correct artist profile.

Step 3: Upload and Submit

Log into your chosen distributor’s dashboard, select “Create a New Release,” upload your audio files and artwork, and fill out your metadata. Select Spotify (along with other platforms like Apple Music or Amazon Music) as your target destination, and submit your project for review.

Step 4: Claim Your “Spotify for Artists” Profile

Once your music is approved and goes live (which can take anywhere from a few days to a couple of weeks), claim your official Spotify for Artists profile. This unlocks your verified checkmark, allows you to update your artist bio, view listening analytics, and pitch your unreleased songs directly to Spotify’s editorial playlist team.

Method 2: How to Add Local Audio Files to Spotify (For Private Listening)

If you already have MP3s or audio files saved on your computer or phone and want to listen to them alongside your standard Spotify playlists without a distributor, you can use the Local Files feature.

On Desktop (Windows & Mac)

1. Open the Spotify desktop app and click on your profile picture in the top right corner, then select Settings.
2. Scroll down to the Your Library section and toggle on Show Local Files.
3. Click Add a Source and select the folder on your computer where your music files (supported formats include MP3, MP4, and M4P) are saved.
4. Head over to your left-hand sidebar, open Your Library, and click on the newly appeared Local Files folder to find your tracks and add them to any playlist.

On Mobile (Android & iPhone)

• For Android: Go to Settings and privacy > Apps and devices, and toggle on Local audio files. Make sure Spotify has permission to access your media files.
• For iOS (iPhone/iPad): Go to Settings and privacy > Apps and devices, and turn on Local audio files. You will need to ensure your audio files are properly transferred into the designated Spotify folder on your device using cloud sync or a file management connection.

💡 Pro-Tip for Mobile Syncing: If you manage your local files on your desktop, you can easily sync them to your phone by putting those local tracks into a playlist, connecting both devices to the same Wi-Fi network, and downloading the playlist directly on your mobile device.