Spotify has launched a new beta feature that enables independent artists to upload their music directly to the service.
The move follows Spotify’s initiative to open up its playlists to emerging talent.
As the streaming giant went public, CEO Daniel Ek spoke about his ambitions to help a million artists live off their art. It also means Spotify bypasses labels at a time when it’s already seeking to establish direct relationships with managers, though Ek has denied that the streaming service will evolve into a record company.
Spotify has now launched the upload tool as part of its Spotify For Artists platform.
In a blog post, the company said: “We worked with a handful of independent artists—like Noname, Michael Brun, VIAA, and Hot Shade—to make sure we kept your needs in mind. Their feedback was instrumental in shaping the feature, and now we’re ready to see how a wider range of artists will put it to use.”
Artists will be able to deliver music straight to Spotify for their chosen release day and take control of the metadata.
“Just like releasing through any other partner, you'll get paid when fans stream your music on Spotify,” the blog post stated. “Your recording royalties will hit your bank account automatically each month, and you’ll see a clear report of how much your streams are earning right next to the other insights you already get from Spotify for Artists. Uploading is free to all artists, and Spotify doesn’t charge you any fees or commissions no matter how frequently you release music.”
The service is currently only available by invitation to a few hundred US-based independent artists, but Spotify is set to roll it out more widely in the coming months.
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