You need a music distributor because most major streaming platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon Music do not typically accept direct uploads from independent artists and labels. Instead, they rely on distributors to deliver music, manage metadata, and handle royalty reporting and payments.
Music distributors provide the digital infrastructure that connects your releases to streaming services worldwide. They assign or manage important industry identifiers such as UPCs (Universal Product Codes) for releases and ISRCs (International Standard Recording Codes) for individual tracks. They also help organize metadata, deliver your music to platforms, track streaming activity, and collect royalties across multiple territories.