How to become an official artist on Apple Music

Cassettes, records, and even CDs are making a bit of a comeback – there’s something nostalgic about dropping a needle on vinyl that digital music just can’t offer. But even if you’re jumping on the analog wave, you can’t deny the power of streaming platforms. There’s nothing quite like being able to listen to your favorite song whenever you want, wherever you are.

If you love streaming media, you’re not alone. Hundreds of millions of people use these platforms. If you’re a musician, that means you’ve hundreds of millions of potential fans waiting to discover your latest hit – and if you can get your songs on Apple Music, you’ll reach almost 100 million subscribers on just one app. That’s nearly a fifth of the world’s streaming music listeners. So add getting on this music app to your to-do list before you launch your next track.

Here’s everything you’ve ever wanted to know about how to become an artist on Apple Music.

How to get my music on Apple Music

You don’t have to be backed by a label to tap into Apple Music’s massive reach. You’ll find big names and indie musicians on the app – and you can get there too by teaming up with an Apple-approved music distribution platform. . Distribution companies connect independent artists with streaming services and offer other promotional services. And you don’t have to know how to upload music to Apple Music as an artist. Your distributor will do that for you.

Once you’ve gotten this step out of the way, you’re ready to grow your audience, find new fans, and enjoy all the valuable metrics Apple Music offers. Sure, running analytics can help you strategize your next career move, but it’s also just cool to know listeners are rocking out to your music halfway across the world.

A quick guide to setting up an artist profile on Apple Music

1. Create an Apple ID to use for your Apple Music for Artists account. You can also use your existing Apple ID if you wish.
2. Log into Apple Music for Artists.
3. Click Request Artist Access to search for your artist's name.
4. Click on yourself.
5. Select one of your albums.
6. Fill out all the contact and social media information and add your role (manager, artist, etc.) to claim your Apple Music profile.
7. Click Submit.
8. Wait for an email confirming the successful creation of your artist profile.
9. Rock on.

Make the most of your Apple Music artist profile

Your Apple Music artist page makes it easy for 88 million listeners to find your profile. But it’s more than that. Your Apple Music artist profile comes with metrics and tools that’ll help you boost your career. Here are a few:

• Shareable milestones: When you reach a milestone in your music career, Apple Music will be there cheering you on with an aesthetically-pleasing social media asset you can share with your followers. Some of these milestones include the number of times your song was searched for on Shazam, the playlists your songs have made it onto, and how many plays you’ve gotten on Apple Music. Don’t be shy about celebrating yourself. It’s tough to break into the music industry, but you’re doing it.
• Audience analytics: Find out who’s playing your music, how often, and where they’re listening. You can find all this information and more on Apple Music for Artist’s user-friendly dashboard. This kind of data can help you plan your next tour, making sure you hit cities where you have a high concentration of loyal fans. You can also learn more about your listeners by accessing their streaming data and preferences.
• The power of Shazam: Since Shazam integrates with Apple Music, your artist image will automatically appear on Shazam when a new fan looks up your song. Plus, Shazam makes it easy for listeners to open tracks they like on Apple Music. And since Apple Music aggregates Shazam data, you’ll know how many organics listens you’re getting and where in the world they’re coming from.

Find your fans

You can be an expert on how to post on Apple Music, but if you’re forgetting to post on social media, you’re missing out on an opportunity to find even more fans. Apple Music has a huge reach on its own, but nearly 5 billion people around the world use social media. Here’s how to create social media accounts that show off your vibe, engage fans and keep them listening to your tracks:

• Leverage your bio: Social media bios are valuable for real estate. You can use these spaces to share the release date of your latest drop, announce a show, and link to your merch site or band’s webpage. You likely have more than just one link to post, so use a Linktree URL. This special link branches out to several locations, so you can direct your viewers to your website, merch page, music videos on your YouTube channel, and beyond.
• Know your brand: Your social media account should represent who you are. Transmit the spirit of your music and cover art on your social media pages by staying on theme. Use consistent colors and fonts wherever you go, and remember that you have a one-of-a-kind aesthetic to uphold.
• Post consistently: Make a calendar for your upcoming social media posts so you’re constantly connecting with fans. Use all the tools available to you, like Instagram reels