Understanding Spotify for Artists

Spotify for Artists is Spotify's own platform for managing your artist profile — editing your photo and bio, viewing listener analytics, submitting music for playlist consideration, and using tools like Canvas and Discovery Mode. CD Baby gives you a shortcut to start claiming your profile, but Spotify for Artists itself is built, run, and supported by Spotify.

Quick summary:

• Claim your page from the "Tools & Promotion" tab in your CD Baby account — this launches Spotify's claim process, which you finish on Spotify's side
• You'll need a title live on Spotify (claiming can take up to 2 weeks after your release goes live) and your own Spotify account to complete the claim
• Spotify manages and supports Spotify for Artists directly — CD Baby can help you start a claim, but can't troubleshoot its features or navigation
• Mixed-up or wrong-artist pages are fixed with a Spotify artist separation request
• Discovery Mode and playlist pitching both happen inside Spotify for Artists, not through CD Baby

How to claim your Spotify Artist page

If you distribute through CD Baby, you can start claiming your Spotify profile from your CD Baby account:

1. Log in to your CD Baby account
2. Go to the "Tools & Promotion" tab
3. Select "Get Instant Access" under Spotify for Artists
4. Click "Get Access" under your artist name
   • If you don't have any active releases, you won't see your artist name here
   • If you have multiple artists on your account, choose the correct one from the drop-down
5. This opens the Spotify for Artists app — finish the claim process there

Before you start, you'll need:

• At least one title that's active and live on Spotify
• Your own Spotify account (free or paid) — this is required to complete the claim on Spotify's side

How long does it take for my page to appear?

• Once your release is live on Spotify, it can take up to 2 weeks for Spotify to fully build your profile
• After that, you can claim your page from your CD Baby account
• If this is your first release and nothing is live on Spotify yet, you'll need to wait for your release to go live before you can claim a page

Troubleshooting common issues

My music is mixed up with another artist's page

If your music is appearing on another artist's page, or someone else's music is appearing on yours, Spotify can fix this with an artist separation request. File one directly from your Spotify for Artists account, or at artists.spotify.com/c/content-mismatch.

How to find your Artist URL on Spotify

Right-click your artist name on Spotify > "Share" > "Copy link to artist."

Spotify Canvas

Canvas lets you add a looping video to your songs on Spotify. Once you're claimed on Spotify for Artists, log in and the Canvas tool will be ready for you to use. Need a video to use? Check out the CDB Video Creator.

Getting your music into Spotify's playlists

Editorial playlist consideration: Once you've claimed your Spotify for Artists page, you can submit unreleased music there for Spotify's own playlist consideration — this is never guaranteed. A few things worth knowing:

• This isn't available for your very first release, since you need an already-claimed Spotify for Artists page to submit, and you won't have had time to claim one yet
• Only first-time, previously unreleased music qualifies — a track that's already out elsewhere doesn't qualify even with new metadata, and remixes or remasters may not qualify either if the audio is too close to the original
• If the submission option isn't showing up despite meeting the requirements, your release may be linked to the wrong Spotify artist page — you'd need an artist separation first, which may not finish in time for your submission deadline

For step-by-step instructions and submission deadlines, see How do I submit a song to Spotify for playlist consideration?

Monitoring playlist additions: From your Spotify for Artists account, you can track which playlists your music has been added to. This helps you find your fans, gauge your promotion's success, and catch artificial streams. Red flags that a playlist may be generating artificial streams:

• Your music doesn't fit the playlist's stated theme
• The playlist claims to be a "greatest hits" or "most streamed" list, but you don't recognize the other artists
• Streams from the playlist are concentrated in one region or city

If you suspect a playlist was created to generate artificial streams, report it to Spotify.

Spotify Discovery Mode

Discovery Mode boosts your music in certain personalized Spotify playlists in exchange for an added 30% commission on the incremental streams it generates.

You don't need to apply — eligibility is determined by Spotify, and if you qualify, the option appears directly inside your Spotify for Artists account. If you don't see it, you're not currently eligible; you can reach out to Spotify through Spotify for Artists if you have questions.

On your sales report: Streams generated through Discovery Mode are reported normally, with a separate "adjustment" entry labeled "Spotify Discovery Mode Marketing Fee."

Frequently asked questions

Do I need my own Spotify account to claim my page? Yes. Claiming happens on Spotify's side, so you'll need your own free or paid Spotify account to finish the process.

Can CD Baby help me navigate my Spotify for Artists account once I've claimed it? No — Spotify builds and supports Spotify for Artists directly, including its analytics, Canvas, and playlist tools. For questions about using the app itself, contact Spotify through Spotify for Artists.

I don't have anything live on Spotify yet — can I still claim a page? Not yet. You'll need at least one title active and live on Spotify first.

Do I have to apply for Spotify Discovery Mode? No. If you're eligible, the option will simply appear in your Spotify for Artists account — there's no separate application.

Can I submit an already-released song for playlist consideration? No. Only unreleased, first-time music qualifies, and some remixes or remasters may not qualify if they're too close to the original recording.