What's inside the guide
The Complete Guide to Music Distribution in India 2026 is an 8-chapter, 62-page walkthrough of everything an independent artist needs to know — from your first track submission to reading your royalty statement six months later.
CH 01
Pages 1–8
How Music Distribution Works in 2026
- Aggregators vs labels vs direct deals
- How royalties flow from platforms to artists
- Why independent distribution has overtaken label deals
- The India-specific distribution landscape
CH 02
Pages 9–18
Choosing Your Distributor
- Western Beats vs DistroKid vs TuneCore vs CD Baby
- The JioSaavn factor — why it changes everything
- Annual fee structures and what they actually cost
- Commission models: who takes the biggest cut?
CH 03
Pages 19–26
ISRC Codes & Rights
- What is an ISRC code and why you need one
- How to get a free ISRC through Western Beats
- Neighbouring rights and publishing royalties
- Registering with IPRS and PPL India
CH 04
Pages 27–36
Metadata That Gets You Found
- Title, artist name and featured artist formatting
- Genre and sub-genre: how algorithms use them
- Mood tags: the hidden lever behind playlist placement
- Bilingual metadata for Hindi/Punjabi + English reach
CH 05
Pages 37–44
Cover Art That Converts
- 3000×3000px: the spec that matters
- Designing for mobile thumbnail (40px)
- Typography rules for streaming platforms
- What Spotify and JioSaavn editors look for
CH 06
Pages 45–52
Release Strategy
- Why Friday release dates matter (and when to break the rule)
- Pre-save campaigns: 3-week vs 6-week window
- How to pitch to Spotify and JioSaavn editorial
- Timing around Bollywood release calendar
CH 07
Pages 53–58
Understanding Royalty Statements
- Reading your Western Beats royalty dashboard
- Per-stream rates by platform and territory
- Why your payout looks low and what to do about it
- Currency conversion and international royalty collection
CH 08
Pages 59–62
Going Global: The Diaspora Strategy
- The 30M South Asian diaspora market
- UK, USA, Canada, UAE, Australia: platform differences
- Social media funnels by territory
- Building a press kit for international playlists
Who this guide is for
🎤
First-time artists
Never distributed before and don't know where to start
🌍
NRI artists
Based in UK, USA, Canada, UAE or Australia and want to reach India
🎶
Independent artists
Already distributing but want to optimise metadata and royalties
🏷️
Label managers
Managing multiple artists and need a distribution strategy framework
📖
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