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Frequently asked questions
HolaTune is a global music distribution service helping independent artists, labels, and managers release their music to over 220 streaming and download platforms worldwide, including Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, and TikTok.We welcome original AI-generated and AI-assisted music that meets copyright and platform requirements. With unlimited distribution, dedicated support, and detailed analytics, HolaTune makes it easy to release your music and manage your earnings.You retain full ownership of your music and rights, earning 80% of royalties
You can withdraw your HolaTune royalties via bank transfer or PayPal once your available balance reaches the $50 minimum payout threshold.Select your preferred payment method in your account and enter the required details:Bank transfer: Provide your bank account details and check that all information is correct.PayPal: Enter the email address linked to your PayPal account.Payment availability, processing times, and any applicable fees may vary depending on your country and payment provider.
YouTube Music is YouTube’s music streaming service, where listeners can discover and play your releases.When HolaTune delivers your music to YouTube Music, YouTube automatically creates Art Tracks—videos combining your audio, cover artwork, and release information. These typically appear on your artist’s Topic channel and are available through YouTube and YouTube Music.Your music can generate royalties from eligible ad-supported listening and paid subscriptions. Once YouTube reports and pays these earnings, they are credited to your HolaTune account. YouTube Music Premium subscribers can listen ad-free.YouTube Content ID is a separate, optional service that identifies your music in videos uploaded by other users and can monetize eligible matches. Distributing to YouTube Music does not automatically enroll your releases in Content ID. Content ID requires separate approval and is subject to eligibility and rights requirements.
Once your release has been distributed, its metadata cannot simply be deleted. Details such as the track title, artist name, and contributor credits are required by streaming platforms.If you need to correct your metadata, contact HolaTune Support with your release ID and the changes you would like to make. Some updates may require the release to be taken down and resubmitted, depending on the platform and the type of change.If you want to remove the entire release from stores, you can request a takedown. Removing a release from distribution does not necessarily erase historical records retained by HolaTune or the platforms.
1. Go to the Distribution Portal 2. Click on My Account 3. Click on the “Balance” tab. This tab has various columns and a lot of information available. Here are the definitions to a few of them : Current Balance: The total amount of earnings from your current catalog.
Pending Outpayments: The amounts requested for payout, but have not yet been fulfilled.
Pending Invoices: The amount owed to HolaTune (from recoupable royalty advances, sample clearances or project budgets)Confirmed Total: The amount that is available and can be requested for payout.
Unconfirmed: The amount for which we have received sales data, but not the corresponding payment from the channel (this is only available on certain user accounts, and may only be available via download on others)
Minimum Payout: The minimum amount needed to request an out payment. By default, this is 50 USD, but may vary on certain accounts with specialized deals or on accounts containing flagged content.
The Apple Artist ID is automatically assigned to each artist that has uploaded to the iTunes Store and Apple Music. For Artists who already have content on iTunes or Apple Music, they can enter their Apple IDs on HolaTune. This will prevent content from being delivered to the wrong artist page. Once the works of an artist are available, the artist ID can be obtained via Apple’s artist page. To obtain the artist ID follow the following steps: 1) Search any album or artist on iTunes 2) Click on artist’s name to visit their artist page 3) The ID appears after the letters “id” on the url (example: 369838987) The format of an Apple Artist Page URL is: https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/[ ARTIST NAME ]/id[ ARTIST ID ] NOTE: Make sure that the URL is the artist page, not the album
We send a release to the stores after it passes review. Delivery is not the same thing as being live. Each store ingests and checks content on its own schedule, so the same release can appear on Spotify before it appears on Amazon.Set the release date at least 7 days after you submit it. That gives the stores time to publish it on the same day. For a release you plan to pitch or promote, set the date 1–3 weeks out. Spotify for Artists needs that lead time for an editorial pitch, and you need it to line up promotion across platforms.These are typical times after we deliver the release, not guarantees:Spotify: 24–48 hoursApple Music and iTunes: 24–48 hoursTIDAL: 1–3 business daysDeezer: 3–5 business daysAmazon Music: 3–7 business daysPandora: 3–7 daysYouTube Music: 3–7 daysYouTube Content ID: claims usually start 2–5 days after delivery. Matching is partly automated and partly reviewed by YouTube, so some videos take longer.A release date in the past will not make the stores move faster. They still publish only after their own ingestion is finished. Holiday periods often add several days. If a store has not published the release 15 business days after delivery, email support@holatune.com with the release title and UPC.
If a member distributes a release and wants it to be taken down, they can issue a content removal from all stores, or specific stores, by requesting a takedown. Remember, if youneed to make edits or update release details, you can do so without issuing a takedown. HOW CAN I ISSUE A TAKEDOWN REQUEST?To remove your release from streaming and download platforms, contact HolaTune Support with your release title, artist name, and release ID or UPC.Please specify whether you want the release removed from all platforms or only selected stores. Our team will review your request and submit the takedown accordingly.Removal times vary by platform, so your release may remain available while the request is being processed.
Payout reports are made available around the 25th day of every month. You can check your balance in your ‘Sales’ tab on the distribution dashboard.
Users must initiate a payout request from their dashboard.
Within 2-3 days of initiating the request, users will receive a payment via Paypal from HolaTune
Before requesting a payout, please remember:
There is a $50 minimum payout
Check your Paypal address in your account settings. Any changes need to be made latest 24 hours before payout request.
New users may not see balance, or only see unconfirmed sales for their first 2 months on the platform. All digital stores report sales at least 30 days behind schedule. Meaning, new users can request payouts 2 months after their first release was distributed.
We encourage consistent releases of music to ensure consistent payouts.
We will send a confirmation notice to your dashboard once your payout has been sent. Please only contact us regarding missing payouts if 7 days pass and you have not received a confirmation notice.
If you receive a confirmation notice, and still haven’t received your payout, please refer to the PayPal account listed in the confirmation notice and contact us immediately.
If you have had a fraud notice, piracy or copyright issue on your account during the relevant payout month, your payout may be subject to a hold. We will notify your account email if this is the case.
Quality control is the review we run before a release is sent to stores. Uploading a release does not start this review. It starts only after you submit the release for distribution.Most releases are reviewed within 3 business days. If a release needs a longer review, we will email you before that deadline.This timing does not apply to bulk uploads. Bulk deliveries are reviewed on a separate schedule, and we will confirm the timing when you submit one.A review ends in one of two ways:Approved. The release meets our content rules and is sent to the stores you selected. Store delivery times are separate from this review and depend on each platform.Changes required. The release cannot be approved as submitted. We open a ticket explaining exactly what needs to be fixed. You have 30 days from that ticket to update the release and reply. If it is not corrected within 30 days, the release is rejected.The rules we check against are in the Content Style Guide. Once a release is approved, it enters delivery. Approval means it passed our review. It does not mean the stores have published it yet.
From the moment a content is distributed by the end-user, the Quality Control (QC) will be carried out. If the content meets all the stipulated requirements, which appear on our Styles Guide, it will be approved by our QC team and then delivered to the selected channels. More information about the QC Timing here.
End-users as well Tenant Admins can always check the status of the distribution of a release by looking at the “History” tab of the release.
Once the content has been completely delivered to the channel(s), the timing for the publication will depend on each channel: it can take from 2 to 15 working days. For this reason, we recommend making the distribution as early as possible, at least 15 days before the release date, to make sure the content will be published on the desired date.
Please note that the 2 to 15 working days period is extended during festive and holiday periods, meaning it can take more days for publication. We will notify all its clients about any specific deadline communicated by the channels.
You can add links, bios, social media pages and other information for active artists on your account. To edit artist information, follow these steps:
Go to your Catalog in the Distribution Portal
Click “Artists” in your Catalog sub-menu
Search and click on the artist you want to edit
Add information, and remember to save.
Adding your YouTube User and Apple Artist ID are super important to ensure there are no delivery issues for artists who already have content on YouTube Music or Apple Music/iTunes.
We will soon introduce new features that can utilize this information, so make sure to keep it updated and fill it out!
Unconfirmed royalties are earnings that have yet to be made payable to us by the stores, but are still pending confirmation from our Finance department. You can access a summarized report of your unconfirmed sales by using the “Download unconfirmed sales report” option in the Sales > Reports section. Since these sales are yet to be confirmed, they are considered “Estimated Sales” and as a result the amounts may vary slightly due to withholding taxes or exchange rates. Sales that are still pending confirmation are not included in the user balances, so you cannot request out-payment for these earnings UNTIL these earnings are confirmed. Our objective in showing you these unconfirmed royalties is to fulfill our promise of full transparency. However, please remember these are only the estimates given to us from the stores, and your confirmed earnings may vary slightly. Why are royalties pending confirmation? The main reason why royalties are pending confirmation is that music services issue their sales reports weeks or months in advance of issuing the payment for that corresponding period. In order to provide this information as soon as possible, our Royalties Department uploads the sales report as early as we receive them, so the users can check the evolution of earnings in the Sales > Analytics tab. However, it is only after we have received payment for that report that we can confirm these sales and pay them. That is when these royalties become payable. After sales are confirmed, the end user balances will be updated with their corresponding store/site earnings. In some occasions, royalties can be pending confirmation due to extraordinary circumstances, such as: The music service is being unusually late on payments. As soon as we are confirmed of an excessive delay on payment by the service or are aware of this special circumstance, we will communicate it to all members so they can plan for this inconvenience in advance.
A technical issue has hampered the normal confirmation schedule and there is a backlog on confirmation. In that event, we will prepare and communicate to each member a payment plan so they can have an estimation as to when sales will be confirmed and payable.
Music services apply small adjustments in recent reports that apply to previous periods. These adjustments can appear as unconfirmed sales since the service usually applies them without any notification. Periodically we review these adjustments to include them in our confirmation period so everyone is up to date. Please bear in mind that music services are constantly reviewing their reporting processes and are constantly improving them.
With Spotify for Artists, you can see who’s listening to your music, access audience insights, and manage your artist profile. As part of the Spotify for Artists community, you can also stay informed about new tools and features introduced by Spotify.To claim your artist profile, visit https://artists.spotify.com/ and follow Spotify’s instructions.If this is your first release on Spotify, you may need access to Spotify for Artists before your release goes live to prepare your profile and submit an unreleased song for editorial playlist consideration. After your release has been delivered to Spotify, contact HolaTune Support at support@holatune.com to request your Spotify artist URI. We recommend submitting your first release 3–4 weeks before your planned release date to allow time for review, delivery, profile access, and promotion. Editorial playlist placement is not guaranteed.If you already have a Spotify artist profile, provide its URL or URI in your release’s artist information before submitting it for distribution. This helps Spotify match your new release to your existing profile. If you need assistance, contact HolaTune Support before your release goes live.If your release appears on the wrong artist profile, email support@holatune.com with the subject “Spotify Delivery Error.” Include your HolaTune release ID or UPC, the release link, and links to both the correct and incorrect artist profiles so we can request a correction.
Yes. We accept music that is fully or partially created using AI, provided that it does not infringe on any copyrights and is not misleading or deceptive.AI-generated releases must reflect genuine artistic intent and comply with all applicable legal, content, and formatting requirements set by digital streaming platforms (DSPs).Please note that cover versions of AI-generated music are not accepted.
HolaTune can help you release cover songs, but songs containing samples cannot be approved or may require an additional information request.
What’s the difference between sampling and cover songs?
Cover Song
A cover song is a song that you performed & recorded yourself, but the music was written by someone else. This is totally fine.
Sampling
Sampling is when you use the actual recording of another artist’s performance. For example, if you use the recording of Ariana Grande’s “Dangerous Woman” as your back track, it’s usually not legal.
Unless you have written permission from the original artist, the label, or owner of the copyright, you cannot release a song with a sample.
Clearance is possible, but is rare for smaller artists and can be an expensive process.
Songs with unauthorized samples can be subject to legal action – so to avoid legal issues with your releases, make sure you only distribute songs you own the rights to or have clearances for.
If you are unclear if your song contains a sample, feel free to email our support.
For songs that are in Public Domain, and NOT eligible for distribution.
QC stands for “Quality Control” – this is our team of content curators working hard to ensure your content doesn’t contain any unauthorized samples or sounds and meets each store’s individual content guidelines.
Please allow 1-5 days for your first few releases for QC to handle your release. After a few releases, the process goes faster for new users.
That being said, plan your release properly. Give your release 7 days to process.
To clarify, we always recommend uploading your release to HolaTune one week before the actual release date.
This is to ensure the song gets on all stores & platforms on the same day, at the same time.
You can move a catalog from another distributor, including DistroKid, TuneCore, and Ditto, without losing the stream counts already attached to your recordings.To keep the transfer clean:Create each release again in HolaTune. Match the original title, artist name, genre, and track order.Use the same ISRC on every track. Stream counts follow the recording, and the ISRC is what identifies it. A new ISRC is treated as a new recording.Do not reuse the old UPC. We will issue a new UPC and reference code at no charge. A second delivery under the same UPC can create a conflict in the stores’ audit systems.Submit the releases for distribution. Leave the old versions live. For a short overlap, both deliveries will be online at the same time. That overlap is intentional.After 1–2 days, check Spotify and confirm that the new delivery is linked to the existing recording and that the play count carried over.Only after the plays are confirmed, take the release down with your old distributor. If they have no takedown option in the dashboard, contact their support and say you are transferring the catalog and need the old delivery removed.If the play count has not transferred after 7 days, email support@holatune.com with the release title, the old and new ISRC, and the Spotify URL. Do not take the old release down until this is resolved.Taking the old release down before the new one is linked is the most common reason play counts are lost. Wait for the link first.
Yes, most do.
Generally, stores like iTunes, Amazon and others keep around 20% of a sale. We get the remainder of a sale (this is called the wholesale price) and share 80% of this amount to you. This is the case for every label and every distributor licensing music to the digital stores.
Remember, it still means you are receiving 80% of your royalties. The stores need to make money as well!
For stores that offer full-track streaming, there is a proportionate share worked out differently for every store. Therefore, monthly payouts for music streaming sales can vary each month. You can check all the information shared by channels on your Sales Reports.
Members can read more about each store’s payout process by clicking here.
A Cover Song or a Cover Version is a remake or new performance recording by someone other than the original artist or composer of a commercially released record.
Example 1: Skinny Love by Birdy is a cover of Skinny Love by Bon Iver
Example 2: Seven Nation Army by Zella Day is a cover of Seven Nation Army by The White Stripes
You can release cover songs with HolaTune.
Yes, but you have to carefully flag it as explicit when creating your Release.
Many of the digital platforms have parental control processes available that will prevent explicit content from being displayed to children who visit their digital store.
Explicit tracks should be correctly labeled when a Release is being created & distributed. Failure to correctly identify explicit content may result in your Release being removed from the stores after it has been delivered.
If you want lyrics to be included in your release delivery, you can do so from the track information section.
We deliver lyrics to all of our partners who accept them.
You can always add lyrics later by visiting “Tracks” in your “Catalog” section in the Distribution Portal. Just remember, any edits or changes to tracks or releases need to be updated in order for changes to reflect in the stores.
YouTube Content ID is a digital fingerprinting system developed by Google which is used to easily identify and manage copyrighted content on YouTube.
YouTube are compared against audio and video files registered with Content ID by content owners, looking for any matches.
Once you activate the Content ID channel for your music or video, YouTube creates a reference as an invisible fingerprint that will protect your content distributed and will detect all the third party content using your catalogue.
We work with Content ID to collect revenue from videos utilizing your music or video content
Content ID is a piece of intellectual property that has been created to protect your content on YouTube. Therefore, if you don’t have the exclusive rights to distribute and you activate this option, it can generate YouTube property conflicts in the short or long term, causing you potential trouble with your channel and/or potential legal issues. YouTube Content ID can be only activated if you have the 100% exclusive rights to the release, including the composition. If you leased an instrumental or beat (on sites like BeatStars.com or traktrain.com) you are most likely not eligible for Content ID on that track. For video content id you have exclusive rights for your visual content.
also you can add your own channel to ‘whitelist’ , which means that videos uploaded will not be matched through Content ID for this channel. you can use this function when you want avoid claims on your own channel.
Due to the User Generated Content nature of the Youtube service and HolaTune effort together with the DSP to fight copyright infringements and abusive usage, the distribution to Content ID will be subject to a label approval process from November 19th 2021.
As the Label Approval vary depending on each DSP requirements, here below we detail how the Label Approval Process works.
Content eligible for Content ID
There is no way to sell a song for free in the online stores such as iTunes. If you see a song available for free download in iTunes, this is because the iTunes editorial team made that decision.
If you want to give your music away to certain, specific people you know — such as radio stations, DJs, and friends — an easy way to do this is to just email them your MP3s (or FLAC files, etc.). You can also put your MP3s on a file hosting service and give whoever you want a link. For example, if you use Dropbox, just right-click on the file and select “Share…”
If you would like to purchase your own songs on iTunes to give as gifts to other people, open iTunes on your Mac or PC. Then click the sub-menu to the right of the price and select “gift this song.” There are more instructions here:
http://support.apple.com/kb/ht2736
Your audio files must meet the format specifications below to go live in the digital stores.The audio files format required is: WAV stereo 44.1 kHz (sample rate), 16 bit (bit depth), 1411 kbps (sample rate). We also accept 24 and 32 bit files. If you have an MP3, M4A or other audio file, and have no way of exporting the song as a WAV file, you can use different software, or an online converter to convert your current file to WAV. This site is a good example of free online converters: https://www.onlineconverter.com/audio-to-wav
Yes! HolaTune uses bank-level SSL encryption (SHA-256 with RSA, TLS 1.2) to transmit credit card information. That credit card information is then securely sent directly from your browser, to our credit card processor — your credit card numbers never actually touch our servers or our database.
Your entire session is SSL encrypted (“https”).
This all helps us prevent unauthorized access to your account and personal information. For more information, please refer to our Privacy Policy
Sometimes, when a new release is distributed to Spotify it is assigned to an incorrect Spotify Artist Profile. Spotify may also create a new artist profile instead, while a previous one already exists.
This issue tends to happen with Artist Profiles with identical or similar names, as Spotify creates and organizes them automatically.
In case one of your releases has experienced this problem, we can contact Spotify in order to request a fix.
To do so, we need you to send us the following information:
URI of the right artist profile (if the artist still doesn’t have a profile, please tell us to create a new one for the correct artist).
URI of the wrong artist profile – make sure to label it as “wrong” profile.
URI of all the albums / EPs / singles you want to move to the right profile
We need this data to request the modifications to Spotify properly.
Please check before sending the data to avoid any further mistakes.
The Spotify URI is similar to the release link (URL), and it’s the official format requested by the platform to proceed with any modifications.
You can get it by following these step. As of now, you cannot do this on the mobile app:
1. Open the Spotify computer app and go to the song or album or artist that needs changes.
2. Right click on it and select “Share”.
3. Position the cursor on “Share” and then click “Copy Spotify URI”. The code will be copied to your clipboard.
Yes, you can request an Official Artist Channel (OAC) for your YouTube artist channel.Before submitting an OAC request, you must have at least 3 releases distributed through HolaTune.To request an OAC, please contact our support team at support@holatune.com and have the following information ready:Your YouTube artist channel linkYour YouTube Topic channel linkThe Official Artist Channel request service is a paid service and costs €10.Once we receive the required information, our team will assist you with the OAC request process.
Yes. AI-generated and AI-assisted music can be released on Spotify, provided that the music complies with Spotify’s policies and you have the necessary rights to distribute it.HolaTune supports the distribution of eligible AI-generated music, including music created or assisted with popular AI music tools such as Suno and Udio, to Spotify and other major streaming platforms.Spotify does not prohibit music simply because AI was used during the creative process. However, Spotify has policies designed to prevent spam, deceptive content, unauthorized impersonation, artificial streaming, and misuse of another artist’s identity or voice.When distributing AI-generated music through HolaTune, you should make sure that:You have the commercial rights required to distribute and monetize the music.The release does not contain unauthorized AI voice clones or impersonate another artist without permission.The artist name, artwork, metadata, and credits are accurate and not misleading.The release is not part of mass-uploading, duplicate-content, spam, or artificial-streaming activity.Your use of AI complies with the terms and commercial licensing rules of the AI platform you used.For example, if you create original music using Suno, Udio, or another generative AI music platform and your plan or license gives you the necessary commercial rights, the release may be eligible for distribution through HolaTune to Spotify.Spotify has also introduced additional transparency measures for AI music, including AI Credits and identification for certain AI-generated artist personas. Spotify states that responsible use of AI as part of the creative process is permitted, while unauthorized impersonation, deceptive activity, and music spam may be restricted or removed.HolaTune accepts both AI-assisted and eligible fully AI-generated music for distribution, subject to HolaTune quality control, applicable copyright and licensing requirements, and the policies of each streaming platform.Please note that acceptance by HolaTune does not guarantee acceptance by every digital service provider. Spotify and other platforms may independently review, restrict, reject, or remove content that does not meet their current policies.If you create music with AI and want to release it professionally, you can distribute eligible releases to Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, Amazon Music, Deezer, TikTok, Instagram, and other major platforms through HolaTune.
For international artists looking for a DistroKid alternative, HolaTune is a strong option for distributing music worldwide while keeping the process simple, flexible, and accessible.HolaTune helps independent artists, producers, labels, and creators distribute music to major streaming platforms including Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, Amazon Music, Deezer, TikTok, Instagram, and other digital stores worldwide.For artists outside the United States, an important advantage is access to international distribution without needing to be based in a specific country. HolaTune is designed for creators from different regions and supports global music distribution for independent artists.Artists may consider HolaTune as an alternative to DistroKid because it offers features such as:Worldwide music distribution to major streaming servicesSupport for independent artists and labels from many countriesUnlimited music distribution options depending on the selected planDistribution of eligible AI-generated and AI-assisted musicYouTube Music and YouTube Content ID support for eligible releasesAdvanced analytics and royalty reportingArtist support and account assistanceInternational payout options such as PayPal and bank transferDistribution to social platforms including TikTok and InstagramThe best music distributor depends on your specific needs. DistroKid, CD Baby, TuneCore, RouteNote, and HolaTune each use different pricing models, royalty structures, support systems, and eligibility requirements.For international artists who want global music distribution, flexible plans, support for AI music, and access to major streaming platforms, HolaTune can be a practical DistroKid alternative.Before choosing any distributor, artists should compare annual fees, royalty commissions, payout methods, YouTube Content ID policies, customer support, release processing times, and whether the distributor supports artists in their country.HolaTune is available to independent artists internationally and allows eligible music to be distributed to major streaming platforms around the world.
Several music distributors accept AI-generated or AI-assisted music, but their policies, restrictions, and eligibility requirements vary.As of 2026, distributors that publicly allow at least some forms of AI-generated music include HolaTune, DistroKid, and RouteNote, provided that the artist has the necessary commercial rights and the release complies with streaming-platform policies.HolaTune accepts eligible AI-generated and AI-assisted music, including releases created with tools such as Suno and Udio. Artists must have the necessary rights to commercially distribute the music, provide accurate metadata, and avoid unauthorized voice cloning, impersonation, copyright infringement, spam, or artificial streaming.DistroKid also accepts music created with AI tools. Its current policy requires artists to own the necessary rights, prohibits unauthorized impersonation and infringement, and does not allow mass-generated spam designed to manipulate streaming platforms.RouteNote accepts certain AI-generated and AI-assisted releases when the creator has appropriate commercial rights. However, RouteNote currently places additional restrictions on AI releases, including limitations for some Content Recognition services, Amazon, and certain Korean streaming platforms.Not every distributor accepts AI music. For example, CD Baby currently states that it does not accept AI-generated content, even when the creator has a commercial license to use the AI-generated material.Because AI music policies are changing quickly, artists should always check the latest rules of both the distributor and the streaming services before submitting a release.In general, if you want to distribute Suno music, Udio music, or other AI-generated songs to Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, and other major platforms, you should choose a distributor that explicitly supports AI-generated content and make sure you have the required commercial rights.HolaTune supports eligible AI-generated and AI-assisted music distribution worldwide, making it an option for independent artists looking to release AI music on major streaming platforms.
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