Free music distribution: how to release a single, EP or album

Elysium Music is an independent label that releases music for free to 150+ platforms and pays the artist 80% of royalties. Your single, EP or album goes live on Spotify, Apple Music, Yandex Music, VK Music, YouTube Music, Deezer, TikTok and other platforms within 24–48 hours. UPC and ISRC codes are free.

Updated: October 4, 2026

What free distribution is, and what's the catch

Distribution means delivering your music to streaming services. Artists can't upload a track to Yandex Music, Spotify or Apple Music on their own: platforms accept releases only from distributors and labels. The distributor delivers the audio, cover art and metadata, receives streaming reports and pays royalties to the artist.

Many services charge a yearly subscription or a fixed fee for every release. Elysium Music works differently: on the Free plan you pay nothing, not for the release, not for a subscription, not for codes. The label earns from a 20% royalty share, and the artist receives 80% of net royalties. The rights to your music stay with you.

The only condition of the Free plan is that the release passes a quality review. We look at the mix and master, the cover art and the accuracy of the metadata. This keeps the label's catalog strong and makes platform editors more willing to consider our releases for playlists.

Plans

The paid plans are for releases that didn't pass selection, or for artists who don't want to wait for the quality review. There are no hidden fees: you pay only the listed price per release.

How to release a track in 5 minutes

1. Sign in to the dashboard. Open dashboard.elysiummusic.org and sign in with Telegram. No registration, password or email confirmation: it takes about a minute.
2. Set up the release. Enter the title, artist name, genre and release date, then upload a 3000×3000 cover and WAV or FLAC audio files. Double-check the spelling of names and titles: they decide which artist profile the release lands on.
3. Pass the review. On the Free plan we review the quality of the material within 24–48 hours. If something is off, we'll tell you what to fix or offer paid distribution with no hidden fees.
4. Go live. The release appears at 00:00 Moscow time on your chosen date on 150+ platforms at once. We pitch to editorial playlists on Spotify and Yandex Music, and your stats and royalties are available in the dashboard.

Audio, cover art and metadata requirements

Audio

Upload WAV or FLAC files, the lossless formats. The track must be mixed and mastered: on the Free plan, sound is the main selection criterion. Make sure there are no clipped sounds, extra silence or clicks at the start and end.

Cover art

You need a square 3000×3000 pixel cover. Use images you have the rights to, and don't add links, contact details or streaming service logos to the cover, since platforms usually reject such artwork.

Metadata

Release title, artist name, genre and release date. Spell the artist name the same way on every release, without extra notes in the track title. Clean metadata helps platforms link the release to your artist profile and not confuse you with someone who has the same name.

Pre-submission checklist

• Audio in WAV or FLAC, mixed and mastered, with no clipped edges.
• A square 3000×3000 cover with no links or images you don't own.
• The artist name is spelled the same as on previous releases.
• Track and release titles have no typos, and the genre is correct.
• The release date leaves enough room for the 24–48 hour review.
• You hold the rights to all music in the release, including beats and samples.

If every item is checked, setup in the dashboard takes about 5 minutes, and your chances of passing the quality review the first time are much higher.

Who free distribution is for

The Free plan is designed for artists who can already bring their sound to a finished state: they mix and master their own tracks or work with an engineer. It also works for beginners: if your material doesn't pass selection yet, you can release it on a paid plan for 300₽ or 600₽ and send the next one for free review. Either way, the artist gets the same 80% of royalties, the same platforms and free codes.

Single, EP and album: what's the difference

A single is a release with one track, or one track with versions, and a good way to regularly remind listeners and algorithms about yourself. An EP is a short release of several tracks, and an album is a full-length work. On the Free plan all three formats are released for 0₽. Without selection, a single costs 300₽ and an EP or album costs 600₽. Review times and platforms are the same for every format.

Which platforms your release goes to

Your track goes out to 150+ platforms simultaneously. The main ones include:

• Spotify and Apple Music
• Yandex Music: how to release a track on Yandex Music (in Russian)
• VK Music: how to upload a track to VK Music (in Russian)
• YouTube Music, Deezer, Tidal, Amazon Music
• TikTok, Zvuk, Shazam

The specifics of releasing on Spotify for artists from Russia are covered in a separate Spotify guide (in Russian).

Timing and review

Setup takes about 5 minutes; review and delivery to platforms takes 24–48 hours. The release goes live at 00:00 Moscow time on the date you chose. If you're planning promotion or want us to have time to pitch the track to playlists, set the release date with some margin rather than for tomorrow.

Free UPC and ISRC codes

A UPC is a unique code for the whole release, and an ISRC is a code for each track. Platforms use them to count streams and calculate royalties. At Elysium Music both codes are issued for free on every plan, so you don't need to buy them separately.

Royalties and payouts

The artist receives 80% of net royalties. The dashboard shows streaming reports, listener geography and demographics, and quarterly reports. You can withdraw from 2500₽, and payout requests are made in the same place where your contract is stored. To estimate potential income from your stream count, try the royalty calculator (in Russian).

Why Elysium instead of a subscription aggregator

• 0₽ instead of a yearly subscription: you don't pay to keep your release on the platforms.
• The rights stay with the artist; the contract and payouts are in the dashboard.
• Free UPC and ISRC, plus pitching to Spotify and Yandex Music playlists.
• Russian-language dashboard and support on Telegram: t.me/elysiummusichq.
• The label's catalog is public: Elysium Music releases on Yandex Music.

To see how Elysium compares with other services, visit the music distributor comparison (in Russian).

Frequently asked questions

What's the catch with free distribution?

There is no catch: the label doesn't charge for the release and earns from a 20% royalty share. The artist receives 80% and keeps the rights. The condition of the Free plan is that the material passes a quality review.

How much does it cost to release a track that didn't pass the review?

A single without selection is 300₽, an album or EP is 600₽. Platforms, timing, UPC/ISRC and the 80% royalty share are the same.

How soon will my track appear on the platforms?

Review and delivery take 24–48 hours, and the release goes live at 00:00 Moscow time on the date you choose.

Do I need to buy UPC and ISRC codes?

No, UPC and ISRC codes are issued for free on every plan.

What is the minimum royalty payout?

The minimum payout is 2500₽, and you request it in the dashboard.

More answers are on the music distribution FAQ page.