It’s finished, the song is written, the pieces are recorded, the tracks are produced and the final mix down complete – what’s next?

Creating, recording and finishing a track can feel like the whole process when you’re making music. Once it’s finally complete and ready to listen to it can feel like a weight is lifted and the job is done and that may be the case if you’ve only made it for your own enjoyment.

But if you want to get your music out to audiences, heard by new people, making fans and being enjoyed by others then the next step begins. Here are our top 5 spots where your music should be going if you want it to be heard.


Spotify and other streaming services

Streaming services are the top dogs of music today, there’s no denying it. They have overtaken physical media to become the primary source of music consumption. If you want your music to be available and you’re not on streaming services you’re missing out on the main source of music for billions of people!

We offer free distribution to all of the top streaming services like Spotify, Apple Music, TIDAL, Amazon and many more. So you can get your music out there at no cost and you keep 85% of all the earnings you make, or pay a small upfront cost and keep 100% of your earnings. Find out more.


Playlist influencers

Playlists are huge and bring in millions of listeners every single week. They’ve essentially replaced radio as the place where listeners go to hear a curated selection of music but they go so much further by offering content based on themes, genres, feelings, and so much more.

Playlists are bloody massive and getting featured in them has proven tobe the major success for many artists and broken songs onto charts. You can send your upcoming tracks straight to Spotify curators through Spotify for Artists.

There are also sites like Playlist Push and Playlist Pitch Network which offer services for getting in front of the creators of some of the huge playlists.


Radio station and radio DJs

Playlists and streaming might be taking the place of radio, but the airwaves are still a huge source of listeners. This is perhaps the most competitive option on the list – it is very difficult to get on the radio without big label influence! But it’s possible, and some stations push independent music much more than major stations.

BBC Radio 6 Music for example has a bunch of great presenters who are keen on the independent scenes. Find a station and DJ who you think plays the sort of music you would suit and see if you can get in touch with them via email or social media.

Some may even host websites for you to get in touch with, like Radio 6 Music presenter Tom Robinson’s site Fresh On The Net. With a team of tastemakers they listen to loads of music every week and pick their favourites to share, and some of the very best make it to radio.


YouTube for musicians

You don’t need me to tell you how huge YouTube is as a platform. With billions of videos watched every single day, there are a lot of people and a lot of content on YouTube.

For many it’s the first stop when they’re looking for something, including music. It’s a great source of music videos, album streams, official lyric videos and much more.

So don’t miss out on a whole audience and upload your music to YouTube as well. It’s a great excuse to spend the time making a music video for your track or just upload it straight to YouTube with a cool image(s) you think match the tone or with your artwork.

If your channel isn’t big enough to be eligible for monetisation then we can still help you make money from all the views of your music on YouTube. Use Content ID and any time your music is featured in a video – whether it’s on your channel or someone else’s – then you will earn money. Find out more.

When you upload with RouteNote then we’ll also send your music to YouTube Music, YouTube’s streaming platform.


Vinyl plants

Whilst physical music is dying more each day, there is actually one format that is getting more popular. People still want to be able to hold music in their hands but CDs don’t feel special enough.

So in the age of streaming Vinyl is becoming an increasingly popular choice for artists and listeners. If fans want to buy a physical copy of your music, nine times out of ten they’ll want it on vinyl.

There are many places you can get your records pressed on vinyl these days and it’s best to do some browsing for somewhere that suits your location and price range. Unlike digital services, you’re paying upfront so it’s important to have the funds or know that you will sell enough to make your money back.

There are lots to choose from like Disc Makers in the U.S. and Media Plant in the U.K. but do a bit of searching to make sure you’re using a legitimate company, their quality is assured, and that you can afford what they’re charging. Most will offer different sizes for single releases/EPs and full albums so whatever the size of your release you can get it printed out.


Got your own tips for where artists should send their music to get more listeners? Share the love in the comments below.


Head here to sign up to RouteNote for free and get your music on Spotify, Apple Music and all the major streaming platforms quickly, easily, and all on your own terms.