Amazon Music has over 100 million songs in its catalog and reaches listeners across Amazon Music Unlimited, Prime Music, Alexa-enabled devices, Fire TV, and Twitch — making it one of the most wide-reaching streaming ecosystems available to independent artists. It’s also one of the higher-paying platforms per stream, with lossless HD audio available to all subscribers.
Getting your music on Amazon Music as an independent artist follows the same process as getting on Spotify or Apple Music — through a music distributor. This guide covers the complete process, from what you need before uploading to claiming your Amazon Music for Artists profile and pitching for editorial playlists.
Can You Upload Directly to Amazon Music?
As an independent artist or label, you cannot upload your music directly to Amazon Music. Music distributors act as intermediaries between artists and streaming platforms, handling the technical, legal, and administrative aspects of getting your music online to make sure your tracks meet platform requirements and comply with copyright and metadata standards.
Every track on Amazon Music got there through an approved distributor. Content on Amazon Music is either delivered by a record label or distributor. Independent artists use the same distributors as label artists — the difference is that you manage the relationship directly rather than through a label.
Amazon Music vs Prime Music vs Unlimited: What’s the Difference?
Understanding Amazon’s streaming tiers helps you know where your music appears and how royalties are generated:
Tier
Who gets it
Access level
Audio quality
Amazon Music Prime
Included with Amazon Prime membership
Limited catalog, shuffle-only for most content
Standard
Amazon Music Unlimited
Paid subscribers ($9.99/month)
Full on-demand access to entire catalog
HD, Ultra HD, Spatial Audio (Dolby Atmos)
Amazon Music Free
Anyone with an Amazon account
Ad-supported, shuffle-only, limited catalog
Standard
When you distribute through a standard music distributor, your tracks are automatically delivered to both versions of Amazon Music — no extra steps needed. Your music appears across all tiers where it’s eligible. Royalty rates vary by tier — Unlimited streams pay more than Prime streams, which pay more than Free streams.
What Amazon Music Pays Independent Artists
Amazon Music’s per-stream rate is approximately $0.004–$0.005 for standard streams, with HD and Ultra HD streams paying at a higher rate. The lossless audio advantage is real: listeners on Amazon Music Unlimited’s HD tier generate meaningfully more royalty income per stream than equivalent Spotify streams.
Platform
Approximate per-stream rate
Lossless audio
Apple Music
$0.007–$0.010
Yes
Amazon Music Unlimited (HD)
$0.005–$0.008
Yes — HD and Ultra HD
Amazon Music (standard)
$0.004–$0.005
No
Spotify
$0.003–$0.005
No
YouTube Music
$0.002–$0.003
No
Amazon Music also integrates with Alexa — voice-activated playback on Echo devices and Alexa-compatible speakers. Artists whose music appears in Alexa playlists or gets requested through voice search generate streams from a completely different listener behavior than app-based streaming. This is a discovery channel unique to Amazon Music that no other major streaming platform offers.
What You Need Before Uploading
Audio file
WAV or FLAC format, 16-bit minimum, 44.1 kHz. Amazon Music supports lossless HD and Ultra HD playback — if your recording was produced at 24-bit/48 kHz or higher, upload the full-resolution file. Amazon Music preserves lossless quality where the source file supports it. Target -14 dB LUFS for loudness mastering — Amazon Music normalizes to this level.
Cover artwork
Square format, 3000×3000 pixels minimum, JPEG or PNG, RGB colour space. No URLs, social handles, logos, or explicit imagery. Amazon Music displays artwork prominently in its HD listening experience — quality artwork matters more here than on platforms where artwork appears primarily as a small thumbnail.
Metadata
Artist name consistency is particularly important for Amazon Music because of how the platform aggregates artist data. Your music may have been released in various configurations across different labels or distributors, in different territories or at different points in your career. Amazon aggregates this data and consolidates into a single entry. Inconsistent artist name spelling across releases creates separate entries that don’t consolidate correctly — verify your exact artist name against all previous releases before submitting.
Step-by-Step: Getting Your Music on Amazon Music
Step 1 — Choose a distributor that delivers to Amazon Music
Every major distributor delivers to Amazon Music. Verify Amazon Music is included in your distributor’s standard platform list — some services require you to opt in explicitly. At Globex Music, Amazon Music is included in the standard distribution package at no extra charge alongside Spotify, Apple Music, TikTok, Deezer, and 150+ other platforms.
Key factors for Amazon Music specifically: lossless file delivery (confirm your distributor sends the full-resolution source file rather than converting down), cover song licensing (if you release covers — Amazon Music bundles with digital download via Prime and enforces licensing strictly), and catalog stability (pay-per-release services keep your music live permanently; subscription services remove it if you cancel).
Step 2 — Upload and complete metadata
Upload your WAV or FLAC file and 3000×3000 artwork to your distributor. Select Amazon Music in the platform list. Complete all metadata fields carefully — artist name, track title, songwriter credits, genre, explicit flag — and double-check spelling and capitalization before submitting. Metadata corrections on Amazon Music after release require contacting your distributor’s support team and can take 7–14 business days to process.
Step 3 — Set your release date
Set your release date at least 2–4 weeks from your upload date. Amazon Music processing typically takes 2–5 business days after distributor approval. Amazon requires editorial pitch submissions at least 14 days before your release date — giving yourself 4+ weeks of lead time ensures you have the full pitch window available.
Step 4 — Claim your Amazon Music for Artists profile
Once your release is live on Amazon Music, go to artists.amazonmusic.com and sign in with your Amazon account. Amazon’s verification typically takes 3–7 business days, though it can be faster if your information matches what they already have on file. You’ll need to provide at least two of the following: official artist website, verified social media accounts, or documentation from your distributor confirming your identity.
Note: Amazon does not allow artist profile claims ahead of initial release content being publicly available. Once the new release is available, you will be able to claim the artist profile. You cannot claim your profile in advance of your first release going live.
Once verified, Amazon Music for Artists gives you:
Real-time streaming analytics updated every 24 hours — streams, listeners, source of streams
Alexa request data — how often listeners are requesting your music through voice
Editorial pitch tool for upcoming releases
Artist profile customization — bio, photos, Artist Playlist
Ticket and merchandise sales integration on your artist page
Step 5 — Optimize your Amazon Music for Artists profile
Three features unique to Amazon Music for Artists that most independent artists underuse:
Artist Playlist. Regularly update your Artist Playlist — a feature unique to Amazon where you can curate tracks that inspire you or complement your music. This appears prominently on your profile and gives fans insight into your musical tastes. It’s also a discovery tool: playlists you create appear in Amazon Music’s recommendation system.
Fan Reviews. Encourage fans to leave reviews on your albums — these appear prominently and influence algorithmic recommendations. Amazon’s review ecosystem carries more weight in its recommendation algorithm than most artists realize — it’s a behavior more familiar from Amazon’s e-commerce side that transfers directly into music discovery.
Alexa integration. Encourage fans to ask Alexa to play your music by name. Voice requests generate streams and signal to Amazon’s recommendation system that your artist has active demand. Consider timing releases around Amazon Prime Day or other major shopping events when platform traffic spikes.
Step 6 — Pitch for Amazon Music editorial playlists
Amazon requires submissions at least 14 days before your release date — this gives their editorial team enough time to review and potentially include your track in release week playlists. Your track must be distributed through an approved aggregator, and you can only pitch unreleased music. Once a song is live, you’ve missed your window for editorial playlist consideration, though algorithmic playlists remain a possibility based on performance.
Submit your pitch through the Amazon Music for Artists dashboard as soon as your profile is verified and your release is showing as upcoming. Your pitch needs to grab attention within the first sentence. Start with what makes this release special. Amazon’s curators receive hundreds of pitches daily, so specificity beats generic descriptions every time.
For independent playlist pitching on Amazon Music: Amazon Music does not allow you to submit your tracks directly to its playlist reviewers for non-editorial playlists. However, you can submit your tracks to any independent playlists hosted on the platform. Search Amazon Music directly for genre-specific independent playlists and find curator contact through their playlist description or linked social profiles.
Cover Songs on Amazon Music
Amazon Music distributes cover songs, but requires mechanical licensing that covers digital downloads — because Amazon Music integrates with the Amazon digital store in many territories. Distributors that handle mechanical licensing automatically manage this across all territories as part of the standard upload process.
Globex Music handles mechanical licensing for cover songs automatically at no extra charge — flag the release as a cover, provide the original songwriter’s name, and licensing is managed within the standard 48-hour moderation window. For artists releasing cover songs, this eliminates additional cost and delay compared to distributors that route licensing through third-party services.
Why Amazon Music Matters for Independent Artists
Amazon Music is often underweighted in independent artist strategies relative to Spotify — partly because Spotify’s editorial infrastructure is more accessible and its cultural footprint in music discovery is larger. But three Amazon-specific advantages make it worth treating as a primary platform:
Higher per-stream rates. Amazon Music HD streams pay more than Spotify streams — for artists whose listeners use Unlimited, this difference adds up meaningfully over time.
Alexa discovery. Voice-activated music requests through Alexa create a discovery vector that no other streaming platform offers. Listeners who ask Alexa to «play [genre] music» or «play music like [artist]» can discover your releases in a completely passive listening context.
Prime member reach. Amazon Prime has over 200 million subscribers globally. Even with shuffle-only access on Prime Music, this audience is a separate pool of potential listeners entirely distinct from Spotify’s or Apple Music’s user base. Not being on Amazon Music means not reaching them at all.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to get on Amazon Music?
Amazon Music itself charges nothing for catalog inclusion. The cost is your distributor fee. Globex Music delivers to Amazon Music from $1 per single with no annual fee and 0% royalty commission. Distribution to Amazon Music is included in the same upload that delivers to Spotify, Apple Music, TikTok, and 150+ other platforms — no separate fee for Amazon specifically.
How long does it take to get music on Amazon Music?
After distributor approval, Amazon Music typically processes releases in 2–5 business days. With Globex Music’s 48-hour moderation, your music can be live on Amazon Music within 3–7 days of upload under normal conditions. Set your release date at least 2 weeks out to ensure delivery, and 4+ weeks if you want to submit an editorial pitch through Amazon Music for Artists.
Does my music appear on both Prime Music and Amazon Music Unlimited?
Yes. When you distribute through an approved distributor, your tracks are automatically delivered to all tiers of Amazon Music — Unlimited, Prime, and Free. You don’t need to choose between them or submit separately. Royalty rates differ by tier, with Unlimited streams paying more than Prime or Free streams.
Can Alexa play my music?
Yes — once your music is live on Amazon Music through a distributor, Alexa can play it on request. Listeners can ask Alexa to play your artist name, a specific song title, or music in your genre. This is a passive discovery channel unique to Amazon Music that doesn’t require any separate setup beyond standard distribution.
How do I get on Amazon Music editorial playlists?
Submit your upcoming release through the Amazon Music for Artists dashboard at least 14 days before your release date. Your profile must be verified and your release must be showing as upcoming — you cannot pitch after the release is live. Fill out the pitch form completely with specific genre, mood, and release context. Amazon’s editorial team manually reviews every submission; specificity and a compelling first sentence significantly improve your odds.
Can I release cover songs on Amazon Music?
Yes. Cover songs require mechanical licensing — handled automatically by Globex Music at no extra charge when you flag the release as a cover and provide the original songwriter’s name. The same $1 per single price applies to cover songs and originals alike. Amazon Music’s integration with the Amazon digital store in some territories means cover song licensing needs to cover download rights as well as streaming — distributors that handle licensing automatically manage this across all territories.
Get your music on Amazon Music, Spotify, Apple Music, TikTok, and 150+ platforms from $1 per single. Globex Music handles distribution and cover song licensing automatically — no annual fee, no hidden costs.
