Sending One Release to Both Spotify and Apple Music

If you’re recording a cover song, chances are you want it heard everywhere your listeners actually stream music — and for most artists, that means Spotify and Apple Music above all else. The good news: you don’t need two separate uploads, two separate licenses, or two separate distributors to make that happen. One release, submitted once, can land on both platforms (and over 150 others) without any extra steps on your end.

Here’s how it actually works, and how to avoid the common mistakes that slow cover artists down.

Why Artists Assume This Is Complicated

A lot of new cover artists picture a separate submission process for each platform — one form for Spotify, another for Apple Music, maybe a different account for each. That’s not how modern distribution works. A single upload to a distributor like Globex Music pushes your track out to Spotify, Apple Music, and the rest of the 150+ platform network from one release, one set of metadata, and one licensing check.

The confusion mostly comes from mechanical licensing. Cover songs legally require a mechanical license before they can be distributed, and artists often assume that license has to be sorted out separately for each store. It doesn’t. When you release a cover through Globex Music, that licensing is handled automatically as part of the $1 release fee — no separate paperwork, no waiting on a third-party licensing agency, no per-platform approval.

What Actually Happens When You Submit One Release

Once you upload your cover song, a few things happen behind the scenes before it ever reaches a listener:

Your track and metadata (title, artist name, original songwriter credit) are checked for accuracy
The mechanical license for the cover is generated automatically, so the original songwriter is properly credited and compensated
Moderation review confirms the release meets platform content standards
Once approved, the same release file is delivered simultaneously to Spotify, Apple Music, and every other connected platform

Because it’s one pipeline instead of separate handoffs, review times stay fast — there’s no reason a cover song submitted correctly should sit in limbo for weeks. Fast moderation means your release reaches Spotify and Apple Music around the same time, not staggered days apart depending on which store happens to process it first.

One Price Instead of Platform-by-Platform Fees

This is where cover artists often get surprised by other services. Some distributors charge extra per platform, or tack on additional licensing fees specifically for cover songs, on top of an annual subscription. With Globex Music, the license is bundled into the release price from the start:

Globex Music: $1 per release, license included, no annual fee
DistroKid: $44.99/year subscription just to maintain access to distribution
TuneCore: $24.99/year base fee, plus separate per-cover licensing charges, plus a 20% commission specifically on social platform revenue
CD Baby: $9.95 per single up front, plus a 9% commission on royalties forever, for the life of the release

When you’re releasing a cover specifically to reach Spotify and Apple Music, none of those extra layers are necessary. One flat fee, one license, one simultaneous delivery to every platform in the network.

Getting Your Metadata Right the First Time

The fastest way to make sure your release goes to both platforms without a hitch is to get your submission details correct before you hit send. That means:

Listing the original songwriter, not just yourself as the performing artist
Using a title that clearly reflects it’s a cover, without copying the original release’s exact artwork or branding
Double-checking your artist name matches what’s already registered on your distributor account, so Spotify for Artists and Apple Music for Artists profiles link correctly

Small metadata mistakes are the number one reason releases get held up in moderation. Clean submissions move through review fast and reach both platforms without delay.

Getting Paid Once Streams Start Coming In

Once your cover is live on Spotify and Apple Music, royalties from both platforms flow into the same account. There’s no need to track two separate payout systems or wait on two different minimum thresholds. Globex Music pays out starting from just $10 USD, so even a modest run of streams across both platforms can translate into an actual payment rather than sitting locked behind a high minimum.

Catalog Stability for the Long Run

Once your release is live, it stays live. There’s no annual renewal fee to worry about, and no risk of your cover disappearing from Spotify or Apple Music because a subscription lapsed. That permanence matters especially for cover songs, since listener interest in a good cover can build slowly over months or even years — long after the initial release date.

The Bottom Line

Sending a release to both Spotify and Apple Music doesn’t require separate distributors, separate licenses, or separate fees. One upload, one $1 release, automatic mechanical licensing, and fast moderation get your cover song in front of listeners on both platforms — and the other 150+ platforms in the network — at the same time.