One thing you really need to figure out before you start distributing music is your Artist Name.
If you suddenly realize you want to change your Artist Name when you get to your 2nd or 3rd release, things can get really messy, so take some time now to make sure you're 100% happy with it.
Deciding on an Artist Name
Lots of grassroots artists will have a couple of different variations of their names floating about on the internet. Your SoundCloud, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and more might have slightly (or drastically) different profile names.
If you're at a stage where you're seriously thinking about distributing, then it's time to pick one of them to run with!
Tips for choosing your Artist Name
a. Make sure it's unique! You don't want the same name as another artist, as this can cause confusion and even legal issues further down the line! Give the name a search on Spotify or Apple Music to make sure it's not already taken by an established artist.
Avoid one-word names with common nouns (e.g. King, Panther, Sister) as they will almost definitely be taken already, or someone else will try to take them later.
b. Remember the weirder your Artist Name gets, the harder it will be for people to search for you! If it looks like you've just disabled autocorrect by accident, it becomes a nightmare for potential fans to look you up on Spotify, Insta or anywhere else. Think carefully before adding loads of punctuation, numbers and funky spellings; it's an Artist Name, not an ultra-strong password!
c. You cannot use emojis and special characters (e.g. ꓘ, ⅃, ½) in your Artist Name when distributing, as this will result in your music being rejected by major streaming platforms.
d. Go grab your crystal ball and work out if this name is something that's going to make you cringe in a year or two. "Kanye East" might have sounded like a good idea at the time, but remember the name is going to be permanently tied to your project.
e. Do the stadium announcer test. Out loud, say "Ladies and Gentlemen, please welcome to the stage... <your artist name here>"
"Please join me in giving a big Madison Square Garden welcome to... J-Kid45970"
Distributing
When you first sign up, we will ask you for the exact Artist Name that you want to distribute under. We understand that you might have a change of heart, so we do allow you to change your name ONCE after this, provided you haven't already submitted a release to us. You can find this option in Artist Settings > Name and Profile Image.
Please please please make sure that we have made the change before you submit a release to us for distribution!