How to switch digital music distributors without losing streaming numbers

Switching music distributors can feel like defusing a bomb—you know you need to cut the wire, but you fear that one wrong move will cost you your entire streaming history and all those hard-earned playlist placements.

For independent artists, choosing a distributor is one of the most important business decisions they make. Whether you’re moving from a subscription model like DistroKid to a commission model like Too Lost, or simply seeking better customer service, better features, or lower fees, making the switch is a necessary step in career evolution.

Fortunately, modern distribution systems are designed to handle these transitions smoothly. By following a precise plan, you can ensure your music moves seamlessly, preserving every single stream, playlist placement, and listener profile.

Why Artists Hesitate to Switch

The core fear of switching distributors is known as the "catalog wipe." Artists worry that initiating a takedown will create a gap in service, zero out their stream counts, destroy their algorithmic momentum, and result in the dreaded "greyed-out" tracks on playlists.

This fear is largely obsolete, provided you understand and execute the switching trinity: the three pieces of data that must be identical across the old and new releases.

To switch successfully, your new distributor submission must be an exact clone of the old one in terms of identifying data.

1. The ISRC (International Standard Recording Code)

This is the most crucial element. The ISRC is the song's digital fingerprint. It is a unique 12-character code assigned to the sound recording itself, not the song's title or artist. Streaming services use the ISRC to track every single stream, and crucially, to link a track to all its existing metadata (playlists, user libraries, stream counts).

Rule: You MUST reuse the original ISRC code provided by your old distributor for every track. If you let the new distributor generate a new ISRC, your streaming history will be wiped.

2. The Metadata Clone

Metadata is all the text and non-audio information attached to your song. The new submission must be 100% identical to the old one.

This includes:

• Artist name: Exact spelling and capitalization (e.g., "The Artist" vs. "the artist").
• Track title: Exact spelling and capitalization.
• Featured artists: The format must be identical (e.g., "feat. Guest" vs. "ft. Guest").
• Track order: If switching an album, the track list order must be identical.

Even a minor difference, like changing a comma to a period, or misspelling a featured artist's name, can cause the streaming service to recognize it as a completely new song, leading to the creation of a duplicate listing and a loss of historical data.

3. The Audio File (Bit-for-Bit Match)

The uploaded audio file itself must be the exact same version. Do not use a slightly different master, edit, or mix. If the track length or sonic signature changes, platforms may treat it as a new song. Use the highest quality lossless file (the original 16-bit, 44.1 kHz WAV) that you used for the first distribution.

Phase 1: Preparation

Before you log into your new distributor (e.g., Too Lost), you need to gather the necessary data from your old one (e.g., DistroKid).

Download Your Masters

Go into your old distributor’s dashboard and download the highest quality audio files (WAV or FLAC) of every single track you plan to switch. Store them safely.

Extract the ISRC Codes

Locate the reporting or album details section in your old distributor's account. You need to find and copy the unique ISRC code for every track on every release you are switching. Create a simple spreadsheet listing the Track Name and its corresponding ISRC. This sheet is your most valuable asset during this process.

Log Metadata

While you have the old distributor's page open, copy the exact spelling, capitalization, and featured artist credits for every track. Note the release date and the label name (if applicable).

Confirm Ownership and Rights

Ensure you have the right to distribute the music through the new company. Verify that your contractual commitment to the old distributor has ended or is clear. This is particularly important if you signed up for any publishing administration services through the old distributor.

Phase 2: The Upload and Overlap

This phase is about uploading the music to the new distributor while the old distributor's files are still live. This overlap is crucial for a smooth transition.

Upload and Input Existing ISRCs

Log into your new distributor's platform (Too Lost, etc.). Start creating the new release.

• When the platform asks for the ISRC code for each track, do not let them auto-generate a new one. Select the option to "Use my own ISRC" and paste the exact code you retrieved in Phase 1.
• Re-enter all your metadata (Title, Artist Name, etc.) ensuring a character-for-character match with the old release.
• Set the release date for about 7 to 10 days in the future. This gives the distributor time to deliver the files to all stores.

Verify the Overlap (7 to 14 Days)

Wait for the new distributor's files to go live across all platforms. For a short time, your song may appear twice on Spotify—once from the old distributor and once from the new one. This is expected and temporary.

Action: Go to your Spotify for Artists profile. Check the "Discography" tab. The new release (from the new distributor) should automatically merge with the existing track on your profile. The stream counts and playlist links should remain unified. This merge confirms the ISRC match worked.

Phase 3: The Takedown

Only once you have verified the merge and the new track is live everywhere should you initiate the takedown.

Initiate the Takedown Request

Go back to your old distributor’s dashboard and request a full takedown of the original release.

• Do this only after the new version is live and merged. Waiting until the original distributor confirms the track is taken down is not necessary; initiating the request is the key step.
• Be patient. The old tracks will disappear at different rates across different platforms (Spotify can take 2-5 days; Apple Music is often faster).

Once the takedown is complete, the music will revert entirely to the files delivered by your new distributor, and because the ISRC was reused, all the historical data—the stream counts, the playlist adds, and the algorithm's understanding of your song—will remain intact.

Phase 4: Post-Switch and Financial Management

Final Verification and Store Link Updates

Once the original track has fully disappeared from the stores, do a final check:

• Confirm your Spotify stream counts are preserved.
• Ensure all playlist placements are still functional.
• If you use a third-party link service (like Linkfire or feature.fm), update the links to point to the new store URLs provided by your new distributor.

Royalty Timeline Management

The switch affects future income, not past earnings.

• Old distributor payments: You will continue to receive royalty payments from your old distributor for several months. Spotify and other major platforms report sales data 2-3 months in arrears, meaning revenue earned before the switch takes time to process.
• New distributor payments: Your new distributor will begin paying you for all streams and sales that occur after the switch.

Successfully switching distributors is a methodical process built entirely on data integrity. By meticulously reusing your ISRCs and cloning your metadata, you take control of your catalog, preserving your past success while optimizing your future career growth.