How to Distribute Music to BTR Music: Complete Guide for Labels, Distributors & Rights Holders
For a music distributor or record label, adding a new digital service provider is not simply a matter of uploading audio files.
A professional DSP integration has to move catalogue, metadata, rights, territories, release dates, artwork and identifiers accurately. It also has to support corrections, catalogue updates, takedowns, usage reporting, royalties and the operational relationship that continues long after the first release goes live.
BTR Music is a full-track consumer music streaming and discovery platform that works with professional music distributors, record labels, catalogue owners and authorised rights holders.
Organisations that want to distribute music to BTR Music can establish a professional catalogue relationship using delivery workflows including DDEX, API and SFTP.
If your company already distributes recordings to digital music services and you want to add BTR Music as a destination, you can begin here:
Apply to Become a BTR Music Distribution Partner →
Technical and engineering teams can review the integration documentation here:
BTR Music Developer & API Documentation →
This guide explains the complete process: who BTR Music works with, what information a distributor needs to deliver, how DDEX and API integrations fit into the workflow, how rights and territories are handled, what happens during technical validation, and how catalogue is operated once it reaches listeners.
What Is BTR Music?
BTR Music is a consumer music streaming and discovery platform.
Listeners use BTR Music to play full tracks and discover music across genres, artists, scenes, charts, cities, recommendations and community activity.
The platform is designed around more than catalogue availability alone. Music delivered to BTR can participate in the wider listening and discovery environment through eligible surfaces such as search, artist profiles, genres, recommendations, charts, scenes and sharing.
You can see the consumer platform at:
For labels and distributors, that distinction is important.
BTR Music is the destination.
Your distribution company, label or catalogue business is the catalogue supplier.
Is BTR Music a DSP?
Yes.
In music-industry terminology, a DSP — Digital Service Provider — is the digital music service that makes recordings available to consumers through streaming, downloads or another digital business model.
A distributor or aggregator normally operates on the supply side of that relationship.
The basic chain looks like this:
Artist / Label → Distributor or Aggregator → BTR Music → Listener
A label with suitable rights, catalogue infrastructure and technical capabilities may also deliver directly:
Record Label → BTR Music → Listener
This is the same general supply-chain concept used throughout professional digital music delivery.
DDEX, the music industry’s digital-data standards organisation, describes its Electronic Release Notification standard as a mechanism used by record companies and distributors to communicate releases and their commercial availability to DSPs.
For more background on professional release delivery, see the official DDEX Release Delivery documentation.
Who Can Become a BTR Music Distribution Partner?
BTR Music’s professional distribution route is intended for organisations managing recorded-music catalogue at scale or operating on behalf of rights holders.
Music distributors
A music distributor representing multiple artists, labels or catalogues can apply to add BTR Music as a DSP destination.
This is the most conventional relationship: the distributor already manages catalogue ingestion from its clients and adds BTR Music as another downstream digital service.
Digital music aggregators
Aggregators that deliver catalogue to multiple DSPs can establish a direct systems integration with BTR Music rather than submitting releases individually.
Record labels
Record labels and label groups controlling or administering their own master rights can discuss direct professional catalogue delivery.
Catalogue owners
Companies controlling commercially exploitable master recordings can participate where they hold the authority required to distribute the catalogue.
Rights holders
Authorised rights holders can supply catalogue according to the territories, availability periods and rights they actually control.
B2B music distribution platforms
Technology companies that already maintain DSP-delivery infrastructure can integrate BTR Music into their distribution stack.
Apply for a BTR Music distribution partnership →
Independent Artist or Distribution Partner?
BTR Music maintains different pathways for individual artists and professional catalogue suppliers.
If you are an individual artist
Use the artist route:
If you represent a distributor, label or catalogue
Use the professional distribution route:
and:
Distribution Partner Application →
A company delivering thousands of releases should not have to behave like thousands of individual artists manually uploading one record at a time.
That is why the professional catalogue pathway exists.
Why Add BTR Music as a DSP Destination?
For a distributor, adding another DSP should create a legitimate additional route between authorised catalogue and listeners.
BTR Music is designed as a full-track consumer streaming service rather than a catalogue warehouse or preview-only system.
Once approved catalogue is available on BTR Music, eligible music can participate in a broader discovery ecosystem.
That includes potential discovery through:
- music search
- artist profiles
- genres and subgenres
- recommendations
- charts
- music scenes
- local and geographic discovery
- sharing
- artist relationships
- listener behaviour
For labels and distributors, the opportunity is therefore not merely:
“Can BTR store this release?”
It is:
“Can this catalogue reach another audience through another music discovery environment?”
How Music Gets Delivered to BTR Music
BTR Music supports multiple professional catalogue delivery methods.
The appropriate method depends on the distributor’s existing infrastructure, catalogue size, automation requirements and internal systems.
The principal routes are:
- DDEX — standards-based professional release delivery
- API — direct programmatic systems integration
- SFTP — secure bulk catalogue and asset delivery
These are not competing products.
They are different integration methods for different catalogue operations.
DDEX Delivery to BTR Music
DDEX is one of the core standards frameworks used in professional digital music distribution.
The relevant release-delivery standard is the Electronic Release Notification Message Suite, commonly referred to as ERN.
DDEX describes ERN as the standard through which record companies and distributors communicate releases, recordings, metadata and the conditions under which those releases may be made available to a DSP.
That is exactly the type of information a DSP needs to operate catalogue correctly.
What a DDEX release delivery can describe
A professional release message can carry structured information covering areas such as:
- the release
- the recordings within that release
- artists and contributors
- release identifiers
- recording identifiers
- release dates
- territories
- commercial availability
- rights information
- audio assets
- cover artwork
Why DDEX matters
Without a structured standard, every distributor and every DSP could potentially describe releases differently.
That creates unnecessary engineering work and increases the chance of metadata mismatches.
DDEX standardises much of that communication.
For an established distributor already delivering catalogue to other DSPs using DDEX, adding BTR Music can therefore fit into an existing professional release-delivery architecture rather than creating an entirely new concept.
New releases and catalogue changes
Professional delivery is not limited to sending a release once.
The distribution relationship also needs to support:
- new releases
- metadata corrections
- availability changes
- territorial changes
- rights changes
- asset replacements
- release removals
DDEX standards provide structures for release communication and catalogue changes, while the BTR Music partner integration determines exactly how those messages and assets are exchanged operationally.
Engineering teams implementing DDEX with BTR Music should use the current BTR technical requirements alongside the relevant DDEX specification.
View BTR Music Developer Documentation →
Official DDEX reference:
Understanding DDEX ERN
For engineering teams unfamiliar with DDEX, it helps to understand what ERN actually represents.
ERN is not simply an XML file containing a track name.
It models a release and the resources, parties and deals associated with it.
A release package may need to communicate:
Release information
- release title
- release type
- release identifier
- label
- release date
- copyright information
Resource information
- sound recordings
- recording titles
- ISRCs
- artists
- contributors
- audio assets
Deal information
- where the release may be made available
- when availability begins
- when availability ends where applicable
- territorial permissions
- commercial availability conditions
In other words, the DSP needs to understand both:
what the music is
and:
where, when and under what authority it may be offered.
That separation between metadata and rights/deal information is fundamental to professional catalogue distribution.
API-Based Music Distribution to BTR Music
For distributors operating modern catalogue platforms, an API integration may be the most natural route.
BTR Music supports API-based catalogue ingestion and operational workflows for partners requiring direct systems integration.
Instead of somebody manually entering every release, the distributor’s catalogue system can communicate programmatically with BTR Music.
The current technical documentation is available here:
BTR Music Developer & API Documentation →
What an API integration is designed to solve
A professional music-distribution API generally exists to automate the movement of catalogue and catalogue state between two systems.
At a conceptual level, the distributor needs to be able to communicate:
- new releases
- recordings
- artists
- contributors
- identifiers
- release metadata
- rights
- territories
- availability
- assets
- updates
- takedowns
The exact endpoint structure, authentication mechanism, request schema and response format should always be taken from the live BTR Music developer documentation.
A typical integration flow
At architecture level, a catalogue API integration normally follows a workflow similar to:
- Partner system identifies a new or updated release.
- The distributor prepares the required release, recording and rights metadata.
- Required audio and artwork assets are made available according to the integration specification.
- The catalogue package is submitted to the DSP.
- The receiving platform validates metadata, identifiers, assets and rights information.
- The partner receives a processing or validation state.
- Errors are corrected and redelivered where required.
- Accepted catalogue progresses toward availability under the supplied release and territorial rules.
This lifecycle is far more important than a simple HTTP request.
A production distribution integration must answer:
What happens when delivery succeeds?
What happens when it fails?
What happens when metadata changes tomorrow?
What happens when rights change next month?
What happens when the release needs to disappear immediately?
What Engineers Should Review Before Integrating the BTR Music API
Before writing production code, the partner’s technical team should review the current documentation in full.
At minimum, engineers should identify:
Authentication
Determine how the partner authenticates requests and how credentials are provisioned, stored, rotated and revoked.
Do not hard-code production credentials into applications or source repositories.
Authorisation and scope
Understand which operations the integration is permitted to perform and whether separate permissions exist for catalogue submission, reporting or other functions.
Request schema
Map your internal catalogue model to the fields required by BTR Music.
This is often one of the largest pieces of integration work because two systems rarely use identical metadata models internally.
Validation responses
Engineering teams need to understand the difference between:
- a request being technically received
- metadata being valid
- assets being valid
- rights information being sufficient
- catalogue being accepted
- catalogue actually becoming available
Error handling
Do not treat every non-success condition as the same error.
A robust connector should distinguish between situations such as:
- temporary network failure
- authentication failure
- invalid metadata
- missing identifier
- invalid asset
- rights or territory issue
- duplicate or conflicting catalogue state
Retries
Network systems fail.
Production integrations should therefore implement retry behaviour carefully.
Blindly repeating every failed request indefinitely can create duplicates or unnecessary load.
Your implementation should follow the retry and idempotency requirements documented by BTR Music.
Idempotency
Catalogue systems need predictable behaviour when the same logical operation is submitted more than once.
This is particularly important when retrying requests after uncertain network failures.
Follow the BTR API documentation for the current behaviour expected for duplicate submissions and repeat operations.
Rate limits
Large distributors can generate significant traffic during catalogue imports.
Your connector should respect all documented API rate limits and implement backoff behaviour where necessary.
Asynchronous processing
Catalogue ingestion may require work after the initial request returns, such as validating assets, processing metadata or applying rights information.
Do not assume that an HTTP success response automatically means a release is live.
Use the documented catalogue-state and notification mechanisms to determine actual processing status.
Read the current BTR Music API documentation →
API Integration Is About State, Not Just Submission
One of the most common mistakes in catalogue engineering is treating music delivery as:
POST release → finished.
Real catalogue operations do not work that way.
A release moves through states.
It may be:
- prepared by the distributor
- submitted
- received
- validated
- rejected for correction
- processed
- scheduled
- available
- updated later
- restricted in selected territories
- taken down
The exact BTR Music states and workflow are defined by its current integration documentation.
Your internal distribution platform should map BTR’s states back into your own catalogue operation so that support teams and rights holders can understand what is happening.
Build Your BTR Connector as a Lifecycle Integration
A reliable DSP connector should support four broad types of action.
1. Create
Deliver a release or recording that BTR Music has not previously received from the partner.
2. Update
Modify authorised catalogue information when something changes.
Examples include:
- metadata correction
- new artwork
- territory update
- availability-date update
- rights-owner change
3. Reconcile
Compare what your distribution system believes should exist with what the DSP reports it has processed.
This is essential when operating catalogue at scale.
4. Remove
Send an authorised takedown or rights change when catalogue should no longer be available.
If your implementation only handles initial delivery, it is not yet a complete DSP integration.
SFTP Delivery to BTR Music
Not every distributor needs a real-time API integration.
Secure bulk delivery remains an effective method for many catalogue operations.
BTR Music supports SFTP-based delivery for professional catalogue and asset workflows.
SFTP can be appropriate when a partner already produces structured catalogue packages containing:
- metadata
- audio
- cover artwork
- release information
- rights information
When SFTP can make sense
SFTP may be suitable when:
- catalogue is delivered in batches
- the distributor already has file-based DSP workflows
- real-time programmatic ingestion is not necessary
- a structured package can contain all required metadata and assets
The precise packaging, naming and delivery rules should be agreed during technical onboarding.
DDEX vs API vs SFTP: Which Should You Use?
| Delivery Method | Best Suited To | Main Benefit |
|---|---|---|
| DDEX | Established distributors and labels already using industry-standard delivery | Standardised release, resource, rights and deal metadata |
| API | Technology-led distributors requiring direct systems integration | Programmatic catalogue and operational workflows |
| SFTP | Partners using structured bulk delivery | Secure file-based catalogue and asset transfer |
There is no universally superior option.
The correct choice depends on your existing distribution architecture.
A mature distributor should avoid rebuilding an entire delivery stack unnecessarily.
If your business already maintains a robust DDEX pipeline, that may be the natural path.
If your distribution platform is API-native and needs direct catalogue-state automation, the API may be more appropriate.
If your workflow is batch-oriented, SFTP may make operational sense.
Metadata Required for Professional Music Distribution
Audio by itself is not a commercially operable music release.
A DSP needs structured metadata to identify the recording, attribute it correctly, determine ownership and understand where and when it can be made available.
BTR Music’s professional catalogue operation supports information including:
ISRC
The International Standard Recording Code identifies a specific sound recording.
ISRCs are fundamental to correctly identifying recordings across the digital music supply chain.
UPC / EAN
Release-level identifiers can identify the commercial product or release containing one or more recordings.
Primary artist
The principal credited performer associated with the track or release.
Featured artists
Artists receiving featured billing should be communicated separately from the primary artist where applicable.
Contributors
Professional metadata can include additional people associated with the recording or release.
Label information
The supplying partner should communicate the label or relevant imprint associated with the release.
P-line
The phonographic copyright information associated with the sound recording.
C-line
The copyright information associated with the release or relevant copyrighted material.
Release date
The date associated with release availability.
Availability date
A distributor may need to distinguish general release information from the exact point at which BTR Music may make the content available.
Territorial rights
The partner must communicate the territories in which it has authorised BTR Music to make the catalogue available.
Genre
Genre information helps organise catalogue and can contribute to discovery and user navigation.
Ownership and rights information
The partner must have authority to distribute the recordings it supplies.
Why Metadata Quality Matters
Bad metadata creates real operational problems.
A spelling error may seem small.
At catalogue scale it can produce:
- incorrect artist attribution
- duplicate artist profiles
- misidentified releases
- rights disputes
- incorrect availability
- support cases
- reporting problems
A professional distributor should therefore validate catalogue before delivery rather than relying on the DSP to repair bad source data.
Artist Identity and Profile Matching
Artist identity is one of the most difficult problems in digital music metadata.
Two artists can have the same name.
The same artist can appear under multiple spellings.
Collaborations and featured credits add further complexity.
During integration, distributors should make sure the information supplied is sufficient for BTR Music to associate recordings with the correct artist identity.
If artist resolution requires intervention, treat it as an operational catalogue issue rather than creating duplicate profiles blindly.
Territorial Rights on BTR Music
Professional music rights are often territorial.
A distributor may be authorised to deliver a recording worldwide.
Another catalogue might only be controlled in specific countries.
BTR Music supports territory-aware catalogue availability.
This means catalogue can be operated according to the supplied rights and territories rather than assuming every delivery is automatically worldwide.
A distributor should know:
- which territories it controls
- when those rights begin
- when they end where applicable
- whether rights change between releases
- whether individual recordings within a release have different restrictions
Do not claim rights you do not control.
The availability of catalogue on BTR Music is governed by the rights and territory information supplied through the authorised distribution relationship.
Release Timing and Embargo Management
New music often needs to become available at a precise time.
A distributor should therefore treat availability information as production data, not editorial decoration.
Before delivering a release, confirm:
- release date
- availability date
- timezone assumptions where relevant
- territorial variations
- whether the release is immediate or scheduled
Do not wait until release day to discover that an integration has never successfully processed a future-dated release.
Scheduled availability should be part of certification testing.
Audio and Artwork Delivery
A complete release generally includes more than metadata.
BTR Music’s professional ingestion workflow also handles:
- release audio
- cover artwork
- associated catalogue assets
The distributor should preserve high-quality source assets and comply with the current technical specifications defined during partner integration.
Do not unnecessarily transcode a master repeatedly before delivery.
Each extra lossy conversion can degrade the audio source.
Existing Back Catalogue and New Releases
A distributor does not need to limit a BTR Music relationship to future releases.
BTR Music supports both:
- existing catalogue ingestion
- ongoing new-release delivery
This means a partner can plan an initial catalogue launch and then transition into a regular delivery process.
A sensible migration strategy
Large distributors may want to structure onboarding into stages:
- small technical test catalogue
- controlled production batch
- larger back-catalogue migration
- ongoing new-release feed
This reduces the operational risk of attempting to push an enormous catalogue through an untested connector on day one.
Catalogue Updates After Delivery
Delivery is not the end of the catalogue lifecycle.
BTR Music supports ongoing catalogue operations including:
- metadata corrections
- artwork updates
- asset updates
- territory additions
- territory removals
- availability-date changes
- rights-owner changes
- catalogue redelivery
This matters because production catalogue changes constantly.
A DSP integration that cannot update catalogue is incomplete.
Music Takedowns
Every professional distribution relationship needs a reliable takedown process.
Reasons can include:
- rights expiry
- licence termination
- catalogue transfer
- incorrect delivery
- copyright dispute
- artist or label request where authorised
- replacement release
BTR Music supports release and recording takedowns through its catalogue-operation workflows.
Your engineering and operations teams should test takedowns during certification rather than assuming removal works simply because initial delivery works.
What Should Be Tested Before Going Live?
BTR Music’s partnership workflow includes controlled test delivery before catalogue launch.
A serious certification test should cover more than a single perfect release.
Test a normal release
Verify that ordinary metadata, artwork and audio ingest correctly.
Test a multi-track release
Ensure release-level and recording-level relationships remain intact.
Test artist credits
Validate primary and featured artist handling.
Test territories
Confirm the release is available only where the partner authorised it.
Test future availability
Verify scheduled releases remain unavailable before their permitted date.
Test metadata updates
Change legitimate catalogue information and confirm that the update is applied correctly.
Test artwork replacement
Verify asset updates do not accidentally create duplicate releases.
Test rights changes
Change availability or territorial rights and validate the result.
Test takedowns
Remove catalogue and confirm that availability changes correctly.
Test invalid data
A good integration must understand failure as well as success.
Submit deliberately invalid test cases during certification so your software can parse and surface rejection information correctly.
Production Integration Checklist for Engineering Teams
Before launch, your engineering team should be able to answer all of the following.
- How does authentication work?
- How are credentials stored and rotated?
- What operations is our integration authorised to perform?
- What metadata fields are required?
- What identifiers are required?
- How are audio assets delivered?
- How is artwork delivered?
- How are territory rights represented?
- How are release dates represented?
- How do we submit new catalogue?
- How do we update catalogue?
- How do we submit a takedown?
- How do we detect validation failures?
- How do we retrieve or receive processing status?
- How should retries work?
- How are duplicate submissions handled?
- What are the rate limits?
- How do we reconcile catalogue state?
- How do we separate testing from production?
- How do we monitor failed deliveries?
The current source of truth for BTR-specific implementation details is:
partners.btrmusic.com/developers →
Production Checklist for Catalogue Operations Teams
The engineering team is only half of a distribution integration.
Catalogue operations should also establish clear procedures.
- Who can submit catalogue?
- Who can authorise takedowns?
- How are metadata errors reviewed?
- Who handles artist-identity conflicts?
- How are rights disputes escalated?
- How are territorial changes processed?
- How quickly must urgent takedowns be actioned?
- Who owns reconciliation between internal and BTR catalogue state?
- How are reporting discrepancies investigated?
- Who is the primary operational contact?
A technically excellent API connector cannot compensate for poor catalogue operations.
Usage Reporting and Royalty Accounting
A professional DSP relationship ultimately needs to return information in the opposite direction as well.
Catalogue flows toward the streaming service.
Usage and accounting information flows back toward the rights holder or distributor.
BTR Music operates qualified-stream accounting and reporting for music available through the platform.
Stream accounting
Listening activity is processed through BTR Music’s stream-qualification and accounting systems.
Partner reporting
Catalogue partners receive usage and royalty reporting within the commercial and operational framework agreed with BTR Music.
Royalty accounting
Eligible listening activity can be incorporated into rights-holder royalty accounting.
Settlement
Financial settlement is handled under the commercial terms agreed with the catalogue partner.
This is why the commercial agreement and technical integration cannot be treated as completely separate projects.
The metadata used to identify catalogue must ultimately support the accounting process as well.
Why Accurate ISRCs Matter for Reporting
Recording identifiers become particularly important when usage data needs to return to a distributor.
A distributor needs to know exactly which recording generated the reported activity.
Consistent ISRC data helps connect:
delivery → availability → streaming activity → reporting → rights-holder accounting
Changing recording identities unnecessarily or delivering conflicting identifiers can create downstream reconciliation problems.
Artificial Streaming and Fraud Controls
Artificial streaming damages legitimate artists, labels, distributors and DSPs.
If manipulated plays enter royalty calculations unchecked, legitimate listening is diluted.
BTR Music applies controls before usage is treated as payable.
The platform’s professional distribution information identifies controls including:
- qualified-stream rules
- device controls
- behavioural controls
- artificial-stream monitoring
- abuse monitoring
- exclusion of non-qualified activity
- catalogue and rights controls
- support for rights disputes and takedowns
Distributors should have their own fraud and artificial-stream policies as well.
DSP fraud prevention is strongest when platforms, distributors, labels and artists are aligned around legitimate listener behaviour.
How a BTR Music Distribution Partnership Starts
The professional onboarding process can be understood as six stages.
1. Introduce your catalogue
Tell BTR Music who your organisation represents.
Useful information includes:
- company name
- company type
- catalogue profile
- approximate catalogue size
- territories represented
- rights controlled
- preferred delivery method
Start the BTR Music Partner Application →
2. Commercial review
BTR Music and the catalogue partner establish the commercial and operational basis of the relationship.
This can cover:
- rights
- commercial terms
- reporting
- settlement
- operational responsibilities
3. Technical integration
The parties agree the appropriate delivery method:
- DDEX
- SFTP
- API
Technical teams then validate the catalogue workflow against BTR Music’s requirements.
4. Test delivery
A controlled test validates:
- ingestion
- metadata
- audio
- artwork
- territories
- updates
- takedowns
5. Catalogue launch
Approved catalogue becomes available to eligible BTR Music listeners according to the supplied rights and territorial framework.
6. Ongoing operation
The relationship then moves into normal production activity:
- new releases
- updates
- catalogue maintenance
- takedowns
- usage reporting
- royalty reporting
- settlement
What to Include in Your BTR Music Partner Application
A good application should allow the partnerships team to understand your organisation quickly.
Prepare:
Company information
- legal company name
- trading name
- country
- website
- business contact
Catalogue information
- number of recordings
- number of labels or artists represented
- primary genres
- catalogue territories
- existing back catalogue
- expected new-release volume
Rights information
- nature of your distribution authority
- territories represented
- whether catalogue ownership varies by territory
Technical information
- DDEX capability
- API capability
- SFTP capability
- current DSP-delivery architecture
The more precise the initial information is, the easier it is to determine the appropriate onboarding path.
Questions a Distributor Should Ask Before Adding Any DSP
The integration process should work in both directions.
A distributor should assess a new DSP carefully.
Useful questions include:
- Is this a real consumer streaming destination?
- How is catalogue delivered?
- Can it accept our existing technical workflow?
- How are territorial rights respected?
- Can catalogue be updated?
- Can catalogue be taken down?
- How are streams qualified?
- How is usage reported?
- How are royalties accounted?
- How is settlement handled?
- How are rights disputes handled?
- What technical certification is required?
- Who handles operational escalation?
BTR Music’s professional distribution programme is structured around those same categories: delivery, rights, reporting and full catalogue lifecycle operations.
How Long Does a DSP Integration Take?
There is no single useful answer.
Integration time depends heavily on:
- the partner’s existing technology
- delivery method
- catalogue quality
- metadata completeness
- rights complexity
- testing results
- commercial onboarding
A distributor that already maintains clean DDEX delivery to multiple services is solving a different engineering problem from a label attempting its first automated DSP integration.
The correct objective is not the fastest possible integration.
It is a reliable integration that can operate catalogue correctly after launch.
Common DSP Integration Mistakes
Treating upload success as catalogue success
A network request being accepted does not necessarily mean the release is valid or available.
Ignoring updates
A connector that only creates releases but cannot update them will become an operational problem.
Ignoring takedowns
Rights can change quickly. Takedowns need to be treated as a first-class catalogue operation.
Bad artist matching
Artist-name collisions can fragment catalogue across profiles.
Incorrect territorial assumptions
Do not assume worldwide rights because the release exists worldwide somewhere else.
Retrying blindly
Poor retry logic can turn one temporary error into hundreds of duplicate operations.
No reconciliation process
If your system cannot answer “what does BTR currently believe is active?”, support becomes unnecessarily difficult.
No monitoring
Failed catalogue delivery should generate operational visibility rather than silently remaining stuck.
Why Labels Should Consider Additional DSP Destinations
The largest streaming services remain critical to music distribution.
But there is no requirement that a label’s digital strategy stop with the largest platforms.
An additional legitimate DSP can create another route into:
- new audiences
- genre communities
- regional scenes
- different discovery systems
- new artist-fan relationships
The strategic question for a label is not:
“Is this DSP as large as Spotify?”
It is:
“Can this destination create incremental legitimate discovery and listening for catalogue we already control?”
BTR Music is designed specifically around discovery, scenes, culture and artist-fan connection.
Why Music Distributors Should Consider BTR Music
A distributor creates value partly by increasing the number and quality of destinations available to its clients.
Adding BTR Music can provide represented labels and artists with access to another full-track streaming environment.
From a distributor’s perspective, four areas matter.
1. Delivery
BTR Music supports DDEX, API and SFTP professional delivery workflows.
2. Rights
The catalogue operation supports territorial rights, ownership information and availability controls.
3. Lifecycle
Catalogue can continue to change after initial delivery through updates, redelivery, territorial changes and takedowns.
4. Accounting
Qualified usage can flow into reporting, royalty accounting and partner settlement under the agreed commercial framework.
Those are the foundations required for a professional DSP relationship.
Frequently Asked Questions About BTR Music Distribution
Is BTR Music a DSP?
Yes. BTR Music is a consumer full-track streaming and music discovery service.
Who can distribute music to BTR Music?
BTR Music works with music distributors, record labels, catalogue owners, rights holders and B2B music distribution platforms.
How do I become a BTR Music distribution partner?
Start with the professional application at partners.btrmusic.com/apply.
Does BTR Music support DDEX?
Yes. BTR Music supports professional DDEX catalogue-delivery workflows.
What is DDEX ERN?
ERN is the Electronic Release Notification Message Suite used by record companies and distributors to communicate release, recording and commercial availability information to digital service providers.
Does BTR Music have a distribution API?
BTR Music supports API-based catalogue ingestion and operational workflows for professional partners.
Technical documentation is available at partners.btrmusic.com/developers.
Does BTR Music support SFTP?
Yes. Secure bulk catalogue and asset delivery is supported for applicable partner workflows.
Can distributors deliver existing back catalogue?
Yes. BTR Music supports both existing-catalogue ingestion and ongoing new-release delivery.
Can I distribute future releases?
Yes. Availability and release-date information are part of the professional catalogue workflow.
Does BTR Music support territorial rights?
Yes. Catalogue availability can be governed by supplied territorial rights and availability information.
Can metadata be corrected after a release is delivered?
Yes. BTR Music supports ongoing catalogue updates and corrections.
Can artwork be updated?
Yes. Artwork and catalogue asset updates are supported through the catalogue lifecycle.
Can a distributor change territories later?
Yes. Territory additions and removals form part of ongoing catalogue operations.
Can catalogue be taken down?
Yes. BTR Music supports release and recording takedown workflows.
Does BTR Music report usage?
Yes. Professional partners receive usage and royalty reporting under their agreed commercial and operational framework.
Does BTR Music pay royalties?
Eligible streaming activity is incorporated into BTR Music’s rights-holder royalty accounting and settlement processes under the applicable partner agreement.
Does BTR Music have anti-fraud controls?
Yes. Listening activity is subject to qualification and anti-abuse controls before it is treated as payable usage.
Do individual artists need a distribution partnership?
No. Artists who control their own recordings can use the direct artist onboarding route instead.
Where are the BTR Music API docs?
The current developer and integration documentation is available at:
https://partners.btrmusic.com/developers
Ready to Add BTR Music as a DSP Destination?
If you represent a music distributor, digital music aggregator, record label, catalogue owner or authorised rights holder, BTR Music provides a professional route for catalogue delivery.
The integration can support:
- DDEX delivery
- API integration
- SFTP delivery
- audio and artwork assets
- ISRC and release metadata
- territorial rights
- scheduled availability
- catalogue updates
- rights changes
- takedowns
- usage reporting
- royalty accounting
- rights-holder settlement
Commercial and partner onboarding
Apply to Become a BTR Music Distribution Partner →
Technical integration
BTR Music Developer & API Documentation →
Distribution overview
Consumer platform
Individual artists
BTR Music Distribution
BTR Music is a full-track streaming and discovery destination for professionally delivered music catalogue.
For labels and music distributors, the objective is straightforward:
Deliver authorised catalogue correctly.
Preserve accurate metadata.
Apply the correct territories and availability.
Keep catalogue up to date.
Receive usage and royalty reporting.
And give the music another place to be discovered.