How to Get Your Music on Instagram
As much as Instagram is a social media platform, it’s also an important platform for music discovery.
Almost everyone on Instagram shares music on the platform through stories, in-feed posts or Reels. That’s why ensuring you get your music on Instagram’s music library is as important as getting it on all music streaming platforms.
Luckily music distribution services like LANDR Distribution can get your music on Instagram alongside music streaming services like Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, Tidal and every other platform worldwide.
Of course, getting your music on Instagram is the easy part. Finding success, encouraging users to share your music and building your following is the hard part. So let’s explore all the ways you can get your music heard on Instagram.
Release your music in 3 easy steps:
Step 1
Select the LANDR Distribution plan that best suits your needs.
Step 2
Access LANDR’s easy-to-use distribution wizard to upload your music and set up your release.
Step 3
Once your music is distributed, find your music in Instagram’s music library when posting stories, in-feed posts or reels.
Get your music on major streaming platforms
When you release through LANDR Distribution, your music is delivered to 150+ streaming platforms, social media platforms and stores, including Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, Tidal, TikTok, YouTube and more. It's the best way to get your music heard by listeners around the world.
Choosing the right music distribution service
Not all music distributors are the same—some take a cut of your royalties while others will take your music down if you choose to end your subscription to their services. With a LANDR Distribution plan, you keep 100% of your royalties. Plus, even if you end your subscription, your music stays up forever.
Unlike other distribution companies, LANDR Distribution comes with a handful of additional benefits. Choosing a LANDR Distribution plan gets you access to YouTube Content ID, and a collection of promotion tools. If you upgrade to a LANDR Studio plan you also get unlimited distribution alongside unlimited AI-mastering, 40+ pro-grade plugins, access to a sample library with over 3 million samples and much more.
Make sure your music is eligible for monetization on Instagram
Master ownership
To have your music on Instagram you must own the music you've distributed. If you work with collaborators, you must credit their contributions and have their legal consent to upload music they've worked on.
Sample rights
If you've sampled any sounds or other music in your tracks, you must have legal rights to use it. If you used royalty-free samples, you already have the legal right to use those sounds. Otherwise, you'll need clearance from anyone whose music was used in your tracks.
Cover song licenses
If you're releasing a cover song to Instagram, you must obtain the proper license to upload that song. If you don't have one, LANDR offers cover song licensing for $15 USD per song.
Master your music for streaming
When you release your music to streaming platforms, it must be mastered to have the right loudness and balance. Mastering your tracks with an AI-mastering tool or working with a professional mastering engineer are two ways to ensure your tracks meet these standards.
Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to get music on Instagram?
It will take 3-5 business days to get your music on Instagram. When you distribute your music to music streaming services you also have the option to send your music to social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok and others. Make sure to select the option to distribute your music to social media platforms alongside streaming platforms. LANDR also has a review process for releases, but expedited review is available with our Distribution Pro plan.
How much does it cost to release music on Instagram?
LANDR Distribution subscriptions offer unlimited releases on Instagram and all other streaming platforms as part of our plans starting from just $23.99/year.
Can I publish a cover song to Instagram?
With a LANDR Distribution plan, you can monetize your cover songs and make them available in Instagram’s song library by paying a small one-time licensing fee and releasing your cover through LANDR’s distribution service. Learn more about releasing cover songs here.
What are Instagram Stories, Reels and Grid Posts?
Stories are short-form posts found at the top of a user’s browse page. A story post is shown for 24 hours and can’t last longer than 60 seconds.
Reels are similar to TikToks. They're shown in portrait format and are limited in length. When a user makes a Reel they can set it to any song distributed to Instagram’s library.
In-feed posts are the original style of post that Instagram started with. They’re typically a square image that can be set to any audio found in Instagram’s library.
When will I get paid for my streams on Instagram?
The amount of time it takes to get paid your first round of royalties from Instagram varies significantly. Among many other factors, it depends on how much time it takes for your music to be reviewed and approved to go live on the platform. To find out when you can expect to get paid for your releases through LANDR Distribution, take a look at this article.
How can I promote my music once it’s on Instagram?
Social media platforms by nature make for great promotion tools and Instagram is no exception. The first and most obvious step is to start an Instagram account and maintain an active presence.
Follow the right people, share your music and your videos, document your recording and songwriting process, and share your art and your life with your followers and fans.
There’s lots to consider when promoting your music on social media, so check out our other articles on the subject and learn the ins and outs of social media music promotion.
How much does Instagram charge listeners to access my music?
Accessing your music is free for Instagram users. Instead of charging users, it pays streaming royalties from its ad revenue.
How do artists earn money with Instagram?
Instagram isn’t known for paying out high royalties for streams on its platform. Even if your song goes viral on the platform you shouldn’t expect a massive royalty payment.
However, due to its strengths as a social media platform, Instagram offers many opportunities for artists to earn money. Many artists make money on Instagram by selling merch and promoting releases, shows and tours. Instagram also offers tiered subscriptions with paywalled content for subscribers, similar to Patreon.
Why release music on Instagram?
Instagram is easily one of the biggest social media platforms right now, and it’s one way many music fans find new tracks and share their favorite artists. Since submitting your music to the platform is automatically integrated into the process of releasing your music through LANDR Distribution, it's an easy way to get your music heard by as many people as possible. We highly recommend it!
Start your release on Instagram
Get your music on Instagram, Spotify, Amazon Music, Apple Music & 150+ other platforms.