About Spotify
Spotify is a streaming service on which you can listen to music from almost any artist, at any time, anywhere.
You can also use the platform to access podcasts and videos.
There are two ways of using Spotify. You can opt for either a free account or a premium account. The free account lets you use basic features. You can listen to music and podcasts.
Why Would You Want To Change Your Artist Name On Spotify?
There are many reasons why an artist might want to change their name on Spotify.
One reason, for example, might be that an artist might frequently be getting mixed up with another artist. When Lady Gaga first came to prominence, she was told to dye her hair blonde.
This was because her label felt that with brunette hair, she too closely resembled another prominent artist at the time, Amy Winehouse.
Despite their music genres being very different, Lady Gaga’s label was concerned that people might get the two artists mixed up.
This could be the same for an artist’s name. If it too closely resembles that of another artist, the public may confuse them for the same artist.
For example, It took me a while to realize that Charlie XCX had nothing to do with the band the XX. Having a distinctive name is important for the way an artist is received and understood by their fans.
Therefore, if an artist’s name closely resembles another artist, they might want to change the name under which they are creating music.
They would also want to make this change displayed on Spotify as well, and so this would be a reason that an artist would want to get their artist name changed on Spotify.
Music Being Mixed Up With Another Artist
If two artists with similar names can be mistaken for each other, then their music is also likely to be mixed up.
This would mean someone else is credited for the music that they have created. This would be a very frustrating problem for an artist.
This is a problem artists often face on Spotify. Often, music created by a different artist can mistakenly be uploaded onto your artist profile. Equally, your music could end up on the profile of a different artist.
This problem might arise from your name being similar to that of another artist, and your music is mixed up with theirs as a consequence.
For this reason, you might want to change your artist name to something more distinctive. You would therefore need to get your artist name changed on Spotify.
How To Fix It If Your Music Is Mixed Up With Someone Else’s
If your music is showing up on a different artist's profile, or someone else’s music is showing up on your profile, there are a few ways in which you can get this fixed.
The first way is by reporting the problem. You would need to report this in Spotify for Artists. If you head over to the Help section of the Spotify website, there is a form available.
You can fill out this form to notify Spotify that your music is being mixed up with another artist.
Once Spotify receives this form, they will fix the problem and will send you an email to notify you once this problem has been resolved.
On Spotify’s website is a list of distributors which they recommend artists use.
They recommend these distributors because they feel they are the most reliable and use the most effective processes to minimize problems and because they fix problems effectively when they arise.
If you are using one of these recommended distributors, then you can contact them to help you resolve this problem.
If you don’t use one of these distributors, you should consider it. Not only are they able to help you fix this problem, it is also less likely to happen again in the future.
This is because they use artist ID in order to minimize the chances of this problem happening again.
How To Change The Name Of An Artist On Spotify
Changing the name of an artist on Spotify is a bit more complicated than you might expect. This is not like changing your Twitter handle or Instagram username.
Due to the fact that this is an official name, this can only be done by Spotify itself. If you are an artist with music on Spotify, there is no way for you to personally change your own artist name.
Only Spotify can do this. In order for them to do this, they have to receive the correct information so that they can update it.
To change the name of an artist on Spotify, the artist in question would be required to contact their distributor.
This might be, for instance, Distrokid, CD Baby, or EmuBands. If the artist is signed to a label, then they would be required to contact their label.
This could be, for example, EMI. Once the artist has contacted the distributor or label, they would be required to ask them to submit metadata.
The distributor or label would then need to submit the metadata to Spotify in order to notify them of the name change.
Once Spotify has received the metadata from the distributor or label, it will be able to update the artist's name.
Once the metadata has been received, Spotify will then make this change accordingly. From the time Spotify receives the metadata from the label or distributor.
It should take about 2 business days for the change to show up on the Spotify interface.
This is the only way to change the name of an artist on Spotify. You, nor your distributor or label, can do this yourself.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I Change My Artist Name Myself?
No, this can only be done through Spotify.
Why Would I Want To Change My Artist Name?
There are many reasons you might want to change your artist name. For example, to rebrand your music, or to distinguish yourself from another artist.
Member discussion