Distrokid is an excellent option for all independent musicians and artists looking to release a single or even an entire album, free from record labels taking a sizable percentage of their royalties. 

Distrokid allows users to release an unlimited number of songs at a relatively low cost, making it an excellent choice for independent artists and musicians.

It’s simple to sign up for, it’s quick to use, and the data is laid out in a way that’s guaranteed to save you time.

It is simple to understand why so many musicians choose to work with Distrokid to distribute their songs and advance their careers in the music industry.

If you are a musician who is perhaps thinking of switching up your brand, then you have probably considered a name change.

But are you able to do this on Distrokid? Keep reading to find out the answer to this question and much more. 

Can I Change My Name On Distrokid And How Do I Do It? – Quick Answer

Yes, you can. You only need to go to the website for your record, click the option that says “Edit Release,” and make the appropriate modifications to your artist name there.

Even your artist name may be modified across all of your releases with only one request to update the track listing of an album!

Can I Change My Name On Distrokid And How Do I Do It? – Longer Answer

Changing your artist name is a time-consuming and laborious procedure that, in certain cases, may create additional problems.

This is also an edit that is very difficult to undo, so we want to make sure that you have all the information you need to make sure that this is the right choice for you. 

We all understand the need for artistic expression and the desire to most accurately portray yourself and your music project, but there are a few things that you have to keep in mind when changing your name on Distrokid. These are:

You Can Only Change Your Name On Live Releases

Streaming providers do not permit the resubmission of releases that have previously been sent in with different metadata after the release has been sent in (Artist Name and Track Titles). 

Any release that has already been listed in streaming services must be resubmitted with the original artist name and track titles before it may be considered for inclusion in those services again.

Keeping Your Listeners And Followers 

Most streaming services will simply create a new artist page for you rather than altering the information on your old artist page if you request to change your artist name. 

Distrokid is unable to request the editing of your old artist page so that it reflects your new artist name on streaming providers that operate in this manner.

Because of this, monthly followers and listeners will not be moved to the website for your new artist name. 

Keeping Playlists And Play Counts 

If you are only modifying the metadata of an existing release using the Distrokids edits function (i.e. without changing the ISRC), your playlist positions and streaming numbers should move over.

However, Distrokid is unable to offer any assurances in this regard. Again, this is not something that can be controlled by Distrokid in any way.

It Can Take A Long Time For Other Sites To Update Your Name

Although the process of submitting your name change is an automated procedure, the actual data management and metadata changes of your rebrand request are not entirely automated, and the correct fulfillment of many of these requests requires the involvement of humans rather than machines.

This means that it may take up to several months for all retailers to update your old material and show your new artist name.

The length of time it takes depends on the number of rebranding requests that are currently being processed. 

You Cannot Make Other Changes When Waiting For The Name Change Edit 

If you change your artist name across all streaming platforms, you will not be able to make any more edit requests on any releases that use the new artist name until your request to change your name has been processed.

This is because the new artist’s name will be used in place of the old one. There is currently no way to speed up the processing of these requests.

Frequently Asked Questions

After A Release Has Been Uploaded, Can I Make Changes To It?

Yes! You may make changes by going to the page for your album and selecting the “Edit Release” button. Distrokid will guide you through everything editable from that location.

These requests are normally processed within a few days by streaming providers; however, please be advised that adjustments to metadata may take anywhere from one to two weeks before they take effect across all services.

After a request for editing has been sent to services, Distrokid is unable to speed up the process, so please be aware that the full editing procedure can take anywhere from one to three weeks to complete. 

It is not possible to cancel a request or submit any amendments before the current request is granted.

Can Multiple Accounts Upload The Same Song? 

No, Distrokid doesn’t permit multiple account holders to upload the same audio recording due to the complicated nature of how streaming providers are compensated and other factors.

If the ownership of a song has changed and you would want the revenues from that song to be routed to a different DistroKid account, Distrokid can accommodate this request.

Check out the Splits feature on their website. You may redirect revenues to anybody using Splits, while at the same time preserving metrics, playlist additions, Spotify followers, ISRCs, and any other metadata.