Artist Profile Checklist

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Your artist profiles are your shopfront: editors, playlist curators, algorithms and fans all check them before they press play. Start with the six actions below (about an hour), then work through the platform cards. Revisit every time you release, and at least once a quarter.

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Do these first.

Claim your profile on every major platform. Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, YouTube, Deezer, TIDAL and Pandora, plus any local platform where you have listeners. An unclaimed profile is one you can't fix, protect or pitch from.

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Show you're a real, active artist. Use a real photo, a bio in your own words, linked socials, and tour dates or merch if you have them. Platforms now judge authenticity from these signals. Spotify can label a profile "Likely AI Persona" based on its name and imagery, and those artists are left out of editorial and algorithmic recommendations. Avoid photorealistic AI-generated artist photos, even if you're a real person.

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Make it match everywhere. Same photo, same bio, same links on every platform and social channel, so fans and editors know it's you.

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Be upfront about any AI use. Tell your distributor if AI was used for vocals, lyrics, instruments, production or artwork so it's credited correctly. 

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Add your team and check your stats monthly. Invite your manager, label or distributor where the platform allows, and look at where listeners are coming from.

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Build listeners you own. Third-party playlists are less predictable than they used to be. Point fans to your profile's Follow button and your Spotify "This Is" playlist (if you have one), and keep your pre-save and link-in-bio pages up to date.

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Platform by platform

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Each section lists the must-dos only. The help centre link at the bottom of each section is the platform's own, always-current guide.

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Spotify

1. Claim your profile in Spotify for Artists.

2. Add a profile and header image and a bio with your social links.

3. Set an Artist Pick and list your concerts.

4. Pitch every new release to editors at least 7 days before release day, and add a Canvas to key tracks.

5. Work towards the Verified by Spotify badge: 10K monthly listeners for 3 months in a row, 1K followers, and linked socials, tour dates or merch on your profile.

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Help centre: Spotify for Artists Support

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Apple Music

1. Claim your profile in Apple Music for Artists (your first release needs to be live).

2. Add your artist image.

3. Fill in your artist content profile: bio request, Q&A, influences, collaborations and pronouns. This is what Apple's editors read.

4. Personalise your artist page with your logo and button colours.

5. Promote shows with Set Lists and Bandsintown, and set up pre-adds for upcoming releases.

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Help centre: Apple Music for Artists Support

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Amazon Music

1. Claim your profile in Amazon Music for Artists and add your team.

2. Update your profile photo and background image.

3. Check your bio. Amazon bios are written by a third party (Xperi), so you can't edit them directly. Email content.music@xperi.com with the subject "Amazon Music Bio Request" or "Amazon Music Bio Correction".

4. Pitch new music to Amazon's editors.

5. Ask fans to tap Follow, or to say "Alexa, follow [your name] on Amazon Music".

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Help centre: Amazon Music for Artists FAQ

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YouTube

1. Get an Official Artist Channel (OAC) through your distributor. It merges your Topic channel and your own channel so all your subscribers are in one place.

2. Update your profile image, banner and bio, and add one main channel link (pre-save or link-in-bio).

3. Set a featured video and put your newest release at the top of your channel layout.

4. Work through YouTube's 2-slide multi-format release checklist every release (Shorts, Premieres, video).

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Help centre: YouTube for Artists Resources

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Deezer

1. Claim your profile in Deezer for Creators.

2. Update your page: artist image, bio, social links and a short message to fans.

3. Check your analytics and playlist report.

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Help centre: Deezer for Creators Help Centre

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TIDAL

1. Claim your profile in TIDAL Artist Home and add your team.

2. Update your profile: image, bio and social links.

3. If you're emerging, look at TIDAL Rising, its artist development program.

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Help centre: TIDAL Support

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Pandora

1. Claim your profile in Pandora AMP.

2. Add a profile photo, cover photo, bio and Spotlight Picks.

3. Choose a Featured Track to reach new listeners on more stations.

4. Record an Artist Audio Message that plays alongside your music.

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Help centre: Pandora AMP Playbook

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Other platforms worth claiming.

Check your analytics for where your listeners are, then claim the platforms that matter in those places.

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Nice to have.

Once the basics are done, these are worth a look around a release.

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Spotify: ‍

Countdown Pages for album pre-saves, SongDNA to manage your credits and collaborators, a Fan Support link, Promo Cards and Spotify Codes for social posts, and Artist Profile Protection (beta) to approve releases before they land on your profile.

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Apple Music: ‍

Lyrics, Dolby Atmos mixes, motion artwork, and the marketing tools for links, QR codes and embeddable players.

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Amazon Music:

Free Pro Series certification and Alexa tips.

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YouTube:

‍Premieres, Shorts, concert listings and the merch shelf.

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Learn how discovery works:

Spotify's Loud & Clear (how royalties work) and Made to Be Found (how listeners find music).

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