How to Switch From DistroKid Without Losing Streams or Playlists
You can switch from DistroKid and keep your play counts and playlist spots if you do the steps in the right order. The checklist, and what can still go wrong.
Published October 9, 2026, 3 min read
You can switch from DistroKid to another distributor and keep your play counts and playlist placements. It works because Spotify recognizes a recording that comes back unchanged. It fails when the old release comes down before the new one is live, or when the new delivery differs from the old one.
Why streams survive a switch at all
A store matches a new delivery to the recording it already has. The strongest signal is the ISRC, the code of the recording, but it is not the only one. Audio, title, artist name and length have to match as well. DistroKid says the same in its own guide for switching: use the same metadata, ISRCs and audio files, and accept that no distributor can guarantee the result, because the store decides.
Before you start: export everything
For every release, write down or download:
- the ISRC of every track and the UPC of the release
- the original audio files, not a new master or a new export
- titles and version names exactly as written, including "Remastered" or "feat."
- artist names, the release date, the label name and the copyright lines
- the cover in full resolution
- writers and other credits
If you are not sure which codes are live, look them up on Spotify itself. One typo in an ISRC is enough for the store to treat the track as new.
The order that keeps your numbers
- Pick the new distributor and check that it lets you enter your own ISRCs and UPCs. Not every one does for both.
- Start with one release as a test, ideally not your biggest.
- Upload it with identical audio and metadata and the original release date.
- Wait until it is live and check on Spotify that the play count is on the new delivery. For a short time the release can show twice. That is fine.
- Only then remove the old release at DistroKid. Some distributors recommend waiting up to two weeks, the minimum is until the new one is confirmed live.
- Repeat for the rest of the catalog, then cancel the subscription. Cancelling first takes everything down at once.
What can still go wrong
- A gap. If the old release is gone before the new one is live, playlists lose the track and do not always pick it up again.
- A mismatch. A different master, a changed title or a new ISRC makes it a new track with zero plays.
- A release in the middle of a campaign. Do not switch during a release week or a pitch.
- Splits and extras. Revenue splits, lyrics and video links set up at DistroKid do not move with the release. Set them up again.
- Reviews and pre-saves in some stores can be lost.
Watch the switch instead of hoping
During a switch you want to know two things for every release: is it still online, and did anything change that should not have. LabelSentry watches your catalog on Spotify and alerts you when a release or track goes offline or its details change. With ISRC by Track you can read the live ISRCs and the UPC of a whole album before you start, and with Track by ISRC you can see afterwards that each recording is there once, not twice or not at all.
Questions people also ask
Do I lose my streams when I leave DistroKid?
Not if the new delivery has the same ISRC, audio and metadata and goes live before the old one comes down. The store makes the final call.
Can I use my DistroKid ISRCs at another distributor?
Yes. An ISRC belongs to the recording for its whole life and stays the same when the distributor changes.
What happens if I just cancel DistroKid?
Your releases come down from the stores unless they were covered separately. Move them first, cancel last.