How to distribute AI music in 2026
To get an AI-made song onto Spotify, Apple Music or YouTube Music you need a distributor, and distributors disagree about AI more than the streaming services do. Some accept it with disclosure, some only from licensed models, some not at all. Here's where the main ones stood when we checked on 4 October 2026.
Updated 4 October 2026
Before you pick a distributor
Every distributor asks the same first question: do you hold the rights to distribute this? For AI music, that depends on the tool and the plan you used. Suno's terms, for example, only allow commercial use of songs made on a paid plan, and only once you've taken a permitted download. ElevenLabs allows streaming distribution of Eleven Music tracks from its Creator plan up, not on Free or Starter.
Sort that out first. A distributor's AI policy can't fix a missing licence.
Where the main distributors stand
- •DistroKid: accepts music made with AI tools if you own 100% of the rights, don't imitate someone's voice or identity and aren't mass-uploading. At upload you say whether AI generated the lyrics, the music, all of the audio or part of it, and Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube show that to listeners.
- •TuneCore: only distributes GenAI music made with models trained on fully licensed data. Tracks from models that used unlicensed data aren't eligible, even if AI was only one step in making the song.
- •CD Baby: doesn't accept AI-generated content, even when it's commercially licensed and even when only part of the recording is AI. It removes AI releases it finds and may stop working with accounts that keep sending them.
- •Others: LANDR, RouteNote, Amuse and UnitedMasters publish their own AI rules, mostly allowing AI-assisted music with conditions such as disclosure, no imitation of real artists or limits on which stores get fully AI tracks. Read the current help page before uploading.
What gets AI releases removed
- •Imitating a real artist's voice or name without permission
- •Mass uploads, near-duplicates and very short filler tracks
- •Not disclosing AI when the distributor asks
- •Releasing tracks you don't have commercial rights to, such as songs made on a free plan
- •Samples or melodies that infringe someone else's work
Fill in the AI credits honestly
Spotify displays AI credits sent through the DDEX industry standard, covering AI use in vocals, lyrics or production, and says it supports artists using AI creatively while going after content farms. Ticking the box is the low-risk choice: the takedown risk comes from hiding it, not from disclosing it.
Write yours in seconds
Finished the song? Describe it in one sentence and Textlino writes a promo post that talks about your idea and your part in it.
Made it with AI? See whether you can release it, and where, with the free AI music release checker.
Frequently asked questions
Which distributor is best for AI music?
As of October 2026, DistroKid has the clearest acceptance rules for AI-made music with disclosure. TuneCore suits tracks from licensed models, and CD Baby doesn't accept AI-generated content. Policies change, so check the distributor's own page before you pay.
Can I upload a Suno song to DistroKid?
Yes, if you made it on a paid Suno plan, took a permitted download, own the rights to distribute it, disclose the AI use at upload and don't imitate a real artist.
Do I have to tell my distributor a song is AI-made?
If they ask, yes. DistroKid asks at every upload, and undisclosed AI music that's detected later can be taken down.