A practical walkthrough for getting your music onto Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube and beyond — plus the Nepal-specific realities of getting paid, staying compliant, and protecting your work.
Mr. Rajendra Aryal Guide curated & provided by — Content Manager & IT Professional for 600+ Nepali artists
Not long ago, a music company had to invest heavily before an artist's songs reached anyone — sold and heard through cassettes, CDs, and DVDs. Smartphones, affordable internet, and the arrival of YouTube changed that completely: every artist can now open a channel and upload directly. Physical sales and local radio still matter in Nepal, but streaming and social platforms are where most new listeners — inside Nepal and across the diaspora — now discover an artist for the first time. That shift also means an artist today has to think like an investor, technician, and distributor all at once, not just a performer.
A single upload can land on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music and TikTok simultaneously — reaching the Nepali diaspora in the Gulf, India, the UK, the US, and Australia without a single physical copy sold.
Unlike a traditional label deal, most distributors let an independent artist keep 100% ownership of their master recording — the distributor is a delivery service, not a rights holder.
Streaming dashboards show which songs, cities, and playlists are driving listens — information that used to be locked inside a label's office.
Uploading is the easy part. Losing access to a page with tens of thousands of followers because a recovery number was never updated is the mistake that actually costs artists their career — do this before you upload anything.
Almost every account needs an email address and mobile number attached for recovery. Pages with lakhs of followers have been permanently lost simply because the linked number changed and was never updated. On Facebook: go to Settings & Privacy → Settings → Accounts Center → your profile → Personal Details → Contact Information, and make sure the email and phone number listed are ones you actually control today — remove old ones, add current ones. This detail is as important as the key to your own house.
2FA means a password alone can't unlock your account — whoever logs in also needs a one-time code sent to your phone or generated by an authenticator app. Enable it at Settings & Privacy → Settings → Accounts Center → Password and Security → Two-Factor Authentication, choose your profile, then pick a method: an authenticator app (most secure), SMS text (simplest), or a physical security key. Enter the 6-digit code you receive to confirm it's on.
Your YouTube channel lives inside a Google account, so it deserves the same protection. Go to Manage your Google Account → Security → 2-Step Verification → Get Started, confirm your password, add your phone number (with the +977 Nepal code if you're signing in from here), and verify the 6-digit code sent by text.
Once 2FA is on, both Facebook and Google show a set of one-time backup codes. Write them in a notebook or store them in a second email account — if your SIM is ever lost or blocked, these codes are the only way back in without your phone.
Nepal has no local "front door" onto Spotify or Apple Music — every independent artist goes through a third-party aggregator. The right one depends on budget, catalogue size, and how you want to get paid.
| Distributor | Model | Good for | Payout notes for Nepal |
|---|---|---|---|
| DistroKid | Flat annual fee, keep 100% | Artists releasing often | Pays via PayPal or bank transfer — PayPal payouts in Nepal need a workaround such as Payoneer or a supported bank route |
| TuneCore | Per-release or annual fee | One-off singles or albums | Payoneer and bank transfer supported in most regions |
| OneRPM | Commission-based, free to join | Artists who want label-style marketing support | Works with artists in South Asia; ask about local payout options before signing |
| Amuse | Free tier, paid tiers for higher splits | First-time uploaders testing the waters | Payoneer supported |
A single distribution submission typically reaches all of the major streaming and social platforms at once.
The primary discovery engine for playlists — pitch unreleased tracks for editorial playlist consideration at least a week before release.
Strong among diaspora listeners on iPhone; supports Spatial Audio if you master for it.
Still the dominant platform for Nepali music video culture — pair distribution with a Content ID claim so unofficial re-uploads generate revenue instead of losing it.
Short clips drive most new-song discovery today — clear the sound for use in Reels/TikTok when you distribute so fans can use it in their own posts.
Nepal-specific platforms and radio still carry weight for local charts and terrestrial airplay — worth submitting to directly alongside global distribution.
Smaller listener base but included at no extra cost through nearly every aggregator — no reason to skip them.
Distribution gets your song onto streaming platforms — but Facebook and YouTube still need a direct upload for reels, music videos, and reaching your own community.
1. Open Meta Business Suite and go to Home.
2. Click More → Bulk upload reels (up to 50 videos at once).
3. Add your video files — Facebook runs an automatic copyright check on each one.
4. Write your caption and hashtags, then choose a thumbnail.
5. Under Optimize, turn on Stars and Content Monetization if you're eligible.
6. Review the copyright check under Publish, then Share now or Schedule for later.
1. From your channel, open YouTube Studio → Create → Upload videos.
2. Drag in your file, then fill out the title and a full description.
3. Under Video elements, add subtitles and an end screen.
4. Wait for the automatic copyright Checks to finish.
5. Under Visibility, choose Private, Unlisted, or Public — or schedule a premiere.
6. Add tags and set the video language before publishing.
Audio Credits: Vocal: Lyrics | Music: Music Arranger: Mixing | Mastering: Studio: Audio | Video: Video Credits: Concept | Direction: Choreographer: Cast: Co-Artist: Supporting Artist: Cinematographer: Edit | Color: Make Up Artist: Post Production: Special Thanks: Unauthorized downloading and re-uploading on any streaming platform is strictly prohibited and will attract punitive measures from [channel name]. Embedding on a website is allowed.
This is the part most guides skip. Streaming income earned by a Nepali artist is real foreign income, and it comes with real paperwork.
Payoneer is the most commonly used option among Nepali creators for receiving USD from distributors, since PayPal cannot send funds directly into Nepal. Some banks also accept inward SWIFT wires directly.
Nepal Rastra Bank regulates inward foreign remittance. Converting through a licensed remittance service or your bank's foreign currency account, rather than an informal channel, keeps a paper trail you'll want later.
Royalty and streaming income is generally treated as business or self-employment income under Nepal's tax law. If you're earning consistently, register for a PAN with the Inland Revenue Department and keep records of every payout.
Thresholds, TDS rules, and filing requirements change and depend on your total income and whether you're operating as an individual or a registered business. A local accountant familiar with foreign remittance is worth the consultation fee.
Distribution puts your song online. These steps make sure it stays yours.
Your distributor issues a unique ISRC code per track for free — this is how every platform tracks plays and attributes royalties back to you specifically.
Once your video is live, a YouTube Content ID claim lets you monetize or take down unauthorized re-uploads automatically instead of chasing them one by one.
Registering your work with Nepal's Copyright Registrar's Office under the Copyright Act creates a formal, dated record of authorship that strengthens any future dispute.
A separate publishing administrator (distinct from your recording distributor) collects songwriting royalties when your composition is covered, sampled, or synced elsewhere.