How Can I Get My Music Videos on Apple Music and the iTunes Store?

How do you upload your music to Apple Music and iTunes and also distribute your music video there? Let’s find out!

Why Post Music on Apple Music and iTunes?

It's a no-brainer that if you'd like to get your music heard by lots of people, Apple Music and the iTunes Store are the places for it. Even back in 2021, Apple Music had about 78 million subscribers, and it certainly didn't stop there. Also, both iTunes and Apple Music let you make money from your music, but they do it in slightly different ways. On iTunes, you can sell music videos and your tracks, earning royalties when people buy your songs or albums. But with Apple Music, you get paid based on how many times your tracks are streamed. So, if you want to share your music with the world, Apple Music and iTunes are the way to go.

Resource: Statista

Requirements to Get Your Music onto iTunes and Apple Music

First thing first, to put your music on iTunes and Apple Store, you need to get your files ready. 

Requirement for Audio Files

When it comes to audio files, it's important to make sure you're using the right specifications to get the best sound quality. Here's a quick rundown of what you need to know:

1. Bit Depth: Aim for a 16-bit sample size. This will give your audio good clarity and depth.
2. Sample Rate: Go for 44.1 kHz. This means the audio is sampled 44,100 times per second, capturing more detail and providing better sound quality.
3. Bit Rate: Shoot for 1411 kbps. This higher bit rate ensures that the audio is less compressed, maintaining its quality.
4. File Format: WAV stereo is a great choice. It maintains high quality and is widely compatible with different devices and software.

Now, let's talk about distributing your video to Apple Music and iTunes!

If you need help uploading, promoting, or distributing your music on 120+ platforms and streaming services, just message us. We've supported tons of creators to grow their audience, so let's boost your popularity too!

Requirement for Video Files

Talking about posting your music videos on these platforms, you also need to make sure the file specifications align with what Apple wants to see. Here is what we recommend:

• File Type: Make sure your videos are in QuickTime format, with a .mov file extension.
• Codec: Use Apple ProRes 422 (HQ) to keep your videos looking good while not taking up too much space.
• Size: Your videos should be 1920x1080 pixels in size for clear picture quality.
• Bitrate: Aim for a bitrate of about 220 Mb/s to keep the video quality high.
• Framerate: Choose either 24 or 25 frames per second for smooth motion.
• Colorspace: Set the colorspace to YUV 422 for nice, vibrant colors.

The following these rules will help your videos look really good and not blurry or pixelated. Videos made this way should work well on lots of different devices, so you can share them easily.

For more details, you can check out Apple's official resources.

Requirements for Motion Art

If you want to include motion art in your content for Apple Music, here's what you need to know. Apple's Motion Art includes two video files, both without sound, in different aspect ratios:

• 3:4 - shown on the Album Page on iPhone and Android
• 1:1 - shown on the Album Page on Mac, iPad, and smart TVs

Motion Art is not available for all album types. It's supported for Music Single, Music Album, and Mixed Media Album, but not for Music Video Single and Music Video Album.

• File Format: Your Motion Art files should be in MOV format with a .mov file extension.
• Video Codec: Use Apple ProRes 4444, 422, 422 (HQ), or 422 (LT) for your video codec.
• Resolution: For 3:4, aim for 2048 x 2732 pixels; for 1:1, go for 3840x3840 pixels (square pixels 1:1).
• Frame Rate: Choose a frame rate of 23.976, 24, 25, 29.97, or 30 fps for your videos.
• Color Space: Set the color space to Rec 709 or sRGB.
• Length: The duration should be between 15 and 35 seconds.

Here is where Apple tells more about these specs.

How to Distribute a Music Video and Songs to Apple Music and iTunes?

To post your music video and tracks on Apple Music and iTunes you need to get in touch with distributors like AIR Music by AIR Media-Tech. The good news is that we can also distribute your music to over 120 music streaming services, online stores, and social media platforms, such as Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, Deezer, YouTube Music, TIDAL, SoundCloud, TikTok, and others. The process of distributing your music is simple:

1. To provide information about a release, contact AIR Media-Tech and submit your music.
2. We'll review your tracks and videos.
3. Then you submit your music, artwork, metadata such as song title, artist name, genre, and other info.
4. We send your tracks to streaming services and stores. 
5. We can also set up your artist pages for you.
6. You get paid and get a detailed royalty report from us.

If you want your music to come out on the day you want, make sure to get in touch with us at least two weeks before the date you have in mind.

But hold on! There is more.

What Music Distribution Services are About?

AIR Music, a part of AIR Media-Tech, has been helping musicians, artists, bands, labels, and more get their music on lots of music streaming platforms since 2011. We can upload your music on Apple Music, Spotify, YouTube Music, and other places, all on the day you choose.

Here is what you get with AIR Music:

1. Your music on 120+ platforms worldwide
2. Promotion on popular playlists
3. Promotion of your new releases
4. Social video monetization on TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook
5. Additional revenue streams through royalties and other channels
6. Detailed data about who's listening to your music
7. And more

With all of that you maintain 100% ownership over your music, get paid monthly by multiple payment methods, and have dedicated support of our experts. Contact us for more details right here and let's make your music heard globally together.