How to Get Your Music on Shazam
Shazam identifies over 1 billion songs per month. If someone hears your track in a club, at a party, or in a video—they should be able to Shazam it and instantly find you on every streaming platform.
Read the GuideThe Secret: Audio Fingerprinting
You can't just "upload" a song to Shazam. Shazam works by matching a listener's recording against a massive database of audio fingerprints. The only way to get your music into that database is through an authorized digital distributor that has a direct integration with Shazam's content delivery system.
How it works:
- Your distributor sends a high-quality audio file to Shazam
- Shazam creates a unique acoustic fingerprint of your track
- When anyone Shazams your song, it matches instantly
Why it matters:
- Fans discover your song in real-world settings
- Results link directly to Spotify, Apple Music, etc.
- Siri "What song is this?" uses the same database
Why I Use DistroKid for Shazam
DistroKid offers Shazam & Siri delivery as an optional add-on during upload. Once enabled, your track is automatically fingerprinted and added to Shazam's global database. It also registers with Siri, so when someone asks their iPhone "Hey Siri, what song is this?" — your track shows up.
What They Do Best
- One-click Shazam & Siri opt-in during upload
- Automatic fingerprinting — no separate submission
- Links your Shazam results to all major platforms
- Works alongside your Spotify, Apple Music delivery
When to look elsewhere
- × You only release DJ mixes with uncleared samples
- × Your audio is speech-only (podcasts, audiobooks)
- × You only need SoundCloud or Bandcamp distribution
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Join DistroKid TodayThe Reality Check: Getting Shazamed
Being on Shazam is just step one.
Shazam only works when someone hears your music in person. That means your song needs to be playing somewhere — at a venue, in a car, in a friend's Instagram story, on a dance floor. Your job as an artist is to get your music into those moments.
Ask yourself:
- Am I getting my tracks played at venues or events?
- Are DJs and content creators using my music?
- Is my music in public settings where people would Shazam it?
My advice? Think real-world first.
Send your tracks to DJs, playlist curators, and dance instructors. Get it played in gyms, studios, and social events. Every time someone pulls out their phone to Shazam, that's a direct pipeline from the real world to your streaming platforms.
After upload, the real work begins.