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You can switch your music distributor without taking your songs off Spotify or losing your streams — as long as you do it in the right order. If you're paying in dollars, giving up too much in royalties, or just want support that answers in your time zone, moving your catalog to an India-based distributor like Grootin is straightforward. Here's exactly how it works and what to watch out for.
Not sure which distributor to move to? Compare them first in our DistroKid vs Grootin vs TuneCore vs CD Baby guide.
Will I lose my music or my streams if I switch?
No — not if you migrate properly. Your recording keeps its ISRC code, which is the ID platforms use to track it, so your song stays the same release in Spotify's eyes. The key rule: get your catalog live through the new distributor before you cancel the old one, so there's never a gap where your music is taken down.
What you keep when you switch
- Your ISRCs and UPCs — they belong to your recordings, not the distributor.
- Your existing streams and monthly listeners on your artist profile.
- Your Spotify for Artists and Apple Music for Artists profiles — these are tied to you, not the distributor.
What you generally don't carry over is your historical earnings data inside the old distributor's dashboard — so download any reports you want to keep before you leave.
The 3-step migration
Grootin's catalog migration tool is built to make this painless:
- Connect — link your Spotify or existing catalog so Grootin can see your current releases.
- Import — your tracks, cover art, and ISRCs are pulled in automatically, so you're not re-typing metadata or re-uploading files one by one.
- Confirm and go live — review the details, and Grootin takes over distribution while your music stays continuously live on every platform.
Only after everything is confirmed live through the new distributor do you cancel the old subscription.
What to watch out for
- Don't take your music down first. Taking a release down and re-uploading it as a new release resets its stream count and release date. Migrate the existing release instead.
- Mind the timing. Keep the old distributor active until the new one is confirmed live.
- Save your reports. Export earnings and analytics from the old dashboard before cancelling.
Why Indian artists are switching
The usual reasons: paying in rupees instead of dollars (no forex fee, no exchange-rate surprises), keeping more of their royalties, and getting WhatsApp support instead of a slow email queue across time zones. If those sound familiar, see how the costs compare in our music distribution guide, or view Grootin's plans and start the migration.