How to Get Your Music on Pandora

Key Takeaways

• Select Pandora and grant U.S. streaming rights for the release through your distributor.

• Check the track and artist page as a listener. A catalogue listing does not promise radio spins.

• Claim the correct artist profile in Pandora AMP to access profile tools and reporting.

• Share a working Pandora link, then compare track and artist reporting before deciding what to do next.

Prepare the release and check its rights

Have the finished audio, artwork, artist and track names, and contributor details ready for your distributor. Check that you have permission to distribute both the recording and the composition, particularly if the release contains a cover or material you do not fully control. Your distributor can tell you what it requires for that material.

Before submitting, check two Pandora-specific selections: Pandora is a destination for the release, and U.S. streaming rights are granted. Both appear in Pandora’s independent-artist instructions. This is a U.S. listening route; being able to use AMP from another country does not make Pandora listening available worldwide.

Deliver your music through a distributor

Choose a distributor that supports Pandora for your release and compare its current plan, territory and royalty terms. Pandora names CD Baby, DistroKid and TuneCore among aggregators for self-releasing artists, but check the option offered in your own account before paying or uploading. For a broader comparison, see Musosoup’s guide to choosing a music distributor.

If the release is new

As a DistroKid example, select Pandora on the upload form for your single or album. DistroKid says this opt-in carries no additional Pandora charge; its distribution plan is a separate cost. DistroKid also says that submission does not guarantee catalogue acceptance or radio programming.

If the release is already out

First check whether Pandora was selected for that particular release. In DistroKid, open its album page, find Stores and choose Add to more stores if Pandora appears among the services still available. This option is available for services not yet selected for delivery. Use your own distributor’s instructions if you distribute elsewhere.

Can listeners find the right track and artist page?

Once your distributor shows delivery and the release is due to be live, search Pandora for the exact track and artist names. Open the result and check the artwork, visible details and the artist page it leads to. Test a share link as a listener before putting it in a post or press email.

A track result is not a radio-spin report: Finding your single in search or playing it on demand is different from hearing it on a personalised Pandora radio station. Pandora describes analysis for potential radio play after a verified AMP claim, not a promise of station placement or spins. Check each outcome separately.

If your new single appears under another artist with the same name, do not share that page as your own. Save the track link and screenshots, then ask your distributor to investigate the artist mapping before you promote it.

Claim the correct artist profile in Pandora AMP

Create or sign in to a Pandora account, then follow Pandora’s AMP claim route to request the correct artist profile and complete its verification. Do not claim a similarly named artist merely because your own profile is not showing yet. After verification, inspect the Catalog tab for your release and the Profile tab for the listener-facing page. Pandora does not specify one claim-search point that applies to every newly delivered artist.

In the Profile tab, add a concise bio and suitable profile and cover photos; Spotlight Picks can highlight music from your catalogue. Use photos you have the rights to upload, and allow for review of submitted changes. Pandora explains these controls in its artist-profile guide.

Share the live link, then consider AMP campaigns

Send U.S. listeners the working Pandora track link when the single itself is the point of the post; use the artist link when you want them to browse more music. Check the link on a listener-facing page, share it with a clear invitation to listen, then look at AMP reporting rather than assuming the post generated radio play.

If your AMP access permits it, look at Fan Campaigns, including Artist Audio Messages and Featured Tracks. Pandora’s Fan Campaigns announcement removed the former 365-day Featured Track eligibility window. That does not make every track eligible: the Featured Tracks guide requires a track that has not been featured before, at least 10 spins per week and positive thumbs feedback. These are campaign conditions, not requirements for distributing a song.

If Create Campaign is missing, check your AMP permissions before treating it as a release problem. Pandora says Member access does not show that control; Publisher or Owner access can show it, with available tools depending on artist-level or label-level permissions. This describes campaign access, not identical features for every account or who may hold a personal account. Artists outside the U.S. can use AMP on desktop, but their campaigns reach U.S. listeners. See AMP support for access questions.

What happened after you shared the track?

In AMP’s Catalog tab, select the single and a relevant date range. Compare Streams, Radio Spins, Interactive Plays, Station Adds and Thumbs Up, then check its trend and Algorithmic, Editorial or Organic listening sources. Pandora’s track-reporting guide explains those views. A rise in interactive plays after you share a link is different from a rise in radio spins; neither figure alone proves what caused it.

If people report that your post opens an unrelated artist page, fix the link or artist mapping before posting again. If the link works, inspect the track’s plays and station adds over the period you shared it, then use AMP’s artist-wide Insights to see whether that single is among your top tracks. Insights also shows listeners, thumbs and Pandora programming placements where applicable. Choose the next post or eligible campaign based on what you actually see, not on an expected spin count.

If the release or AMP access is missing

• Not delivered: Check the distributor’s release status, Pandora selection and U.S. rights for this release.

• Delivered but absent: Search the exact title and artist. If you still cannot find it after a few weeks, AMP support directs artists to [email protected]. A few weeks is troubleshooting guidance, not a promised publication date.

• Live on the wrong page: Give your distributor the track link and the correct artist details so it can investigate the mapping.

• Live but unclaimed: Use the AMP claim route for the correct artist. If the profile cannot be found or verification stalls, contact AMP support rather than claiming another artist.

• No campaign control or radio spins: Check AMP permissions and the specific tool’s eligibility. Neither delivery nor a live track guarantees a campaign option or radio play.

Costs, rights and royalties

Budget for your distributor’s actual plan and any applicable release terms, rather than assuming Pandora distribution is free. DistroKid says its Pandora opt-in has no additional charge, and Pandora describes AMP Campaigns and Curated Programs as free. Neither statement means every distributor plan is free. The AMP Playbook blog describes the AMP pricing.

Keep recording income separate from publishing income. Pandora’s royalties overview distinguishes SoundExchange payments to artists for its ad-supported service from subscription-service payments through a label or distributor, and identifies separate mechanical and public-performance publishing royalties. Check your own distributor and rights arrangements; AMP engagement figures are not a royalty statement or a fixed payment per play.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I create a Featured Track campaign if my track qualifies?

If your AMP access permits campaign creation and the track meets the Featured Track conditions, Pandora’s Featured Tracks guide gives the route: select the blue plus create button, choose Fan Campaign, then Create Featured Track.

What should I send if my track appears on the wrong artist page?

Send your distributor the live track link, the incorrect artist-page link and the artist name and release details you submitted. Ask it to investigate the mapping, and hold off on sharing the incorrect page.

When should I try to claim my artist profile after delivery?

You can follow Pandora’s AMP claim route after distributor delivery, but there is no stated time at which every new artist will appear in claim search. If yours is missing, check the distributor’s delivery status and the artist name you submitted. Do not select a different artist to get past the search; ask AMP support about a claim you cannot find or verify.

Can I download the results of a Featured Track campaign?

Yes. Pandora’s Featured Tracks reporting guide lists unique listeners, featured spins, total spins and thumbs-up counts, with a CSV download. Use those campaign figures to assess the feature itself; they are distinct from the track-level measures in AMP’s Catalog tab.

Conclusion

Start with the stage your release has reached: select Pandora if it has not been delivered, check delivery and search if it is missing, claim AMP if it is live but unclaimed, or test the listener link and review Catalog reporting if it is ready to share. For release preparation beyond these Pandora steps, see Musosoup’s distribution guide.