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Switching from Spotify: A Migration Checklist for Artists and Podcasters

aaudios

2026-02-07

11 min read

Step-by-step migration plan for artists & podcasters: move catalogs, redirect fans, preserve RSS/ISRC, and re-optimize in 2026.

Worried about Spotify price hikes? A step-by-step migration plan that protects your fans, streams and revenue

If recent Spotify price changes (and the ripple effects across the streaming ecosystem) have you rethinking platform dependency, you’re not alone. Creators I work with in 2026 are choosing diversification, direct-to-fan channels and subscription-first strategies to keep listener relationships and revenue intact. This checklist walks artists and podcasters through a practical, prioritized migration—moving catalogs or RSS feeds, redirecting fans, updating links and re-optimizing for discovery on new platforms.

Why migrate (and why now)

In late 2025 and early 2026 we saw three things accelerate creator migration decisions:

Spotify’s price increases and shifting terms that made listeners and some creators re-evaluate value (The Verge reported on the recent price moves in Jan 2026).
Podcaster subscription growth as a proven revenue channel — independent networks like Goalhanger reporting quarter-million paying subscribers in 2026 highlight how subscriptions can out-earn ad revenue for some shows (Press Gazette, Jan 2026).
More robust alternatives and direct monetization tools (Bandcamp, Apple subscriptions, decentralized platforms and upgraded distributor features) making a multi-platform strategy realistic.

High-level migration strategy (two priorities)

Protect your subscribers and listeners first. Keep RSS feeds intact for podcasts; keep universal links and landing pages updated for music. Your email list and socials are gold.
Control distribution and monetization next. Move to distributors/hosts that let you retain metadata, ISRCs/UPCs, analytics access and give flexible monetization options (subscriptions, direct sales, premium feeds).

Quick glossary (2026)

ISRC — the unique recording identifier; crucial for tracking royalties and preserving release identity.
UPC — release-level code; keeping it lets DSPs recognize the same release instead of a clone.
RSS 301 redirect — server-level redirect that most podcast apps follow to a new host feed.
Smart links — Linkfire, Songwhip, ToneDen and others that route listeners to preferred DSPs and can be updated centrally.

Pre-migration audit: What to gather (1–7 days)

Before making moves, gather everything. This avoids lost streams, broken links and confused fans.

Full content list — all tracks, episodes, release dates, metadata, credits, ISRCs and UPCs.
Distributor/host contracts — termination clauses, delivery rights and contact emails for rights/artist support.
Current analytics — top countries, platforms, top playlists and most engaged episodes or tracks.
All public links — landing page, smart links, embeds, social bios, newsletter archives, press write-ups and third-party placements.
Owned channels — email subscriber list (export CSV), Discord/Slack/Telegram community, website CMS access.

Step-by-step migration checklist

Phase A — Decide your new platform mix (0–2 weeks)

Pick a primary host/distributor and 2–3 secondary platforms to keep discovery strong.

Music: Consider Bandcamp (direct sales and superfans), Apple Music (paid subscribers), Tidal/Deezer for catalog niches, YouTube for discovery and short-form repurposing, and decentralized options like Audius if web3 fan ownership suits your audience.
Podcasts: Consider host stability, analytics, and monetization — Transistor, Acast, Libsyn, Megaphone, and subscription-focused hosts like Supercast or Glow.
Subscription/own-monetization: Patreon, Memberful, Substack or your own Stripe-powered subscriber flow. In 2026 many creators combine platform subs (Apple/YouTube) with direct membership to keep revenue predictable.

Phase B — Music catalog moves (2–8 weeks)

Moving a music catalog is sensitive: you want to preserve streams, playlists and release identity where possible.

Talk to your current distributor. Ask if they will remove releases (some require termination notice) and whether they can release the UPC/ISRC to you. Many distributors will not release UPCs unless contractual obligations are satisfied; get this in writing.
Choose a new distributor that supports ISRC/UPC reuse. DistroKid, AWAL, Believe and FUGA have different policies — ask if they can deliver a release using your existing UPC/ISRC to DSPs.
Prepare the new delivery — upload WAVs, attached ISRCs, identical metadata (artists, credits, release date) and confirm the UPC. If the new distributor delivers the same UPC/ISRC, DSPs will treat it as the same release and you can preserve historical streams and playlist placements.
Request a profile transfer on DSPs. For Spotify, request a distributor transfer through Spotify for Artists to move the artist profile ownership. For Apple Music and others, inform platform support and provide documentation.
Coordinate a takedown if necessary. If re-delivering identical UPC/ISRC is impossible, you can coordinate takedown timings to minimize downtime: remove the old release once the new one is live and then request playlist/merger support with DSPs; expect some stream fragmentation.
Update your Universal Links. Switch smart links (Linkfire, ToneDen, Feature.fm) to point to the new distributor’s release pages. That single update preserves every public link you’ve shared.

Pro tip: The single easiest way to avoid breaking every fan link is to centralize on a smart link before migration—then change the destination once the new release is live.

Phase C — Podcast migration (0–4 weeks, aim for zero subscriber loss)

Podcasts are simpler to migrate if you preserve the RSS feed. Follow this prioritized approach:

Keep your existing RSS feed if possible. If you can move hosting but keep the same feed URL, apps will see no change and subscribers stay subscribed.
If you must change hosts, use a 301 redirect on the old feed. Most major podcast apps follow 301 redirects and will update the subscriber to the new feed automatically. Ask your old host to set up a feed redirect pointing to the new feed URL.
Backup your entire RSS — save XML, episode audio files (WAV/MP3), episode titles, descriptions, ID3 tags and cover art. Many hosts offer an export; if not, download manually.
Update directories manually — log into Apple Podcasts Connect, Spotify for Podcasters, Google Podcasts Publisher Tools and update feed URL or transfer ownership where available.
Verify subscriptions — after redirect, monitor analytics: which apps updated, which didn’t, and check download trends for the week after migration.

Phase D — Redirect fans, links and embeds (Immediate and ongoing)

Fans find you through links. Make redirects your first active task once content is live on new platforms.

Update smart links — change the destination of Linkfire/Songwhip/ToneDen links to the new releases.
Update embeds — swap old Spotify embed codes on your website with universal player embeds (YouTube or native HTML5 fallback), or use smart link embeds that route to the best available service.
Social bios — update Instagram, X, TikTok and Facebook bios with the new central link. Use a single URL (your landing page or smart link) you control.
Newsletter and pinned posts — send an email to fans with clear steps to access content, and pin an explanation post on socials and Discord with a timeline.

Communication plan: Keep fans informed and incentivize re-engagement

Migration is an engagement opportunity. Use transparency and incentives to keep your community together.

Announce early and explain why. A short, candid post about pricing/terms and your goals (better audio quality, lower fees, more direct support) builds goodwill.
Give step-by-step action for fans. For podcasts, “If you listen on Spotify, follow these three steps….” For music, “Update your library on Apple Music / Bandcamp — here’s the link.”
Offer incentives. Early access content, a bonus single, exclusive episode, discount code for merch or a limited livestream invite will motivate fans to follow you to new platforms.
Use multi-channel reminders. Email (highest retention), push via Discord/Telegram, plus 2–3 social posts before, during and after the switch.

Monetization re-optimization (2026 strategies)

As platforms and listener habits shift in 2026, diversify income into at least three buckets:

Subscriptions / memberships: Offer tiers (ad-free, bonus content, early access). The Goalhanger model shows scale is possible; combine platform subs (Apple, YouTube) with direct subscriptions for lower fees and better data.
Direct sales and merch: Bandcamp-style direct purchases and limited-run merch increase ARPU (average revenue per user).
Ads and sponsorships: Adopt dynamic ad insertion for older episodes and direct host-read sponsorships for new content — using networks or programmatic ad partners depending on scale.

Packages and retention levers that work in 2026

Tiered members-only feed + behind-the-scenes Discord community.
Paid early access to episodes/singles and exclusive livestreams.
Subscriber-only discounts and pre-sale tickets for live events.

Re-optimizing for discovery on new platforms

Migration is also your chance to re-optimize metadata and promotional strategy.

Refresh metadata: Update descriptions, add keywords and localized titles where allowed. For podcasts, add episode transcripts and detailed show notes (helpful for SEO and voice search in 2026).
Chapters & timestamps: Platforms increasingly surface segments; chapterized episodes perform better for discovery and ad insertion.
Short-form snippets: Repurpose 60–90 second highlights to YouTube Shorts, Instagram Reels and TikTok — these remain primary discovery channels in 2026.
Playlist & editorial pitching: Re-pitch to playlist curators and editorial teams with fresh campaign assets: one-sheet, streaming-ready tracks, press quotes and high-res artwork.
Localized promotion: Target markets where analytics show traction; consider translated show notes and geo-targeted social ads.

Post-migration checklist (0–12 weeks after go-live)

Confirm all public links point to the new smart link or player.
Monitor analytics for dips — compare pre/post numbers and identify platforms that lost listeners.
Follow up with fans who didn’t migrate — targeted emails or short social videos with 1–2 click instructions.
Check revenue pipelines — subscriptions, sales and ad revenue — and adjust pricing or tiers if sign-ups are slow.
Document the migration process and keep a rollback plan in case you need to revert a change.

Common migration pitfalls and how to avoid them

Removing a release too early. If you take down the old release before the new one is live, you’ll lose playlist placements and interrupt discovery. Coordinate takedowns only after the new release is confirmed.
Broken links everywhere. Use smart links and a single canonical landing page you control.
Under-communicating to fans. Don’t assume fans will notice—proactively guide them. Email open rates are your sanity check.
Not preserving ISRC/UPC. Lose these and you risk fragmenting streams and royalties. If you can’t preserve them, plan for a re-release marketing campaign to rebuild momentum.

Mini case study: How an independent podcaster retained 95% of listeners

“Resting Voice,” a 50k-download/week history podcast, switched hosts in early 2026. Their playbook:

Kept the original RSS and moved hosting behind the scenes so apps saw no change.
Set up a 301 redirect before publishing the first new episode from the new host.
Sent a sequence of three emails to 20k subscribers with clear, short instructions and an incentive: an exclusive bonus episode for anyone who joined the new subscriber tier in the first two weeks.
Monitored analytics daily and used listener feedback to tweak the subscription tiers.

Result: 95% retained downloads and a 12% conversion to the lowest subscription tier in the first month.

Checklist: Migration timeline at-a-glance

Immediate (Day 0–7)

Export subscriber data, backup RSS/audio, gather ISRC/UPC list.
Create/verify a central smart link landing page.
Announce migration plan to fans and set expectations.

Short term (Week 1–4)

Finalize new distributor/host and deliver content preserving ISRC/UPC where possible.
Configure 301 redirects for podcast feeds (if changing host).
Update smart links and embeds on your site and socials.

Migration week (Launch)

Go live with new releases/feeds and flip smart links.
Send clear, short instructions and an incentive to your email list and social followers.
Monitor analytics closely and address any errors immediately.

Post-migration (Week 2–12)

Track retention, revenue, playlist placements and search discoverability.
Push a re-optimization campaign: short-form, playlist pitching and localized outreach.
Iterate pricing and benefits for subscription tiers based on conversion data.

Tools & resources (2026)

Smart links: Linkfire, ToneDen, Songwhip, Feature.fm
Distributors: DistroKid, CD Baby, AWAL, Believe, FUGA
Podcast hosts: Libsyn, Acast, Megaphone, Transistor, Supercast
Monetization: Patreon, Memberful, Supercast, Substack
Analytics: Chartmetric, Chartable, Spotify for Artists, Apple Podcasters

Final takeaways — the migration playbook in three lines

Protect fans first: preserve RSS or ISRC/UPC where possible and centralize links.
Communicate clearly: tell fans what to do, why you’re changing and offer a reward to follow.
Diversify revenue: combine platform subs with direct membership, merch and short-form discovery to future-proof earnings.

Switching platforms isn’t automatic — but with a plan you can protect streams, retain subscribers and use migration as a growth moment. In 2026, creators who control links, own subscriber data and offer clear member benefits win.

Ready to start your migration?

If you want a tailored migration checklist for your catalog or podcast, start with a single step: export your RSS or ISRC/UPC list and email it to your team. If you’d like, use our migration template and distributor contact scripts to handle takedowns, redirects and smart link updates—reach out for a free review of your migration plan and we’ll outline the exact sequence for your releases.

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Senior editor and content strategist. Writing about technology, design, and the future of digital media. Follow along for deep dives into the industry's moving parts.