Switching to NotNoise from another distributor

The short answer

No. Your music does not go offline at any point, as long as you follow these steps in order. Done right, every release stays live on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, and the rest the whole time, and you keep your streams, saves, monthly listeners, and playlist placements. The one thing that takes you offline is removing your old release too early. The order below is built to prevent exactly that.

Switching vs. importing

These are two different things, and it is worth being clear about which one you want.

• Importing mirrors a release you distribute somewhere else so you can see its stats inside NotNoise. It does not move delivery. Your old distributor still delivers the music.
• Switching actually moves delivery to NotNoise while keeping the history the release has already earned. That is what this guide covers.

Why the order matters

Stores do not think in terms of distributors. They recognize a recording by two codes: the ISRC on each track, and the UPC on each release. When NotNoise delivers your release carrying the same ISRC and UPC the stores already have on file, they treat it as the same recording and keep all of its history attached. When those codes change, or when the old version disappears before the new one arrives, that connection breaks: the release either resets to zero plays or drops offline. Every step below exists to protect that connection.

Before you start: collect your codes

Gather everything from your current distributor first, while your music is still live there. You will need it to recreate the release exactly.

• The ISRC for every track (one per song).
• The UPC for the release.
• The original release date.
• The exact track titles, artist names, and any version info (for example "Radio Edit" or "Live").
• The original audio files and cover art.

Why this comes first: once you cancel or take down at your old distributor, you can lose easy access to these details, and a single wrong digit in an ISRC is enough to break the link. Capture them while everything is still in front of you.

Step 1: Recreate the release in NotNoise

Create the release the normal way, then turn on the "previously released" option. This is the switch that tells the stores the song already exists, rather than presenting it as something new.

• Enter the original ISRC on each track.
• Enter the original UPC on the release.
• Set the original release date, not today's date.
• Match the title, artist names, version info, and audio to what is already live.

Why it matters: the "previously released" option is what preserves your play counts and editorial placements. If you skip it and let new codes get assigned, the stores see a brand-new track and your history starts over at zero, even though the song sounds identical.

Step 2: Keep your old release live

Do not take anything down yet. Leave your current distributor's version up while NotNoise delivers the new one.

Why it matters: for a short window, both versions are live at the same time. That overlap is not a problem, it is the point. During that overlap the stores notice the matching codes and merge the two into one, carrying your streams and playlists onto the NotNoise delivery. If the old version is already gone, there is nothing to merge into and nothing keeping you online.

Step 3: Wait until it is live, then confirm it linked

Let NotNoise finish delivering and wait until the release shows as live on the stores. Then check that the history carried over before you do anything else.

On Spotify, search for the release. For a short time you will usually see two copies, the old one and the new one. Compare their play counts. When the new copy shows the same play count as the old one, the link worked and your history is safe.

Why it matters: confirming the link before you remove the old version is your safety net. A takedown cannot be undone. If you remove the old version first and the link did not take, the history is gone for good.

Step 4: Take down the old release

Once the NotNoise release is live and the play counts match, request a takedown at your old distributor. Now only one version is live, it is the NotNoise one, and it carries all of your history.

Why it matters: doing this last, and only after confirming the link, removes the duplicate listing without ever leaving a gap. The new version is already carrying the load before the old one comes down.

How long it takes

Plan for a couple of weeks end to end, most of it spent waiting on the stores.

• Delivery to stores: your new release usually appears within a few days.
• Takedown of the old version: Spotify and Apple Music are usually 1 to 7 days, YouTube Music can take up to 14 days, and smaller or regional stores can take 1 to 4 weeks.

There is no rush on the final takedown. A few extra days of overlap does not hurt you.

What can reset your history (avoid these)

• Taking down the old release too early. The single most common mistake. Wait until the NotNoise version is live and confirmed linked.
• Changing the ISRC or UPC. Even for the same song, a new code makes the stores treat it as a brand-new track, and the count resets to zero.
• Cancelling your old subscription too soon. Some distributors automatically take everything down when you cancel, which pulls the old version before the link is ready.
• Editing details during the move. Keep the title, artist, version, and audio identical until the switch is confirmed. Make any changes afterward.

A note on stores that do not carry counts

A few platforms do not preserve play counts through a move, no matter how carefully it is done: YouTube Music, iHeartRadio, KKBOX, and some smaller services. Your music still moves over and stays available, but the historical counts on those specific platforms may start fresh. Your major platforms, Spotify and Apple Music, carry over normally.

Moving a large catalog

If you are bringing over more than a handful of releases, do not do them one by one. Email support@notnoise.co and we will coordinate the whole catalog at once, so every store handles it correctly and nothing slips offline. Tell us roughly how many releases you have and where they are distributed today, and we will take it from there.

If something looks off

If the play counts do not match after your NotNoise release goes live, or you are not sure whether a release linked, do not take down the old version. Email support@notnoise.co with the release name and its ISRCs, and we will check the link before anything is removed.