Moving from FreshTunes: a guide to changing distributors

As of July 2026, public sources indicated that FreshTunes was still operating and accepting releases, with no direct confirmation that it was closing. Two points are worth keeping in mind. First, Russian review sites such as Otzovik and iRecommend contain user complaints about slow support replies and unexplained account restrictions. These are publicly accessible user reports rather than our assessment of the service. Second, a model combining free distribution with paid features earns through promotion and investment rather than a subscription from every artist. Its sustainability therefore depends on factors an artist cannot see from outside.

If you have experienced delayed payments, unavailable support or account restrictions, this guide explains how to move to another distributor while reducing disruption. The process is the same whichever service you choose.

This is the most important part of the process. Reuploading your music does not necessarily leave everything as it was.

• Check stream counts. A platform may match the new delivery to the existing release page or create a separate one. The outcome cannot be guaranteed in advance.
• Check playlist placements separately. Even with the same ISRC, linking the recording to its previous page and playlists depends on the platform.
• The track and your rights remain yours. The distributor operated under a license. You still own the recording and the underlying work.
• Keep the ISRC for an unchanged recording. The code identifies the sound recording itself and does not change simply because you change distributors.
• Agree on UPC or EAN reuse in advance. Whether you can reuse the product code depends on the new distributor and the particular delivery.
• Artist profiles and verification need their own checks. On Russia’s Yandex Music, an artist profile is linked to BandLink and updates as music is published, so the platform picks up the new release. Your Apple Music for Artists profile is linked directly to you and does not need to be set up again; notify the platform of the distributor change when you next request a metadata update.

1. Save your current stats and ISRCs. Export reports for every release from the old dashboard. They help you reconcile earnings, resolve disputes and supply codes to the new distributor.
2. Check and withdraw your remaining royalties. Earnings from earlier streams usually keep arriving after you decide to leave. You can only collect them through the old service, so avoid closing your account too soon.
3. Upload to the new distributor and keep the old releases live. Wait until the new delivery has passed review and actually appeared on every platform you need.
4. Supply the same ISRCs. An unchanged recording uses its existing ISRC. Changing distributors does not create a new sound recording.
5. Then ask the old distributor to take down its delivery. Removing it before redelivery creates a risk of a period when the track is unavailable everywhere.
6. Update smart links, social links and profile descriptions. Links from the previous distributor will stop working after takedown. Replace them before that happens.
7. Submit fresh editorial pitches if you plan to pitch. Previous applications do not transfer to the new delivery.

A complete move usually takes several weeks to a couple of months. That includes review by the new distributor, which takes a day or two at many services and sometimes longer, changes working through platform caches, and collecting the old service’s remaining royalties, which can span one or two reporting periods.

Before reuploading, check your current FreshTunes agreement, or the terms of whichever service you are leaving. Look for a minimum contract term, any separate fee or penalty for ending it early, and how accrued but unwithdrawn royalties are paid after account closure. These details vary considerably. Missing them can leave a transfer plan stalled by an unexpected delay in accessing funds for several months.

Save any support correspondence about disputed releases as well. It may be useful if questions about earlier earnings arise after you leave.

Choosing a service deserves its own discussion. Our guide to selecting a distributor compares the criteria and main options in Russia’s 2026 market. If you need a subscription in rubles, delivery to Yandex Music and VK Music, rights and anti-fraud checks before publication, and Russian-language support, you can try moving your releases to creator using the checklist above.