Unchained Music Distribution passport
- Platform
- AWA
- Site
- awa.fm
- Social
- @awa_music
To get your music on AWA, distribute through Unchained Music. Releases typically go live within 24 hours to 7 days.
Awa is one of Japan’s most popular music streaming services, offering millions of songs, expertly curated playlists, and personalized recommendations to listeners across the country. With its sleek design and focus on discovery, Awa has become a go to destination for fans who want both Japanese hits and international sounds. For artists, Awa provides direct access to Japan’s vibrant music market, connecting them with audiences who value quality and curation. By distributing through Unchained Music, creators can release their tracks to Awa alongside 150+ global platforms, ensuring their music resonates with fans in Japan and beyond.
Awa is a Japanese subscription based music streaming service launched on May 27, 2015. It offers a vast catalog of over 120 million songs, including both Japanese and international artists. Awa provides various pricing plans, including a free plan with ads and limited features, and paid plans with additional functionalities such as offline playback and access to exclusive content. The service is accessible on multiple devices, ensuring a seamless music experience for users.
The same four steps for every release, whichever stores you send it to.
Sign up and pick the plan that fits. Grow is one artist profile, Pro is three and adds editorial pitching.
Audio, artwork and the metadata that travels with them: titles, credits, release date and rights.
Select AWA at store selection, along with everywhere else you want the release to land.
A person checks the release before it leaves. It typically appears on the platform within 24 hours to 7 days.
Updated August 2026
Five questions, answered for this platform specifically.
Awa receives new releases through approved distributors who submit audio files, artwork, and metadata formatted to the platform’s technical specifications. Once processed, tracks appear in Awa’s catalog and become available to listeners across Japan.
Yes. Awa expects complete metadata, including accurate titles, artist names, lyrics, and genre classifications. Distributors ensure the metadata follows Japanese-language encoding standards and platform-specific formatting rules.
Awa uses curated playlists, algorithmic recommendations, trending charts, and mood based mixes to showcase new releases. Tracks that generate strong early engagement, such as saves or repeated plays, tend to receive increased visibility within the platform.
Awa does not offer a direct artist dashboard for international creators, but performance data: including streaming activity, playlist placements, and audience demographics, is typically provided through the distributor that delivered the track.
Royalties are calculated based on streaming activity and Awa’s licensing agreements with rights holders. These earnings are paid to distributors first and then passed on to artists according to the distributor’s reporting schedule.
Set the release up in the app and it goes to this platform with the rest of them, delivered to spec and checked by a person first.
Upload the release yourself in the app, on the plan that fits, and send it to every store you want in one go.
Start DIYFor multi-release plans and label rosters, scoped with the services team before anything starts.
Apply for Artist & Label Services