Unchained Music Distribution passport
- Platform
- iHeartRadio
- Site
- iheart.com
- Social
- @iheartradio
To get your music on iHeartRadio, distribute through Unchained Music. Releases typically go live within 24 hours to 7 days.
iHeartRadio is one of the most recognized digital radio and streaming platforms in the United States, offering access to live radio stations, curated playlists, podcasts, and personalized music recommendations. With a massive audience across mobile, web, and connected devices, iHeartRadio connects millions of listeners to the music and voices they love. By distributing through Unchained Music, artists can release their tracks to iHeartRadio and more than 150 global platforms, expanding their reach and forging deeper connections with fans across the U.S. and beyond.
iHeartMedia is a leading audio media company with a dominant presence in radio, podcasting and digital audio. Their podcast division, iHeartPodcasts, brands itself as the “#1 podcast publisher globally,” distributing shows across major podcast platforms and the iHeartRadio app.
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 iHeartRadio 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.
iHeartRadio receives newly released tracks through approved digital distributors that submit audio files, artwork, and metadata in the platform’s required formats. Once processed, songs may appear in iHeartRadio’s on-demand catalog and custom radio stations.
iHeartRadio needs consistent metadata including accurate titles, artist names, genre classifications, and release information. Proper metadata helps the platform categorize tracks within its radio stations and on demand playlists.
iHeartRadio uses curated stations, algorithmic radio channels, editorial playlists, and localized content to highlight new songs. Tracks with strong engagement, such as repeated plays or station adds, can gain increased visibility across the platform.
iHeartRadio does not provide a standalone analytics dashboard for artists, but performance data such as station additions, streaming activity, and geographic reach are typically shared through the distributor that delivered the music.
Royalties are paid based on iHeartRadio’s hybrid model of digital radio and interactive streaming. Payments are issued to rights holders via distributors, with earnings tied to listener activity, licensing agreements, and the platform’s reporting cycles.
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