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A woman is sitting on a bench looking at her phone with headphones on. A woman is sitting on a bench looking at her phone with headphones on.

DSPs & UGC platforms


3 min read


What counts as a DSP or UGC platform?

Digital Service Providers (DSPs) are the digital services or stores streaming or selling downloads of videos and songs.

Globally, these include Spotify, Apple Music, Deezer, Amazon Music, and YouTube, and many countries have their own local providers.

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What is a DSP?

A digital service provider, or DSP, is an online platform that provides streaming or download services to consumers, music listeners, and fans.

DSPs are so important to the career of a music , being one of the most common ways audiences listen to or consume music today. Many of these services have different features and services for creators to take advantage of, like and data about their fan base and how their are performing on the platform.

DSPs use a variety of ways to make music recommendations based on the users’ listening habits. This is a strong discovery tool and can increase a creator's streams and therefore income.

The DSPs offer different services to help creators keep track of how their sound recordings, and the underlying , are being streamed. Many DSPs have their own dashboards for creators that provide data on the number of streams and playlist additions their sound recordings are receiving, as well as .

What is a UGC platform?

User Generated Content (UGC) platforms are a type of DSP that allows users to upload and share their musical content, as well as discover new content from other creators around the world.

UGC platforms include music, video, and social media platforms such as YouTube, Soundcloud, TikTok, and Instagram. On UGC platforms, creators can share different types of content, like sound recordings, live performances, music videos, or lyrics.

These platforms have played an important role in the early stages of many creators' careers due to the ease and low cost of getting music and other content out the world.

For creators in particular, UGC platforms provide a way to get their sound recordings heard by a wider audience, bypassing traditional gatekeepers like and radio stations. With intelligent algorithms and great music discovery features, these platforms create a significant opportunity for creators to reach new and existing fans.

Getting your sound recordings and other content on these platforms is easy. It can be done via a or , or in some cases, creators can upload their content directly to the platform.

Image credit: Bokeh Street