Subvert uses Stripe to process payments and send your earnings to your bank account. Connecting Stripe is required before you can publish your artist page and start selling.
This guide walks you through the full setup. Plan for about 10–15 minutes start to finish — it goes faster if you have your details ready before you begin. If you hit a snag, see [Stripe troubleshooting] at the bottom.
Before you start
Have these ready — it'll make the flow much faster:
- A government-issued ID (passport, driver's license, or national ID, depending on your country)
- Your bank account details for the country your Stripe account is registered in (account number and routing number, IBAN, or local equivalent)
- Your tax information (SSN, EIN, VAT number, or local equivalent — varies by country)
- If you're setting up as a business: your business registration details
Stripe's exact requirements vary by country, so you may be asked for slightly different documents than another artist. That's normal.
A note on country: The country you select when creating your Stripe account is tied to your bank account and can be difficult to change later. If you split time between countries, choose the one where your bank account is held.
Legal name vs. artist name
Stripe needs your legal name to verify your identity — this is a regulatory requirement (Know Your Customer / KYC), not a Subvert choice. Your legal name stays inside Stripe and doesn't appear on your public artist page. Your artist name is what shows on Subvert.
A note on privacy
Stripe will ask for a phone number, address, and customer support details during setup. Some of this — particularly your address — can show up on buyers' receipts and credit card statements.
If you'd rather not share your home address, you can use a PO box, virtual mailbox, or business address instead. For phone, a Google Voice number or similar service works well as a privacy buffer.
Individual or business account?
Most artists should choose individual. This is the right fit if you're a solo artist or band releasing music under your own name or a project name, and you're not operating as a registered business.
Choose business if you operate as a formally registered business — for example, an incorporated label or music company with its own bank account and tax ID.
Requirements and tax implications differ by country, so if you're unsure, individual is the safe default. You can update your Stripe account type later through your Stripe dashboard.
How to connect Stripe
- Sign in to Subvert
- Click your artist name in the top navigation dropdown and select Dashboard
- Go to Sales & Payouts
- Click the button to connect your Stripe account
- Follow the Stripe onboarding flow — enter your identity, business (if applicable), and bank account details
- When you finish, Stripe redirects you back to Subvert
Once connected, your Sales & Payouts dashboard will show your account status as Charges Enabled and Payouts Enabled. You're set.
A note on bank account country
The bank account you connect needs to be in the same country as your Stripe account. This is a common source of confusion — particularly for artists using Wise, Revolut, or similar services that issue banking details across multiple currencies and regions.
For example, if your Stripe account is registered in a country that uses IBAN banking, a US-style routing and account number won't work, even if the funds are USD. Use the banking details that match your Stripe account's country.
What countries are supported?
Stripe Connect — the specific Stripe infrastructure that powers Subvert payouts — is currently available in [a list of countries]. If your country is on the list, you should be able to connect.
If your country isn't on the list, see [What if my country isn't supported by Stripe?].
If your country is on the list but Stripe still won't let you connect, some countries require a small amount of additional setup on our end. Email us at info@subvert.fm and we'll get you sorted.
After you're connected
- Your earnings accumulate in your Subvert dashboard as sales come in
- You can request payouts through the Sales & Payouts dashboard
- Payouts typically take 2–5 business days to arrive in your bank account
- Your first payout takes longer. New Stripe accounts go through a 7–14 day holding period for the first payout — this is a standard fraud check, not something on Subvert's end. Subsequent payouts move at the normal 2–5 day pace.
- You can re-download a payout history and transaction details anytime from the same dashboard
Need to change or reset your Stripe connection?
If you connected the wrong Stripe account, want to switch accounts, or need to start over, email us at info@subvert.fm and we'll reset the connection for you.
Stripe troubleshooting
Common issues during Stripe setup:
- The connect button does nothing or redirects to the homepage
- I finished Stripe but Subvert still says I need to connect
- Stripe is showing me an account from another platform
- My bank isn't connecting to Stripe
- My bank account isn't being accepted (country mismatch)
- My passport country isn't accepted
- Stripe is asking me for additional information
If you hit something not covered here, email us at info@subvert.fm with as much detail as you can — what you were doing, what you saw, your browser and country.
Why Stripe?
Choosing a payment processor is one of the most consequential decisions a platform makes. We chose Stripe after extensive research. [Read why we chose Stripe over PayPal].