> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://developer.ammdistro.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Getting access

> API access is turned on per account. Your account's admins then create the keys.

## Turn on API access

API access is turned on for one account at a time by AMM Distro. Ask your AMM Distro representative to turn it on for your account.

If your account is a label, access covers the label and every artist account under it.

## Create a key

Once access is on, any admin of your account can create keys:

**1. Open Settings → API**

In AMM Distro, go to **Settings → API**. Only account admins see the controls on this page.

**2. Create a key**

Click **Create key** and give it a name you'll recognise later, such as the system that will use it.

**3. Choose its access**

* **Send releases**: create, update and submit releases and transfers, and read their status.
* **Read only**: list releases, read their status and run validation.

**4. Choose its accounts**

A key for your account covers its artist accounts too. To limit a key to some artists, check only those artist accounts.

**5. Copy the key**

The key is shown once. Store it in your system's secret store. If it's lost, revoke it and create a new one.

> [!WARNING]
>
> Treat a key like a password. Don't put it in client-side code, tickets or chat. Anyone with a "Send releases" key can create releases in your account.

## Manage keys

From **Settings → API** you can rename a key or revoke it. A revoked key stops working on its next request and can't be restored.

Create a separate key for each system or environment (for example, production and staging). Then you can revoke one without affecting the others.

## When access is turned off

If API access is turned off for your account, every key for it stops working and returns `403 api_access_disabled`. The keys aren't deleted: they work again once access is turned back on.

## What needs AMM Distro

Ask your representative if you need:

* Artwork and audio downloaded from your own domain rather than cloud storage (see [Files](/guides/files.md)).
* A higher rate limit than 60 requests per minute.
* A key for the [ingestion check](/guides/ingestion-check.md).


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