Music distributor terms determine more than the cost of a release. They also govern what happens to an artist’s catalog when payments lapse, recordings move to another service or additional rights services are activated.
Seven areas warrant review before uploading music, from the charging model to the tools included with distribution.
Fees and recording identifiers
1. Payment structure. Distributors may charge an annual artist fee, bill for each release or retain a percentage of royalties. The consequences of missed payments vary with those arrangements.
An expired card under an annual plan can result in the entire catalog being removed from stores. With per-release pricing, existing releases generally remain available, while each new release incurs another charge.
Locate the provision explaining non-payment before delivering recordings.
2. Recording and release codes. Recordings have an ISRC (International Standard Recording Code), while releases have a UPC (Universal Product Code). These identifiers connect music to streaming totals, playlist placements and chart records.
If the distributor supplies these codes, establish whether they can be reused after leaving. Retaining the same ISRCs allows recordings to preserve their streams and playlist positions during a transfer.
Catalog transfers and support
3. Leaving the service. Establish whether the distributor will release the catalog for transfer, how long removal requests take and whether takedowns carry a fee.
For a transfer, deliver the release through the replacement distributor using the existing ISRCs and UPC. Wait for it to become available across all stores before requesting removal of the previous version.
4. Access to support. Incorrect artist attribution, releases appearing on the wrong date and profiles combined with those of similarly named artists can require assistance.
Check whether support includes contact with a person, expected response times and any differences between subscription tiers.
Royalties and rights
5. Payment conditions. The advertised royalty share is only one part of the payment arrangement. Review:
- Minimum payout amounts and treatment of balances below that threshold.
- Withdrawal charges and currency conversion.
- The delay between streams and royalty statements.
- Whether payments to co-writers and producers can be divided automatically or must be handled separately.
6. Contract scope. Review the agreement’s duration and exclusivity provisions. Some distributors automatically include recordings in YouTube Content ID, publishing administration or sync licensing services.
Those arrangements can generate claims against an artist’s own videos or restrict rights the artist intended to retain. Establish which services are enabled by default and how to disable them.
Included release tools
7. Distribution and promotion. Delivery to stores does not itself attract listeners. Review which release tools are included and which require separate services or spending.
Tools to check include pre-save links, playlist pitching, release pages and statistics.
