So, when you only take advantage of one piece of the pie, youre essentially leaving other revenue sources on the table. If you do decide to go with my option: Im an optimist and plan to release music regularly and for it to take off, so this is the option I used. If the above sounds like you, click here to learn more about getting up and running with Songtrust. Pay as you upload is a good thing if you hate the idea of having to pay a yearly subscription fee. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'bestfriendsclub_ca-medrectangle-3','ezslot_7',108,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-bestfriendsclub_ca-medrectangle-3-0');To better understand the difference between the kind of money that each of these services collect, it is important to understand music publishing and what money is owed to you once your music is streamed. Distrokid just doesnt have a sync service. Related to sound recordings AND underlying compositions. Check ouraffiliate disclosurefor more info. Winner: Moot Point. No. Non-interactive streaming royalties are paid out by any digital streaming service where the listener doesnt get to choose (interact) with the song. It also keeps tabs on the copyright laws that ensure youre allowed to keep the cover song public and continue to earn money from your master. Independent musicians with a DistroKid membership can upload audio files, upload album artwork, and name their track or album, and DistroKid will send it off to digital stores and music streaming services like iTunes and Spotify, where it can gain traction with fans and generate earnings. Performance royalties are split into a publisher's share and a writer's share. Roll with it, and get back to creating music. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'bestfriendsclub_ca-leader-1','ezslot_10',112,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-bestfriendsclub_ca-leader-1-0');A DistroKid account is needed to upload your music to online stores and streaming services like Spotify, Apple Music, and Pandora. However, if you also want to register as a publisher, you'll save money with ASCAP. You also have the right to collect mechanical royalties on any cover versions recorded and released by other artists. We dont think so. Distros deal with master rights holders. So the leave a legacy option is really only protection if you die (and no one continues to pay your fees) or your credit card on file expires. PROs collect performance royalties. If you opt into Upstream, labels will have access to your Upstream profile, which will include links to your music, your streaming statistics, and your contact information. If you are distributing your music with TuneCore and then using them to collect your publishing royalties it makes the system much simpler and its easier to keep track of all your works and money. The biggest PROs in the US are BMI and ASCAP. DistroKid lets you input your social media information, categorize yourself by expertise (songwriter or producer) and select your genre and artist influences. CD Baby Standard costs just $29 per album and is an affordable way to begin as a DIY musician. Flocksy offers unlimited graphic design, copywriting, video editing, voice overs and other creative services for a fixed monthly subscription. This site and Peer Through Media LLC sometimes recommends products that were affiliated with. DistroKid is a unique distribution service because its members pay annual subscription fees rather than paying for each individual release. If you register with a PRO as a publisher, you can collect the other 50% of your performance royalties. Generally, the store platforms take around 30%. Mechanical royalties are . CDbaby vs Distrokid which should you use? If your release hasnt gone live yet, you can also use your Hyperfollow link as a Spotify pre-save link to build traction around it. They also charge 15% on all royalties collected. Songtrust also allow you to keep 100% music copyright ownership of your work. If you just want most of your basis covered, don plan to release music at regular intervals, and dont care much about commissions go with CD Baby Pro. If you are a solo artist, your subscription will cost $19.99 per year. This means that you will still be paid a share of your performance royalties by your PRO but Songtrust also collects the music publisher share (for live perfomances and sync opportunities) from PROs and they collect mechanical royalties from streaming, online sources, radio, and physical reproductions. But, while everything in this article can be a real head ache to understand and consider, it is getting much easier for independent musicians to take control of their work and get the money thats owed to them. This is something you absolutely should do. What Music Distributors Collect Publishing Royalties For Me? This means you can avoid long wait times, but it also means DistroKid wont help you preemptively avoid legal issues with your releases. However, you can still collect those royalties for cheaper if you pair Distrokid with a few more services. Of course, you will receive the YouTube revenue from YouTube for your own music videos, but what about if someone uses one of your songs as background music in their viral video? With a DistroKid membership, you gain access to a wide selection of customizable video templates that you can insert your songs into for promoting your releases on social media. When each quarter ends, BMI and ASCAP divide the money from those blanket licenses and payout artists based on the percentage of usage they got in the entire music industry. Sounds pretty good, but the only thing is that if you voluntarily decide that you want to leave Distrokid and stop paying the yearly fee they will still take your music down. When you purchase through these links we will receive a small commission. In these cases, being a popular artist with the hottest new song is an advantage. With that said, because you can use any music distributor to get the job done, here are some articles that compare DistroKid to the competition: Thank you for reading this article, my friend, and I hope you found it helpful as you build your own successful career in music. Yes, they USED DO issue licenses and collect mechanical royalties from the DSPs. It is nice that they have an Admin Publishing company and it is nice to keep everything under one roof, but the actual smarter thing to do is to go with Distrokid and Songtrust. HOWEVER, the difference between the two is like $50 at most. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. Distrokid and Songtrust is also a better option if you plan to release music more regularly, as the yearly fee covers all releases rather than paying with each release.Im an optimist and plan to release music regularly and for it to take off, so this is the option I used. If you are interested in checking out my music, here is the first singleBrain Is Made of French Friesoff my new album A Story By Some Aliens, Thanks for reading this 4000+ word article on CD baby vs Distrokid. If you use Songtrust, you have access to collection from 60+ pay sources, covering 245+ countries/territories. DistroKid distributes your music to all the major streaming services and digital stores. Sync royalties are what you are paid if your song is used (synced) in a commercial, show, movie, video game etc. Throughout the year, companies report song usage to BMI and ASCAP. You can release cover songs easily, and DistroKid will help you take care of which royalties go where. When you withdraw earnings, you may be subject to applicable taxes and/or fees from . In this Flocksy review Ill let you know what I liked, Read More Flocksy Review My ExperienceContinue, Im confident you can learn to sing. DistroKid and other similar services are only for distribution and collect mechanical royalties for digital streams and sales. Unfortunately, without paying for a membership, you cant get a very comprehensive overview of the types of services and tools it offers, which is why weve included several screenshots of DistroKid webpages. (I dont know how actively CD Baby pitches your music or how common placements are.). Must register with sound exchange. You can pitch your own music to music supervisors and negotiate what they will pay you to put your song in a show. Luckily, there is an easy, though pricey solution called Leave a Legacy. They do a bit more for their artists than just distribute, but it comes with a higher cut. Mechanical royalties are 'paid for the right to reproduce a composition through the process of recording, manufacturing, and distributing the work'. *note if you dont have session musicians, that 5% just goes to the featured performer as well. Do what you decide is best for you and I hope this article was helpful. DistroKid pays reproduction royalties from the master recording of a song. If youre a songwriter you should definitely sign up for a PRO. Again, CD Baby is $9.95 per single and $29 per album - and that's before they try to upsell you. PROs can be quite costly, however BMI is free if you sign up as a songwriter. Regardless though, it is good to understand the big picture music industry no matter your situation. As of May 2021, the only record label signed up to Upstream is Republic Records, but this is because Upstream is a new service that started this January. Whether it is performing live on stage, music playing in the background at a cafe or radio playtime, BMI and ASCAP collect the royalties and distribute it among the copyright owners (songwriters and publishers). We feel strongly that you shouldn't give a percentage of your earnings for streams / sales to your distributor. $9.90. A composition refers to the lyrics and notes of a song. Then 5% goes to any backup musicians, session musicians or anyone who is featured on the track. Recording royalties encompass those generated from reproduction rights, synchronization rights, and performance rights. You can create a group and give it a name and description, and anyone will be able to join. DistroKid recommend that you use the global publishing administration Songtrust. DistroKid only collects reproduction royalties, which are a type of recording royalty. Songtrust is a popular admin publishing company for independent musicians. However, because they dont have to manage the cost of that service, they can make other services cheaper and dont charge that 9% on the sales and streams, which as stated above, can really add up. Is RouteNote Legit? You can read our in-depth comparison of DistroKid and CD Baby, but if youre in a rush, read below: CD Baby charges $9.95 per single and $29 per album, and CD Baby Pro Publishing bumps these numbers up to $29.95 per single and $69 per album, which is a lot higher than Distrokid at face value. The price of this can add up if youre releasing tons of music, but you can pick on a song by song basis to apply and pay for this feature. The CTR page features tracks by artists with very high CTR who have not received a lot of engagement on their uploads. DistroKid does not collect mechanical royalties. There are nearly 2,000 songs on the playlist at any given time, and the songs only stay on it without re-spinning for a few days. If I ever do release a cover song, I will use it. The big differentiators for DistroKid here are the yearly subscription model and the full royalty rights. We are dedicated to being the trusted resource for independent musicians around the world. The contract with BMI lasts for two years, whereas ASCAP contracts last one year. You can set this up through CD Baby with the pro option and they take a 30% cut of what they collect. The MLC is now the only organization in the US (designated by law) to collect and distribute mechanical royalties. Also, here is 7% off your first year of Distrokid. DistroKid collects reproduction royalties onlyits just like how record labels distribute music and collect recording royalties for their artists, but for independent artists. This works out a bit cheaper than Songtrust but again relies on the fact that youre already paying TuneCore for distribution. How To Get Your Money - Ari's Take Author: www.lionbold.com Date Submitted: 10/07/2021 01:16 AM To release a single, album, or EP, click the Upload tab on the top panel of the DistroKid home page. . Unfortunately, they dont (yet). Its up to you and where you are in your music career to decide where to distribute/publish your music. In this article were going to answer the question, is DistroKid a music publisher, what do they collect, what are music publishing services, and how do you collect all your royalties. The MLC is the only organization in the US that collects mechanical royalties. However, if you use the Leave a Legacy program for all of your releases, opt-in for YouTube monetization, or partake in any of the other paid services DistroKid offers, it will cost you more per releaseyoull pay additional fees on top of your annual subscription. HFA continues to handle the other types of mechanical royalties. To get your music out into the world without a label, you need to join a distribution service. We Thoroughly Researched it, Distrokid Wait Times 101: Release Times, Payment & More, The Best Synth Plugins for EDM Production (Free & Paid), The 9 Best Wavetable Synths for Music Producers. So registering for sound exchange is important if you are a session musician as well. Distrokid Upstream is like Tinder for record labels and artists. Unfortunately, if you have the basic Musician subscription of DistroKid, you will not be able to set a release date for the future, and all releases will go live immediately. DistroKid collects royalties every time someone interactively streams your music or digitally purchases it. Earnings Reports (16 articles) How and When Do I Get Paid? Sign up for Distrokid and then come back and finish this article so that you can make the max amount of money from your music. Its a great system that encourages community. Streaming varies, but it is roughly. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. You can even use Baby Yoda to promote your new song. Recording royalties encompass those generated from reproduction rights, synchronization rights, and performance rights. Here are the different types of music royalties and which services and agencies are in charge of collecting them. That difference is completely negligible when you factor it into the big picture of the royalties you are entitled to and the commissions that each service takes. If you're an established artist, then you should be signed up to an organisation that collects your other royalties, such as performance and songwriting royalties. When stores send us earnings reports, we send 100% of the earnings allocated to you straight to your DistroKid bank. To collect performance royalties outside of DistroKid you need to be part of a performance rights organisation (PRO). However, the caveat with this is that if you cancel your membership, or switch banks and forget to let DistroKid know, all your music will be removed. This way you wont lose any royalties! However, you can pair Distrokid with SongTrust to get the same results. CD Babys music distribution model charges per release $9.95/single and $29/album and this is increased $29.95/single and $69/album when publishing services are included. If youre hoping to make millions by just getting your music played on streaming services like Spotify, Apple Music, or Google Play, weve got some bad news: you wont, even if you've properly submitted your songs to a music distributor like DistroKid. That is why I chose to go with Distrokid. The term mechanical royalties can be slightly confusing in todays world, but it comes from a time whenthe industry had to take a composition and mechanically reproduce it onto piano rollsor vinyl records. DistroKid does not collect performance royalties on your music. All mechanical royalties from download stores like iTunes. Thats a bit vague and lines start to blur a little here, but its not too bad. You can easily grow your audience with DistroKids tools. Reproduction royalties are generated every time a master is used. Yes, its the blunt truth, but only because we want you to know the many other sources of revenue out there for your music career that can pay you much, much more than streaming. You cant use DistroKid to collect publishing royalties however it is still our favourite distributor and we would definitely recommend using Songtrust to collect your royalties globally. The MLC is funded by the Digital Service Providers they service, and they remit 100% of the royalties they collect to copyright owners. You'll also get free access to some of our best training including our Spotify Playlist Gameplan and the Music Royalty Collection eBook simply for becoming a member. revenue from streams on streaming services like Spotify. You want to collect the largest % of your royalties available to you. In addition, you can register with HFA and collect mechanical royalties from U.S. sources too. Distrokid gives you 100% of the money they receive from digital streams and downloads. They each host showcases and conferences for members. Were working on a publishing admin system for artists. However, you should know that PROs only collect performance royalties so you would still be missing out on some mechanical royalties that are owed to you. For BMI, since their percentage system is on a 200% scale, independent artists with no music publisher or record deals will put 200% into the songwriting section and 0% in the publishing. Pick the one that fits you best. More record labels, both major and independent, should join soon. Instead, DistroKid only collects the money owed from your music's sales on stores and streams from streaming services (Master recording royalties). For each single or album you release, you pay a one-time fee that keeps the music available in perpetuity. For example, if you plan to release a single each month it would likely be cheaper to go with Distrokid. Ive simplified as best I can, but the music industry is notoriously confusing. Match with the search results: Distrokid and other similar services are only for distribution and collect mechanical royalties for digital streams and sales. There is a cheaper option called Songtrust that will collect your YouTube money for 15%, If you go with Distrokid, youll need Songtrust for other helpful services like collecting all your songwriter royalties. Neither CDbaby nor Distrokid do it. So you dont NEED it, but ya kinda do. Now with all that information lets break it down. In that case you would get 100% (minus taxes) of whatever deal is made. Youll continue to accrue royalties even if you forget to pay your membership fee, your card is declined, or if you cancel your membership altogether. The play counts will remain the same and everything will remain up. The money works out the same between BMI and ASCAP, just the percentages they use are different. Continue with Recommended Cookies. Ill have to zoom out a bit before we dive into a direct comparison of Cd Baby vs Distrokid, but stay with me and I promise you it will be worth it. Digital copies - also known as digital distributions or interactive streams - refer to music distributed on an on-demand streaming platform.