Tag: music distribution

How does RouteNote’s royalty payment process differ from other distribution services

RouteNote’s royalty payment process has some unique aspects compared to other distribution services:

  1. Flexible pricing models: RouteNote offers both a free plan and a premium plan. With the free plan, artists keep 85% of their royalties while RouteNote takes 15%. The premium plan allows artists to keep 100% of their royalties for a flat annual fee.
  2. Plan switching: Artists can switch between the free and premium plans at any time, allowing them to optimize their earnings based on their current performance.
  3. Payment schedule: Royalty payments are made automatically between the 15th and 20th of each month, provided the $50 minimum earnings threshold has been met.
  4. Royalty types: RouteNote collects various types of royalties, including performance royalties, mechanical royalties, YouTube micro-synchronization royalties, and neighboring rights.
  5. Delayed ingestion for compositional royalties: Compositional royalties can take 6-9 months to ingest due to RouteNote collecting from over 100 countries and societies, each with its own upload period.
  6. Combined payments: For artists who distribute through RouteNote, publishing royalties are paid alongside master/sound recording royalties.
  7. Transparent reporting: RouteNote provides monthly reports to artists, allowing them to track their earnings across different platforms.

Unlike some services that may have more complex pricing structures or longer payment delays, RouteNote aims to offer a straightforward and relatively quick payment process. However, it’s important to note that the actual speed of payments can vary depending on the type of royalty and the specific platforms involved.

How does RouteNote ensure fair royalties for artists

RouteNote aims to ensure fair royalties for artists through several key practices:

  1. Transparent pricing model: RouteNote offers two main distribution plans – a free plan and a premium plan. With the free plan, artists keep 85% of their royalties, while RouteNote takes a 15% cut. The premium plan allows artists to keep 100% of their royalties for a flat annual fee.
  2. Flexible plan switching: Artists can switch between the free and premium plans at any time, allowing them to choose the most cost-effective option based on their earnings.
  3. No hidden fees: RouteNote emphasizes simple, fair pricing with no hidden costs.
  4. Timely payments: Royalty payments are automatically made between the 15th and 20th of each month, provided the $50 minimum earnings threshold has been met.
  5. Comprehensive market coverage: RouteNote partners with all top digital outlets, covering over 90% of the digital music market, which helps maximize artists’ earning potential.
  6. Publishing royalties: In addition to distribution royalties, RouteNote offers a publishing service to help artists collect compositional royalties from over 100 countries and societies.
  7. Transparent reporting: RouteNote provides monthly reports to artists, allowing them to track their earnings across different platforms.

While some users have reported issues with payments, these appear to be isolated incidents rather than systemic problems. RouteNote’s overall structure and policies are designed to provide fair and transparent royalty distribution to artists. However, as with any service, it’s crucial for artists to carefully read the terms of service, set up their payment information correctly, and maintain open communication with the company if any issues arise.

How does RouteNote’s payment process differ for master recording royalties versus compositional royalties

RouteNote’s payment process differs in a few key ways for master recording royalties versus compositional royalties:

  1. Collection timeline:
  • Master recording royalties are typically collected and paid out more quickly, usually within 45 days after the end of the month they were earned.
  • Compositional royalties can take 6-9 months to be collected and paid out, due to RouteNote collecting from over 100 countries and societies, each with their own upload periods.
  1. Payment frequency:
  • Master recording royalties are paid out monthly, between the 15th-20th of each month, as long as the $50 minimum threshold is met.
  • Compositional royalties are paid on the same schedule, but due to the longer collection timeline, payments may be less frequent initially.
  1. Royalty types:
  • Master recording royalties come from streams and downloads of the actual recordings distributed through RouteNote.
  • Compositional royalties include performance royalties, mechanical royalties, YouTube micro-synchronization royalties, and neighboring rights.
  1. Payment combination:
  • For artists who distribute through RouteNote, compositional royalties are paid alongside master/sound recording royalties in the same payment.
  1. Revenue share:
  • For master recording royalties, RouteNote offers either an 85/15 split (free plan) or 100% to the artist (premium plan).
  • For compositional royalties collected through RouteNote Publishing, RouteNote takes a 15% cut of the publisher’s share.
  1. Reporting:
  • Master recording royalties are reported in more detail, with breakdowns by platform and country.
  • Compositional royalty reporting may be less granular due to the complexities of collecting from multiple societies worldwide.

While the basic payment process is similar, the key differences lie in the collection timeline, types of royalties, and the way RouteNote handles the revenue sharing for each royalty type.

What inspired Steven Finch to start RouteNote

Steven Finch was inspired to start RouteNote in 2007 with the goal of democratizing online music distribution and making it accessible to all artists. The key motivations behind founding RouteNote appear to be:

  1. Empowering artists: Finch wanted to create a platform that would allow musicians, from new artists to established names, to share their music online without needing the backing of a major record label or distribution company.
  2. Simplifying the distribution process: RouteNote was designed to make it easier for musicians to get their music onto popular streaming platforms and digital stores.
  3. Fairness and openness: The company was founded on principles of being fair and transparent with artists, offering free distribution options alongside paid services.
  4. Addressing industry challenges: Finch aimed to tackle the difficulties artists faced in achieving global recognition for their music.
  5. Equal opportunities: RouteNote’s mission revolves around providing all artists, regardless of their status or resources, with equal opportunities to distribute their music worldwide.

By creating RouteNote, Steven Finch sought to provide a solution that would allow artists to retain control and ownership of their music while reaching a global audience through major digital platforms. This vision was likely shaped by his understanding of the music industry’s challenges and his desire to create a more artist-friendly distribution model.

Distribute Music with Distrokid and RouteNote

Distrokid and RouteNote are both great options for uploading your music into the worlds largest stores and streaming services. Here is a quick list of Pros and Cons for both.

DistroKid:

Pros:

  • Simple and user-friendly interface
  • Affordable pricing for basic plans
  • Fast distribution speeds (especially for paid plans)

Cons:

  • Limited features in basic plans (e.g., no YouTube Content ID)
  • Additional fees for advanced features
  • Limited customer support options

RouteNote:

Pros:

  • All-inclusive features in their free plan (including YouTube Content ID)
  • Unlimited track uploads even on the free plan
  • Wide range of additional features and services
  • 24/7 customer support

Cons:

  • Slightly more complex interface compared to DistroKid
  • Slower distribution speeds compared to DistroKid (for the free plan)
drums music streaming distrokid routenote
via – Shuttur

Why Are Musicians and Labels Choosing RouteNote over Other Distributors?

Musicians choose RouteNote for a variety of reasons, often depending on their individual needs and priorities. Here are some of the key factors that might draw them to RouteNote:

Free distribution: RouteNote offers completely free basic distribution to a vast network of digital stores and streaming platforms, including Spotify, Apple Music, Deezer, and TikTok. This is particularly appealing for beginner and independent musicians who might not have a large budget for music promotion.

High royalty share: RouteNote keeps a lower percentage of royalties compared to some other distributors (85% for free distribution, 100% for Premium plan). This means musicians keep more of their earnings for each stream or download.

Wide store reach: RouteNote distributes to a very large number of platforms, both major and niche, giving musicians the potential to reach a wider audience globally. This can be helpful for expanding their fanbase and generating more income.

Transparency and user-friendly platform: RouteNote has a reputation for being transparent with their fees and royalties, and their platform is considered user-friendly and easy to navigate. This makes it easier for musicians to manage their music distribution without needing technical expertise.

Additional features: RouteNote offers various optional features like pre-saves on Spotify, YouTube Content ID monetization, release scheduling, and advanced analytics. These can be helpful for musicians who want to further promote their music and gain insights into their audience.

Free vs. Premium options: RouteNote provides both a free and a Premium service. The free plan is suitable for basic needs, while the Premium plan offers additional features and higher royalty share for a monthly fee. This flexibility allows musicians to choose the option that best suits their budget and goals.

Distrokid Increases Prices by 15% and Don’t Tell Their Customers

Distrokid, one of the leading music distribution services, has recently announced a 15% price increase across all of its plans. This news has come as a surprise to many of its customers, who are now left wondering how this change will impact their music careers.

Distrokid’s previous pricing structure was based on an annual subscription fee, with different plans offering various features and services. With this recent increase, the cost of the basic plan will go up from $19.99 to $22.99, while the Musician Plus plan will increase from $35.99 to $41.49 per year.

Distrokid has cited several reasons for this price increase, including rising overhead costs and the need to invest in new technology and features to stay competitive in the music distribution market. Despite these reasons, some customers are concerned that the price hike will disproportionately impact smaller independent artists and labels.

DistroKid’s Pricing Structure and How It Doesn’t Align with Independent Artists

DistroKid is a popular music distribution service that allows independent artists to release their music on various online platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, and more. However, many artists have expressed frustration with DistroKid’s pricing structure and how it doesn’t align with the needs of independent artists.

DistroKid’s pricing structure is based on a yearly subscription fee, which ranges from $19.99 to $79.99 per year, depending on the plan chosen. While this may seem reasonable at first glance, it becomes problematic for artists who release a lot of music. For instance, an artist who releases a single every month would have to pay $239.88 per year just to distribute their music. This cost doesn’t include additional fees for services like YouTube monetization or Shazam verification.

Moreover, DistroKid charges an additional fee for each release an artist makes. While the first release is included in the subscription fee, subsequent releases cost $4.95 each. For artists who release multiple singles or albums per year, this can quickly add up and become a significant financial burden.

Another issue with DistroKid’s pricing structure is that it doesn’t offer any flexibility for artists. For instance, an artist who releases only one or two songs per year still has to pay the same subscription fee as an artist who releases multiple albums. This lack of flexibility makes the service less accessible to independent artists who are just starting their careers and may not have a lot of income.

Furthermore, DistroKid’s pricing structure doesn’t align with the revenue streams that independent artists rely on. For instance, streaming services like Spotify pay artists based on the number of streams their music receives. However, DistroKid’s pricing structure is based on a fixed subscription fee, which means that independent artists may not be able to recoup their costs if their music doesn’t receive a lot of streams.

In conclusion, DistroKid’s pricing structure doesn’t align with the needs and realities of independent artists. While the service may be useful for some artists, it can quickly become a financial burden for those who release a lot of music or who are just starting their careers. Independent artists should explore other distribution services that offer more flexibility and better align with their revenue streams.

How do I Add or Remove Songs from RouteNote?

Adding Songs to RouteNote

To add your songs to RouteNote, you first need to create an account on their website. Once you have an account, you can log in and go to the dashboard. From there, you will see an option to “Create New Release.” Click on that and fill in the necessary details like the album or single name, artist name, and release date. Then, you can upload your music files and artwork. After that, you will need to select the streaming services you want your music to be distributed to. RouteNote offers both free and paid options, so choose the one that suits your needs. Once you have completed all the steps, RouteNote will review your release, and if everything is in order, they will distribute your music to the selected services.

Removing Songs from RouteNote

If you want to remove your songs from RouteNote, you can do so by going to your dashboard and selecting the option to contact the support team. The support team will do all the heavy lifting and you simply need to email them and ask them to remove the releases in question.

Uncovering the Hidden Fees of Distrokid

Many musicians are signing up for DistroKid’s music distribution service, but they may not be aware of all the hidden fees that can be charged. This post will explore DistroKid’s hidden fees, explaining what they charge and how to avoid paying too much.

What hidden fees does DistroKid charge?

DistroKid charges an annual fee for the use of their service. This fee specified on their website is $19.99. However, many users don’t realize there is an additional fee for each album or song they upload. This fee is $9.99 per album and $0.99 per song. If an artist is uploading many albums or songs, these fees can add up quickly.

What other hidden charges are there?

In addition to the annual fee and per album/song fee, DistroKid also charges a processing fee of $1 per album/song. This fee is charged each time an album or song is uploaded, so costs can add up quickly if musicians are uploading a lot.

There is also a $2.99 fee for sharing an album or song with a friend. This fee is charged each time a user shares a song or album with someone, so costs can add up quickly.

DistroKid offers a useful music distribution service for musicians, but it’s important to be aware of the hidden fees they charge. Understanding these fees can help musicians avoid paying too much for the use of DistroKid.

Can Certain Music Distributors Send Music to Stores / DSPs Faster Than Others?

Short Answer = No

All music distributors (RouteNote, CDBaby, Tunecore, etc) take the same amount of time from the moment a track leaves the distributors server and is packaged to be delivered to a DSP (Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon, etc). On average the DSPs will take between 24-48 hour to ingest the content once it is uploaded to their servers.

The ONLY way a music distributor can speed up the process is by pushing tracks through its internal moderation process faster.

Amuse.io – Do They Pay Musicians / Artists More Money Than Competitors?

The short answer is = NO.

Amuse claim that they pay artists / musicians more money than their competitors – but this is a completely FALSE claim.

The major record labels and the lead music distributors all have the same revenue share with Spotify, Apple Music and other DSPs. There is NO way that a small distributor such as Amuse would have a higher revenue share than the major record labels!

It’s getting a little bit tired that there are a lot of companies out there making completely false claims knowing they can’t be challenged.

Free Spotify Music Distribution within 48 Hours!

There are a growing number of musicians and labels all over the world that would like to get their music live for Free in Spotify! Music distribution to Spotify and other services can take some time and the vast majority of them have poor customer service – however, you should check out RouteNote.

RouteNote is a very large music distribution service that allows artists and labels to get their music live in Spotify and other stores for free within 48 hours. This is outstanding!

RouteNote is free to create an account and artists can upload for free and keep 85% of the royalties with monthly payments straight into your Paypal account or International Bank Account.

Im a huge fan so click here to take a look for yourself!

Free Music Distribution for TikTok and Resso

RouteNote has started offering Free Music Distribution to TikTok and Resso. RouteNote was one of the first music distributors to partner with TikTok and Resso globally and they can provide full access into the platform for no upfront fees and artists and labels keep 85% of the royalties.

TikTok and Resso pay royalties to both artists and labels so its worth adding your music into the music library into TikTok so creators of all shapes and sizes can find you and promote your tracks to a global audience.

Amuse.io Music – Release Financial Figures for 2019 – $9.5m Revenue – $10.9m Loss!

Amuse.io is a new music upstart that has been getting a lot of press of late. Amuse.io has just released their official 2019 financials and it’s very interesting reading.

Revenues = $9.5 million USD

Profit / Loss = $10.9 million USD Loss

Staff = 49 staff

Cash Liquidity = 208%

This basically means that Amuse will need to raise another round of Venture Capital within the remainder of 2020 or start of 2021 to be able to survive.

Source – https://www.merinfo.se/foretag/Amuseio-AB-5590367016/2kgcyso-1hslk

Is it Free to Upload to Spotify?

Yes. RouteNote is completely free and allows any artists from anywhere in the world to upload as much music as they want to the worlds largest stores and streaming services.

  • Free to uploading unlimited to music to the worlds largest stores and streaming services
  • YouTube Content ID, Facebook Content ID and Instagram included
  • YouTube Networks
  • Distribution in China and other emerging markets.