Metadata Mistakes That Kill Your Streams (And How to Fix Them) (2026)
Metadata decides three things: whether platforms can find your music, whether they can attribute it to you, and whether royalties reach the right people. The mistakes that cost artists most are inconsistent artist name spellings that split streams across…
Why Was My Song Rejected by My Distributor? 15 Reasons and How to Fix Each (2026)
Almost every rejection comes from one of five categories: audio file problems, artwork that breaks platform rules, metadata errors, rights issues, or content flags. The most common single causes are artwork containing text, URLs or social handles, artist…
Who Owns Your Music? Distribution Agreements Explained for Independent Artists (2026)
With a legitimate distributor, you own everything: the master recording, the composition, and every right attached to them. The distributor is a service provider delivering your files to platforms and collecting money on your behalf, not a rights holder.…
How to Switch Music Distributors Without Losing Your Streams (2026)
You can move your entire catalogue to a new distributor and keep your stream counts, artist profile and most playlist placements, provided you do one thing correctly: re-deliver each recording using its original ISRC code. The ISRC is what platforms use…
Do You Really Need a Music Distributor in 2026? (Honest Answer)
Yes, if you want your music on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, JioSaavn or any major streaming service. None of them accept uploads directly from independent artists. Spotify tried it with a beta programme and shut it down in 2019, and no major…
Music Distributor Hidden Fees: The Complete Checklist Before You Sign Up (2026)
The headline price is rarely the price. Across the industry, the charges that actually determine your cost sit outside the pricing page: revenue shares on YouTube Content ID (0-30%), forex on USD billing (2-3.5% per transaction), payout thresholds that…
The Best Music Distribution If You Only Release a Few Songs a Year (2026)
Almost every distributor prices for the artist who releases constantly, which quietly penalises the majority who do not. On a subscription plan, releasing two songs a year and holding a small catalogue means paying $20-60 annually forever for delivery…
95% vs 100% Royalty: Which Distributor Actually Pays You More? (2026)
“100% royalty” almost never means you keep 100% of your money. It means the distributor takes no percentage of streaming revenue, while charging you somewhere else: an annual subscription, a Content ID revenue share, forex on USD billing,…
Punjabi Music Distribution for Artists in Canada, UK and the USA (2026)
Punjabi music is one of the few genres in the world with two full-sized home markets: Punjab, and the diaspora across Canada, the UK, the US and Australia. Serving only one of them wastes half your audience. The practical problem is that Western…
Music Distribution Renewal Fees: What You Are Actually Paying For Every Year (2026)
Annual renewal fees pay for two different things bundled together: the right to upload new releases, and the right to keep your existing catalogue online. The first is a fair charge for a real service. The second is where the model turns against artists,…