With a good distributor, yes: you own 100% of your masters, there is no exclusivity period, takedowns are free and immediate, and you can move to another service whenever you like. With others, leaving is slower and more expensive than signing up was. The things that trap artists are rarely called “lock-in” in the paperwork. They appear as term lengths, exclusivity clauses, takedown fees, notice periods, unrecouped balances and, most commonly of all, the simple fact that leaving a subscription service removes your catalogue entirely. Before signing anywhere, find the answer to one question in writing: what exactly happens, and what does it cost, if I want out next month?<\/b><\/p>\n
That is the summary. This article explains what to look for, because the exit terms are the part of a distribution agreement almost nobody reads and the part that decides whether your catalogue is genuinely yours to move.<\/span><\/p>\n This is general guidance, not legal advice. Terms vary by company and change over time; read your own agreement and, for anything substantial, have a lawyer read it too.<\/span><\/p>\n Nearly every distributor says you keep 100% ownership of your music, and for legitimate services that is true. You own the copyright in your recording; the distributor is a service provider, not a rights holder.<\/span><\/p>\n But ownership is not the same as control. <\/span>You can own something completely and still be unable to move it easily.<\/b> Control depends on the operational terms sitting underneath the ownership claim:<\/span><\/p>\n A service can advertise full ownership and still answer badly on all four. That gap is where artists get stuck.<\/span><\/p>\n That sixth one catches more artists than the first five combined, precisely because it is not written as a restriction. It is just how the product works.<\/span><\/p>\n The standard worth insisting on:<\/span><\/p>\nOwnership and Control Are Two Different Things<\/b><\/h2>\n
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The Six Things That Actually Trap Artists<\/b><\/h2>\n
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What a Clean Exit Looks Like<\/b><\/h2>\n