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The Artist’s Business Method · Course map

Lesson 14 / 24 · 30–45 min · preparation time

Compare distribution options

A distributor is a service arrangement. Its price alone does not tell you whether it fits your release. Compare what happens to your music, income and identifiers while you use the service and when you leave it. Extra publishing or promotion services may have separate terms.

Terms in this lesson

Distributor

A service that delivers recordings to music services and accounts for income under its terms.

ISRC

An identifier for a particular recording. It does not prove copyright ownership.

Revenue / profit

Revenue is income. Profit is income minus costs. Cash timing is a separate planning question.

Work through it

  1. 1
    Shortlist two suitable distributors using their current official information and the MU guide. Make a record of the date you compare them.
  2. 2
    Compare upfront and recurring fees, commission, optional extras, payout terms, territories, delivery times, support and collaborator payments.
  3. 3
    Check ownership and licensing terms, cancellation, takedowns, renewal and what happens if a subscription ends. Ask how an existing release and its ISRC would be handled if moving service.
  4. 4
    Choose one or record the unanswered questions. Keep a copy of the terms you accept. If an existing label controls delivery, agree the responsibilities with them instead.
  5. 5
    For a label, publishing or management offer, make a one-page deal note: rights granted, term, territory, exclusivity, payment basis, recoverable costs, approval rights and the route out. Arrange independent review before accepting; an advance is not the same as profit.

You are ready to move on when…

You can leave an application or outside reply pending. Record the next step before moving on.

Options compared / fees / revenue share / support / cancellation / identifiers / selected route / unanswered questions

Resources for this task

Further reading · Passman chapter references

Optional reading · Passman, 11th edition. Chapter 14: distribution and label-services arrangements; Chapters 8 and 10: offers and commitments.

Optional reading from the 11th edition (2023). No purchase needed. US legal context: use current UK sources for local procedures.

Deeper explanation · Before a bigger commitment
A label, publishing or management offer

Write down the rights requested, duration, territory, exclusivity, release obligations, approvals, income split, accounting and exit arrangements. Identify every cost that can be recovered and from which earnings. Check whether income from one activity can be used to recover costs from another. Ask a music solicitor to review the actual offer before you accept.

MU: informal management and production agreements ↗

Next: Finish your release package.

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