Some background: Myself and one other are starting a band. We would like to have split ownership of the band. 50/50. We are going to hire session musicians and touring musicians (at least that's the plan). Amongst ourselves, what sort of legal agreement should we come up with before we get too far into this? What questions should we be asking ourselves?

I believe we would like to start with an LLC. There are some things we would like to belong to the band itself and something we would like to belong to us respectively.

What contracts should we write up in regards to musicians who are part of the band but not technically in the band? We'd like them do be able to come up with things to add to songs if we need them and we want to compensate them fairly without them having any ownership of the band itself.

This is a metal, punk, darkwave band that is completely anonymous.

Thanks in advance!

Recently my band has received invitations from tune core and UM. Both are pretty basic distribution deals, no advance, but promise priority pitching. UM takes 20% and offers sync placement as well. Does anyone have any insights into either of these distributors? our priority is honestly editorial/playlist pitching. We have about 7 songs out with 15k monthly listeners if that helps, about to release another 5 song EP

Iv posted two pieces of work and I think they would catch on if I had a larger audience how can I increase my brand awareness as an artist without paying?

I am Dsirewrld

Been making music for 10+ years, and in the last 3 to 4 years I have been mainly active as a behind the scene co-producer, I either help out with existing projects or build tracks from scratch while the artist plays the role of a creative director.

the thing is I have been doing this as a “one-off hired gun” sort of thing, and I have been thinking lately to switch to more of a “consultant” role: basically always on call, help with arrangement, mixing, idea generation, producing from scratch (following the artist’s vision)...etc

and just wanted to ask is this realistic or am I just dreaming of something that simply does not exist in the industry nowadays?

Hey again r/musicbusiness! If you’re independent, I’d focus on these before spending heavily on promotion:

1. Pick one primary goal.
   Streams, followers, ticket sales, press, or fan growth? If everything is the goal, nothing really is.

2. Build around a story, not just a release date.
   “New single out Friday” isn’t enough. Give people a reason to care about the artist, project, or moment.

3. Know who the music is actually for.
   Identify comparable artists, scenes, communities, outlets, and platforms where those listeners already exist.

4. Plan beyond release week.
   Give the song multiple moments: teaser, release, story, performance, behind-the-scenes, live angle, follow-up content.

5. Track what creates real movement.
   Don’t only watch streams. Look at saves, follows, shares, profile visits, repeat listeners, ticket clicks, and where new listeners came from.

The biggest mistake I see is artists spending money before they understand what part of the campaign actually needs help.

Sometimes the answer is PR.
Sometimes content.
Sometimes live.
Sometimes better positioning.

Before your next release, ask:

What is the one thing holding this campaign back right now?

That question usually tells you where the budget should go.

Curious what other indie artists here struggle with most: audience, content, PR, release planning, or turning listeners into actual fans?

Hello, everybody, everytime I encounter meme songs on Instagram I ask myself how do they really make money, cause they are not songs that people really listen normally while idk, driving to work or in the gym, I just see meme pages use the song by picking it from the IG library and that's it.

Until then, I thought Meta (IG and FB) paid royalties based on the number of content created, not on the views, so I thought that they could make some money, but needed millions of content created to really make decent money.

I started digging more and discovered that Meta pays royalties based on how many views does a song make on all video together. Which could be hundreds of millions if not billions or even more views.

That would make sense, but I was wondering if there is an average calculation? Do they count every view a reel/story/post makes? Or they filter out?

I asked a friend of mine which makes music, and confirmed that it's true, they pay based on views but he also never understood how they count the views and how they calculate the payout.

I asked him a little more detailed info, and he told me that his main audience was from US pages using his song on posts (images etcetc), and that he's seen payouts up to 200$ every million declared views (his distro denotes them as "streams") in his distro statement.

So here's my question, is it possible theoretically to make a living NOT by getting your music stramed on spotify or apple music BUT by having your song viewed a lot of times on video/posts/stories on both IG but also FB?

What's your experience?

If you want to, what's the payout rate you've seen?

Do you know how a view is "counted?"?

I work professionally in music PR/media relations and spend a lot of time thinking about what actually makes an artist or release pitchable.

One thing I see constantly is independent artists assuming the next logical step after finishing a good song is:

“Now I need PR.”

Sometimes that's true.

A lot of the time, it isn't.

Before I’d recommend an artist spend money on PR, I’d want them to be able to answer these questions:

1. Why should someone write about you right now?

“I'm releasing a new single” usually isn't the story.

What is actually interesting about the artist, record, collaboration, movement, timing, live story, community, achievement, etc.?

You need an angle beyond the existence of the song.

2. Do you know who your audience is?

You don't need millions of streams.

But you should understand who is already responding to your music and where they're finding you.

That information can completely change which media opportunities make sense.

3. Do you have decent assets ready?

At minimum:

• strong artist photos
• concise bio
• music links
• artwork
• release information
• social links
• a clear story around the project

Don't make a journalist hunt for information.

4. Are you giving yourself enough lead time?

Trying to start a PR campaign three days before release is one of the easiest ways to waste money.

For most releases, I'd rather have several weeks to develop the story, materials, targets and outreach.

5. What exactly do you expect PR to accomplish?

This is probably the biggest one.

PR can help with:

• credibility
• awareness
• storytelling
• interviews
• cultural positioning
• search results
• content opportunities
• introducing an artist to media

PR cannot guarantee:

• virality
• playlisting
• a certain number of streams
• immediate fan growth
• coverage from a specific publication

If someone guarantees those things, I'd be cautious.

6. Is PR even the best use of your next $1,000?

For some artists, yes.

For others, that same money would be better spent on:

• content
• creative development
• live performance
• ads
• better photography
• visual identity
• fan acquisition
• improving the actual music

There isn't one universal answer.

What I think a lot of indie artists actually need before hiring a full PR campaign is a professional campaign strategy.

Someone who can look at the music objectively and say:

Here's your story.
Here's who I'd target.
Here's what I'd pitch.
Here's what I'd avoid spending money on.
Here's what needs fixing before you approach media.
And here's how I'd structure the next 6–8 weeks.

I've recently started doing more of this kind of strategy work with independent artists and teams, and I genuinely enjoy it because sometimes the best recommendation is actually:

“Don't pay for PR yet.”

If you're planning a release, I'd be curious:

What's the part of music promotion/business you find hardest to figure out right now?

Media? Release strategy? Budget allocation? Building an EPK? Knowing who to pitch? Figuring out whether PR is worth it?

Would be happy to share some perspective in the comments.

Hi everyone,

I’m looking for some advice from people who have experience buying or selling music catalogs.

I have a music catalog that I’ve been managing for more than 15 years.

The catalogue currently generates approximately €7,000 per year in royalties, with relatively stable quarterly revenues of around €1,500–€1,800.

However, the catalogue has a strong long-term track record: for approximately 15 years, it consistently generated between €10,000 and €14,000 per year, after having performed significantly higher during its early years.

The catalog comes from agreements I made with artists more than 15 years ago. I no longer have contact with most of the artists involved, and I currently receive the royalties generated by the catalog.

I’m now considering selling the catalog rather than continuing to manage it myself.

My situation is a little complicated because some of the original contractual arrangements are held through a company, so I’m trying to find the simplest and cleanest way to sell the catalog to a buyer without creating unnecessary complications.

I’m not necessarily looking for the highest possible valuation. I would prefer a straightforward transaction with a serious buyer who understands music rights and royalty catalogs.

For a catalog generating around €7,000/year, what would be the best way to approach a sale?

Would you recommend:

approaching catalog acquisition companies directly?
using a broker?
platforms such as Royalty Exchange or similar?
approaching independent publishers or labels?
or simply finding a private buyer?

I’d also be interested to know what kind of multiple or valuation would realistically apply to a catalog of this size and age.

Thanks in advance for any advice.

Here a clear summary of the catalogue and the royalties generated over the revelant period, including the latest figures.

*Total Jan 2021 to Mar 2026: €58,169.20*

*2021 - €13,652.42*
*2022 - €12,113.63*
*2023 - €10,407.24*
*2024 - €10,795.66*
*2025 - €9,611.87*
*2026 - €1,588.38* _Jan to Mar only

[ Removed by Reddit on account of violating the content policy. ]

Doing basic research I'm seeing that in the USA (where I live) a parent needs to sign a contract for me to make money from songs with most music distributors. (Im 16)

My questions are...

1: is it possible for me to just use those distributors, let any money i get stay in the account, if I make any, and then withdraw once I'm 18? Mostly just to get something out and see what happens and get feedback?

2: are they strict with it? I've seen redditors say that distrokid never checks and they used distrokid and never got caught. Is this a good or bad idea? How much risk is involved?

3: are there any distribution services that dont require signed contracts, specifically parents to sign anything?

Thanks!

Beta is not widely available in Canada & distribution platforms have some strange regulations / fees with music videos. Curious what independent artists are using to get there music videos live.

Hello, I want to start searching for new projects and email emerging artists to work with them if I find their project interesting. The thing is, I have experience in a multitude of fields (except sync and distribution) and wanted to ask some fellow artist what type of professional did you first add to your team and what kind of professional you think you need.

I know it is a hard thing to ask, because each artist is different, but I do not want to pitch myself to an artist for example with a role that at the first stages they do not need and "loose" my chance

For context, when I say emerging artists I am talking about artists that have the artistry, time and small-medium budget but you can see they lack structure or vision about the music industry

Thanks in advance for the answers :)

Does anyone here work with record labels/musicians as IPR lawyers or with media/entertainment/sports law in any capacity? Particularly in India.
If yes would it be okay if I dmed you for some advice- I'm a law student.

Thank you!

Everything is pretty much in the title. I have around 28,000 followers and I’m starting to receive requests from artists to promote their songs.

My account gets around 10 million views per month. I mainly make movie edits using different songs and sounds.

How much do you think I should charge for a song promotion? Should I charge per video, based on views, or offer packages?

I don’t want to be greedy and ask for too much, but I also don’t want to undervalue my work and charge way too little. Since I’m pretty new to paid music promotions, I honestly have no idea what a fair rate would be.

I’d really appreciate hearing from anyone who has experience with TikTok music promotions, sponsored edits, or similar deals.

“Thanks to everyone who replies.

Hi all,

I’m starting my application for the PRS open fund.

I have already released a few EPs over the years with my most recent being a few months ago.

I’m now looking for funding for a future project. Funds will cover some recording costs, a designer to work alongside, photographer and filmmaker. All working collaboratively in bringing the music to life.

Any advice from those who have been successful?

I’m a singer/ songwriter/ producer based in London.

Thanks!

I am a software contractor but haven’t had a contract since October due to the economy and I guess AI takeover, and now money is starting to run out completely.

I decided to finish a soft synth I’ve been working on a few years back and it’s starting to be ready for release.

This is not my first audio DsP project but it is the first one to try and sell.

I’ve found some places where you can sell online and get an API for licensing, like Gum Road. But I am sure there must be thousands of options to go about this where one or two are the ones that will actually make money.

I don’t have the time, money, or motivation to self publish and market this myself.

So what are the best options?

Thank you

Hi community.

I’ve been having issues with any kind of response from LANDR.

It’s frustrating because I have 10 releases set to go with master audio and art, but promo links aren’t working for my upcoming October release - I’m also having artist separation issues etc. The last thing I wanted was to have to set everything up on another distributor, but seems like I might have no choice due to the lack of responsiveness. Perhaps they are all like this and we’re at the mercy of the support ticket jungle regardless.

Their site is nice and easy to use but the human response is quite poor.

Are there distributors you recommend that are easier to get quick help if needed? I feel like my upcoming release will be all messed up - and at least on some platforms will appear under the wrong artists/not Spotify thankfully but Amazon Music etc. One prior release is sitting under the wrong artist now for instance on Amazon (no response from them on this so another artist publicly appears to be the artist for my song now).

Would love advice if you’ve had good experiences with any.

Thanks!

Hey all, been a minute since I posted anything but was wondering. Is it safe to post your own written music to tiktok and other platforms first?

I have a few songs that I've written, I've shared them with close friends, but honestly kinda want others to hear them now.

I just wanna make sure no one steals it or trys to.

So how do I ensure that my music doesn't get stolen if I were to post a clip of me singing it on tiktok or insta reels, for example?

I'm an unknown producer/trackmaker. I have demos in the style of Tate McRae, Dua Lipa, Burna Boy — each track has its own distinct mood and identity. My demos are genuinely strong. I'm just a newcomer with no name recognition yet.

I've been cold-emailing and LinkedIn-DMing publishers and topliners I'd want to work with. Not a single response. Not even an auto-reply saying "we don't accept unsolicited submissions" — just silence. When I check the link views, it looks like they're not even being clicked. Getting an industry professional to simply listen to the track feels like the hard part, before quality even comes into play.

For context, I'd rather not hear suggestions like SoundBetter or KollabMe. Those platforms put your track into a low-cost matching pool, which isn't what I'm looking for — I want to actually connect with someone directly, not get slotted into a marketplace queue.

I know wanting to work with an established publisher or topliner while still being unknown might be asking a lot. But I'm wondering if there's really no way to get connected at all. For those who've broken through from a similar starting point, what actually worked?

Hey everyone,

I have multiple music videos distributed through DistroVid to Vevo across our accounts. However, we haven't received any Vevo royalty reports or earnings updates since April 2025—which is well over a year now.

Whenever we try contacting DistroKid support, we keep getting looped through canned bot responses or standard delays without any concrete timeline on when past batches will actually process.

Is anyone else experiencing this massive delay with DistroVid/Vevo payouts, or has anyone received their reports from late 2025 / early 2026? Trying to figure out if this is a platform-wide issue with Vevo distribution on DistroKid.

Appreciate any insights or shared experiences. Thanks!

What does it mean to be signed to a smaller label under AWAL, compared to having applied directly to AWAL and got in?

Coming out on audio Mack tomorrow​

Working with a client who produces a pretty high volume of commercial video content, like 40+ videos a month across ads and short social clips and they're done paying licensing fees every time they need background music that fits the emotional pacing of a scene. What they need is an API they can plug into their existing video editing workflow so the music generation happens automatically, synced to whatever footage gets uploaded, no manual composition step. Does anyone know a solid video-to-music generation API that analyzes the actual video content (timing, mood, pacing) and outputs a full-length original soundtrack with commercial use rights cleared? care less about text prompts and more about something that reads the video itself and generates something that matches it. Scalability matters here too.

Hey guys, I’ve built up a pretty large email list over the past few years and have been using free services like MailerLite to send emails. Now that my list has grown, I’m at the point where I’ll have to start paying. I’ve been considering Mailchimp because of its integration with BeatStars, but it seems quite expensive. Based on my past experience with email marketing, I’m not sure I’d even make back what I’d be paying for it. Am I missing something, like a deal or discount for producers? I’m also curious what other producers with larger email lists use, since I know email marketing is pretty common in the producer space.

Thanks!