The music distribution for labels has changed radically in recent years. Traditionally, distributors imposed annual payment models per artist in catalog. For a growing record label that releases music from dozens of artists a year, this system translates into thousands of dollars in fixed recurring costs that threaten long-term sustainability.
1. The danger of per-artist fees for independent labels
If you run a label, you know that releasing music from emerging artists is an investment. Charging an annual subscription per artist on your roster means that if a release does not generate enough plays, you are still forced to pay year after year to keep it on Spotify and Apple Music. If you stop paying, distributors delete the releases, destroying the label's history and catalog.
At DISTROM by 1M Music Group, we eliminate this barrier. The DISTROM LABEL plan allows labels to upload music for unlimited artists under a single flat monthly or annual fee, retaining 100% of the intellectual property and with no forced renewal fees per release.
2. Royalty splits and automated income distribution management
One of the biggest headaches in managing an online label is calculating royalties for the different collaborators of each track (producers, writers, main artists). Doing this in Excel spreadsheets every month consumes dozens of hours of administrative work.
Our infrastructure allows configuring revenue share percentages (splits) directly on each release. Thus, the system automatically calculates how much belongs to each artist at the time of the payout report, streamlining the label's financial flow.
3. Free ISRC and UPC code generation
Each song and album requires global unique identifiers (ISRC and UPC). Some B2B distributors charge extra fees for these codes or delay assignment. With DISTROM, the label obtains high-fidelity ISRC and UPC codes instantly and for free when uploading songs.
Optimize music distribution for your firm's labels and join the DISTROM LABEL plan. Manage your catalog with expert support in English and the technical tools of 1M Music Group.