https://wearethemusicmakers.co/latest Music tech and AI in music: the news that matters, what we think about it, and a directory of the tools. en-us Mon, 26 Oct 2026 12:30:00 GMT https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/recipe-release-a-single-in-14-days https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/recipe-release-a-single-in-14-days A day-by-day plan from final master to release day for an independent single, using a distributor. Every step has a time and a cost, with distributor prices as seen on 26 Oct 2026. Mon, 26 Oct 2026 12:30:00 GMT We are the music makers format-recipedistributionrelease-planningspotifyindependent-artists https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/recipe-youtube-content-id-for-a-release https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/recipe-youtube-content-id-for-a-release Most independent artists cannot get Content ID directly from YouTube, so they get it through a distributor. This recipe covers opting a release in, what YouTube requires of the rights you hold, and how to allowlist your own channel so your uploads are not claimed. Each step has a time and a cost. Mon, 26 Oct 2026 12:30:00 GMT We are the music makers format-recipeyoutubecontent-iddistributionallowlisting https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/what-is-a-upc-barcode-for-music https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/what-is-a-upc-barcode-for-music A UPC is the barcode that identifies a whole release, such as a single, EP or album, as one product; the number it carries is a 12-digit GTIN, and an EAN is the 13-digit version. Here is how the number is built, what GS1 charges, and why most independent artists take the free one from their distributor. Mon, 26 Oct 2026 12:30:00 GMT We are the music makers format-referenceupcmetadatadistribution https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/what-is-an-isrc https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/what-is-an-isrc An ISRC (International Standard Recording Code) is a 12-character code that identifies one sound recording or music video, not the song behind it. Here is how the code is built, who issues it, where Indian labels get a prefix, and why it matters for getting paid. Mon, 26 Oct 2026 12:30:00 GMT We are the music makers format-referenceisrcmetadatadistribution https://wearethemusicmakers.co/opinion/publish-detector-error-rates-not-thresholds https://wearethemusicmakers.co/opinion/publish-detector-error-rates-not-thresholds The labels' subpoena fight with DistroKid has revived calls for distributors to publish everything about their AI detectors. The best counter-argument, that disclosure helps spammers beat the filter, is right about methods and wrong about error rates. Here is where we think the line goes. Mon, 26 Oct 2026 03:30:00 GMT We are the music makers ai-detectionai-musicdistributiondistrokidpolicyformat-counter-take https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/lyrics-on-streaming-platforms https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/lyrics-on-streaming-platforms Lyrics on most streaming and social apps do not come from your distributor upload. They come from licensed lyric companies, mainly Musixmatch, with Apple running its own pipeline and LyricFind serving search and other services. This guide maps who feeds which platform, walks through the Musixmatch steps Spotify documents, and explains what to do for Apple and Instagram. Sources checked on 25 Oct 2026. Sun, 25 Oct 2026 05:30:00 GMT We are the music makers streamingdistributionmusic-businessworkflows https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/amazon-music-and-deezer-for-artists https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/amazon-music-and-deezer-for-artists Spotify and Apple get most of the attention, but Amazon Music and Deezer both run free artist dashboards. This guide sets out what each says it offers, based on their own pages read on 24 Oct 2026, and where we think each is worth an hour of your time. Sun, 25 Oct 2026 03:30:00 GMT We are the music makers streamingmarketingdistribution https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/apple-music-for-artists-guide https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/apple-music-for-artists-guide Apple Music for Artists is the dashboard where you claim your artist page, see plays, listeners and Shazams, and manage your team. This guide covers how claiming works, what each analytics number means and what the tool does not let you change, based only on Apple's own support pages, read on 24 Oct 2026. Sun, 25 Oct 2026 03:30:00 GMT We are the music makers streaminganalyticsmusic-businessdistribution https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/soundcloud-for-artists-2026 https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/soundcloud-for-artists-2026 SoundCloud now sells two paid tiers for artists, Artist and Artist Pro, and both bundle distribution to other platforms. This guide sets out what each plan includes, how fan-powered royalties work, and who should pay for which tier, based on SoundCloud pages read on 24 Oct 2026. Sun, 25 Oct 2026 03:30:00 GMT We are the music makers streamingdistributionroyaltiesmonetisation https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/cover-song-licensing https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/cover-song-licensing Recording someone else's song is one of the few things in music with a ready-made legal route. Here is what the US mechanical licence actually covers, what a distributor's cover service does for you, why a YouTube cover is a different deal, and why a translated lyric falls outside the easy path. Sat, 24 Oct 2026 06:30:00 GMT We are the music makers copyrightroyaltiesdistributionyoutube https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/tiktok-and-reels-music-rights https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/tiktok-and-reels-music-rights When someone puts your track under a TikTok or an Instagram Reel, money only reaches you if a licence and a distributor sit in between. Here is how the licensing works on both platforms, what the pay is based on, what the platforms forbid, and which distributor routes get your music into the libraries. Sat, 24 Oct 2026 06:30:00 GMT We are the music makers royaltiesdistributionlicensingsocial https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/youtube-official-artist-channel https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/youtube-official-artist-channel You cannot apply for a YouTube Official Artist Channel yourself. Your distributor, label or a listed music partner asks for you. This guide sets out the requirements YouTube publishes, how a request through a distributor works in practice, what to fix before you ask, and what can take the badge away again. Sat, 24 Oct 2026 06:30:00 GMT We are the music makers youtubeofficial-artist-channeldistributionworkflows https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/ai-flag-appeal-kit https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/ai-flag-appeal-kit None of the big three distributors publishes an appeal process for an AI flag. Here is what DistroKid, TuneCore and CD Baby each say in their own help pages as of 24 Oct 2026, the evidence pack to build before you write, a reply you can adapt, and the moves that make a wrong flag worse. Sat, 24 Oct 2026 03:30:00 GMT We are the music makers ai-musicai-detectiondistributiondistrokidworkflows https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/choose-a-distributor-2026 https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/choose-a-distributor-2026 Four of the best-known DIY distributors charge in three different ways: a yearly subscription, a one-off fee plus a commission, or a subscription with a cut on the side income. They also set three different AI rules. Here is what DistroKid, TuneCore, CD Baby and Ditto say on their own pricing and help pages as we read them on 24 Oct 2026, and how to work out which model costs you least. Sat, 24 Oct 2026 03:30:00 GMT We are the music makers distributionroyaltiesai-musicworkflows https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/disclose-ai-use-through-distributor https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/disclose-ai-use-through-distributor You never tell Spotify or YouTube how you used AI. You tell your distributor, and it turns your answers into DDEX fields that every store reads in its own way. Here is the path one answer takes, the three places it can lose detail or go missing, and what to check before and after release, as we read the primary pages on 24 Oct 2026. Sat, 24 Oct 2026 03:30:00 GMT We are the music makers ai-musicdistributionmetadataddexcreditsworkflows https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/how-streaming-royalties-are-calculated https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/how-streaming-royalties-are-calculated There is no per-stream rate. Streaming services pool their net revenue each month and split it by share of streams, and two newer rules change who gets into that split: Spotify ignores tracks under 1,000 streams a year, and Deezer weights streams from established artists and active fans. Here is the whole chain, step by step, as the services describe it on 24 Oct 2026. Sat, 24 Oct 2026 03:30:00 GMT We are the music makers royaltiesstreamingdistributionspotifydeezer https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/indian-indie-production-on-a-budget https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/indian-indie-production-on-a-budget You can make and release a finished Indian indie or film-style track for well under the price of one good microphone, if you spend in the right order. Here is a costed stack (DAW, synths, Indian instruments, distribution) with prices read from each seller's own page on 24 Oct 2026, and where the money is better kept. Sat, 24 Oct 2026 03:30:00 GMT We are the music makers productiondawindiaworkflowsdistribution https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/metadata-isrc-iswc-split-sheets https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/metadata-isrc-iswc-split-sheets Two codes and one document hold your royalties together. An ISRC names the recording and comes from the recording owner, a national agency or a manager such as your distributor. An ISWC names the song and only a registration agency, usually your collecting society, can assign it. A split sheet has no issuer at all: you and your co-writers make it. Here is who issues what, what it costs where we could check, and why the split sheet has to come first. Sat, 24 Oct 2026 03:30:00 GMT We are the music makers royaltiesmetadatapublishingdistributionworkflows https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/protect-your-voice-from-ai-cloning https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/protect-your-voice-from-ai-cloning Copyright protects your recordings, not your voice. What protects the voice itself is a patchwork of state laws, court orders and platform rules. Here is what each one covers as of 24 Oct 2026, the takedown routes that work today, and what to do before anyone clones you. Sat, 24 Oct 2026 03:30:00 GMT We are the music makers ai-musicvoice-cloningcopyrightdistributionworkflows https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/record-deal-red-flags https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/record-deal-red-flags Three parts of a contract decide most of what an artist gives away: how long it lasts, how the money flows back to the label, and what the other side may do with your recordings and voice in an AI model. Here is what to look for in each, the laws that already limit some of them, and the questions to ask before you sign, as we read the sources on 24 Oct 2026. Sat, 24 Oct 2026 03:30:00 GMT We are the music makers record-dealsartist-rightscopyrightai-musicdistribution https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/release-timeline-checklist https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/release-timeline-checklist Spotify lets you pitch yourself a week before release, but Apple Music, Amazon Music and Deezer editors mostly hear about your song through your distributor, and distributors want weeks of notice. Here is a six-week plan built backwards from the deadlines distributors publish, as we read them on 24 Oct 2026. Sat, 24 Oct 2026 03:30:00 GMT We are the music makers release-planningworkflowsplaylistsdistributionspotifyapple-music https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/youtube-content-id-for-your-music https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/youtube-content-id-for-your-music A step-by-step playbook for independent artists. Check whether your tracks qualify before you tick the Content ID box, keep your own channel and your collaborators out of the line of fire, and know which button to press when a claim hits your video or someone else claims your song. Sat, 24 Oct 2026 03:30:00 GMT We are the music makers youtubecontent-idcopyrightdistributionworkflows https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/register-ai-assisted-song-2026 https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/register-ai-assisted-song-2026 Three gatekeepers now ask about AI, and each asks a different question. The US Copyright Office wants to know which parts a human made, PROs want a human writer, and distributors increasingly care which tool you used and how it was trained. Here is what each rule says as of 23 Oct 2026, a checklist that covers all three, and the mistakes that cost artists money. Fri, 23 Oct 2026 06:30:00 GMT We are the music makers ai-musiccopyrightdistributionroyaltiesworkflows https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/10/how-distributors-detect-ai-false-positives https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/10/how-distributors-detect-ai-false-positives A labels' court filing shows DistroKid tests uploads with an undisclosed third-party "prediction model" and has made statements about false positives, none of it published for artists. Here is what is known about distributor AI detection, what you control, and how to protect a release that gets misjudged. Fri, 23 Oct 2026 04:30:00 GMT We are the music makers workflowsai-musicai-detectiondistrokiddistribution https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/09/believe-tunecore-blocked-suno-then-distributed-it https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/09/believe-tunecore-blocked-suno-then-distributed-it In April, Believe called Suno a "pirate studio" and said its detector could spot Suno tracks with 99% reliability. On 8 Sep 2026 it signed a global partnership to distribute music from Suno's new licensed model. The output didn't change category because of the technology. It changed because of a contract artists weren't party to. Tue, 08 Sep 2026 03:30:00 GMT We are the music makers industrydistributionai-musicsunobelieve https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/08/reading-royalty-statement-line-by-line https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/08/reading-royalty-statement-line-by-line One stream can show up on three statements, from your distributor, your PRO and the MLC, because it earns money for the recording and twice over for the song. Here is how to read each statement line by line, using a clearly labelled mock statement, and how to spot the errors that cost independent artists money. Mon, 24 Aug 2026 04:30:00 GMT We are the music makers workflowsroyaltiesdistributionpublishingmlcartist-rights https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/08/gdpr-access-request-artists-dpdp-act-india https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/08/gdpr-access-request-artists-dpdp-act-india Article 15 of the GDPR lets you ask any platform what personal data it holds about you, why, and who it went to. Here is a template request, what Spotify, SoundCloud and two distributors say they will give you, and why India's own access right is not in force until mid-2027. Thu, 20 Aug 2026 04:30:00 GMT We are the music makers artist-rightsprivacygdprdpdp-actaispotifysoundclouddistribution https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/08/youtube-official-artist-channel-merge-topic-channel https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/08/youtube-official-artist-channel-merge-topic-channel An Official Artist Channel folds your auto-generated topic channel and your own channel into one, with one subscriber count and a Releases shelf. You cannot apply yourself; your distributor or label asks for you. Here is who qualifies, how to ask, and what changes on screen. Fri, 14 Aug 2026 04:30:00 GMT We are the music makers workflowsyoutubeofficial-artist-channeldistributionartist-tools https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/08/tiktok-royalties-soundon-viral-sound-earn-little https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/08/tiktok-royalties-soundon-viral-sound-earn-little TikTok pays labels and distributors a share of a pool based on views, never a fixed rate per view, and the money passes through at least one middleman before it reaches you. Here is how the chain works, what SoundOn's current plans really keep, and the steps to make sure a trend is credited to you. Sat, 08 Aug 2026 04:30:00 GMT We are the music makers workflowstiktoksoundonroyaltiesdistributionartist-rights https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/07/distrokid-cvc-majority-stake-private-equity https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/07/distrokid-cvc-majority-stake-private-equity CVC Capital Partners has agreed to take a majority stake in DistroKid, with Insight Partners keeping a minority and Phil Bauer staying as president. For artists on a flat yearly fee, the questions are price, add-ons, and how a new owner handles fraud and takedowns. Mon, 06 Jul 2026 04:30:00 GMT We are the music makers industrydistributiondistrokidprivate-equity https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/02/universal-owns-cd-baby-fuga-songtrust-downtown-deal-closed https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/02/universal-owns-cd-baby-fuga-songtrust-downtown-deal-closed Virgin Music Group, part of Universal, completed its $775 million purchase of Downtown on 20 Feb 2026, a week after EU regulators cleared it on condition that one unit, the Curve royalty platform, be sold. CD Baby, FUGA and Songtrust now belong to a major label group, and the regulator's scrutiny of data stopped at Curve. Fri, 20 Feb 2026 04:30:00 GMT We are the music makers industrydistributionpublishinguniversal-music-groupcd-baby https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2025/09/spotify-lossless-what-to-deliver-masters https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2025/09/spotify-lossless-what-to-deliver-masters Spotify Premium now streams up to 24-bit/44.1kHz FLAC. Whether your listeners hear your real master depends on the file you hand your distributor, and some distributors still cap uploads at 16-bit. Wed, 10 Sep 2025 04:30:00 GMT We are the music makers workflowsspotifylosslessmasteringdistribution