How do releases to streaming services work?
This text builds on this article where I described some of the challenges around SoundCloud distribution. Here, I want to go a bit deeper into how I handle music distribution for others – and why I choose to do things the way I do.
Why I distribute music for others
The core reason I distribute music for others is that I enjoy it. But it’s not just because I like doing it – many of the artists I represent either don’t know how to handle distribution themselves, lack the necessary accounts, or face other obstacles that prevent them from managing it on their own. Helping them overcome these barriers is part of why I choose to be involved.
Agreements and contracts
When I release someone else’s music, there is usually a contract involved. These contracts are – hopefully – signed via DocuSign, to make the process easy and traceable for both parties. Contracts with DocuSign are mainly used to keep SoundCloud happy – but of course, they also help give the artists some peace of mind that they will get paid if the release ever generates any revenue.
One thing I have learned over time is however this: you don’t distribute music to make money. You do it to have something to reference, to be visible, and to market yourself – kind of like a CV. To put this into perspective: I’ve had my account on SoundCloud since around 2015, and since I started distributing music there, the total earnings have been just $8 (as of 2025).
The typical revenue split I work with is 50-50. This, however, can vary depending on several factors. For example, when Erik Vilde released his original track through me, one of his conditions was that he would get at least 50% of any potential earnings. That felt fair and reasonable – especially since the artist is the one who actually created the work.
So why not give artists 100% of the revenue?
The main reason is that I pay for the distribution account. This means I cover the monthly or yearly fees required to keep the music available on platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, Deezer and so on. Without that account, there wouldn’t be any distribution at all. This is, however, quite a big risk we all take, doing this – but as long as there is no other way to handle the bureaucracy, this is the only option I find reasonable. Which brings us to “the disappearance of me” in the next section.
Best practice is that you can distribute your own originals, and I only distribute our remixes or special edits explicitly created by me.
What happens if I die?
One thing I’ve thought a lot about – but haven’t fully solved yet – is what happens to the releases if something happens to me. If I die, someone will either need to take over the responsibility of paying for the distribution account, or the releases will simply remain online as they are until the account naturally expires.
This is a part of the process I am still trying to figure out. I want to make sure that the music stays available for as long as possible, even if I’m not around to handle it.
Why not other distribution sources – like DistroKid?
First of all, I kind of like DistroKid and I’ve many times considered jumping over there, due to the very often hard struggles with SoundCloud. Besides, they actually partially can help with cover releases. But for the moment, I haven’t had any real need for covers. Also, their cover handling seems somewhat limited – they basically only assist if there are US-based releases already in place.
On the other hand, it is said that they distribute to services that SoundCloud does not cover – such as Beatport, which is more DJ-focused (DistroKid does offer distribution to Beatport as an optional add-on for electronic music artists, available at an additional monthly cost)..
Secondly, the main issue for me when it comes to switching to DistroKid is simply how long I’ve been using SoundCloud. All my releases are there (yes – I’ve put all my eggs in one basket, foolish as that may be). I also have other works on SoundCloud that aren’t distributed anywhere else. This means I am more or less locked in, and re-uploading all my works from scratch could be both costly and complicated. But maybe, in the long run, I would actually benefit from making that move. I honestly don’t know at this point.
On the other hand, I have no idea what issues might come with DistroKid either. I’ve seen complaints online – but I guess every service has its downsides. SoundCloud might not even be much worse than any other option.
This is how I work with releases to streaming services right now. Things may change as I learn more – or as the needs of the artists I work with evolve.