DistroKid

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DistroKid
This is a logo for DistroKid.png
Type of site
Digital distribution
OwnerPhilip J. Kaplan
IndustryMusic
URLdistrokid.com
LaunchedMay 2013
Current statusActive

DistroKid is a service by an independent digital music distribution service, founded in 2013[1] by American entrepreneur Philip J. "Pud" Kaplan. DistroKid principally offers musicians and other rights-holders the opportunity to distribute and sell or stream their music through online retailers such as iTunes/Apple Music, Spotify, Pandora, Amazon Music, YouTube Music, Tidal, Deezer, iHeartRadio and others.

History[]

DistroKid was developed in 2012 by Philip J. Kaplan and launched in mid 2013.[2] It began as a side-feature of Kaplan's music social network, Fandalism,[3] and was split out into its own company in 2015.[1]

In July 2015, a DistroKid release by musical act Jack & Jack went to number one worldwide on the iTunes charts.[4][5] This was particularly notable because DistroKid does not take a commission of royalties, making this the first time a number-one charting artist was able to keep 100% of their earnings.[3]

In May 2016, DistroKid launched a feature called "Teams" that makes it possible for royalties to be automatically sent to collaborators and shareholders.[6][7] Since then Distrokid has made several other developments including partnering with Spotify to support cross-platform uploads for Spotify artists who upload directly or have direct licensing deals with the company[8][9][10] and an investment from Silversmith Capital Partners.[11]

The company launched an initiative in 2021, allowing record labels to mine its data in search of new artists. It receives a finder's fee from record labels for each new artist signed by labels who discover the artist through its platform. The first label to take part in the initiative was Republic Records.[12]

References[]

  1. ^ a b Biggs, John (October 10, 2013). "Philip Kaplan Officially Launches DistroKid, A Cheap, Efficient Way To Distribute Lots Of Music". TechCrunch.
  2. ^ "DistroKid Launches Much Cheaper TuneCore Alternative". Hypebot. Bandsintown.
  3. ^ a b Herstand, Ari (July 24, 2015). "The Artist Who Has The #1 Album On iTunes Is Getting 100% Of The Royalties". Digital Music News.
  4. ^ Robehmed, Natalie (July 24, 2015). "How These Independent Artists Reached No. 1 On The iTunes Chart". Forbes.
  5. ^ Biggs, John (August 6, 2015). "The DistroKid Music Distribution Service Has Launched An Indie Artist To The Top Of The Charts". TechCrunch.
  6. ^ Biggs, John (May 19, 2016). "DistroKid's music payment system now lets you send cash to everyone on a track". TechCrunch.
  7. ^ Herstand, Ari (May 19, 2016). "DistroKid Will Now Pay Everyone Who Worked On Your Song". Digital Music News.
  8. ^ Perez, Sarah (October 17, 2018). "Spotify takes a stake in DistroKid, will support cross-platform music uploads in Spotify for Artists". TechCrunch. Retrieved November 13, 2018.
  9. ^ Sisario, Ben (September 6, 2018). "A New Spotify Initiative Makes the Big Record Labels Nervous". New York Times. Retrieved November 13, 2018.
  10. ^ Deahl, Dani (September 20, 2018). "Spotify will now let artists directly upload their music to the platform". The Verge. Retrieved November 13, 2018.
  11. ^ Visconti, Ambrogio (November 12, 2018). "Silversmith Capital Partners' investment in DistroKid – Global Legal Chronicle". Global Legal Chronicle. Retrieved November 13, 2018.
  12. ^ Stassen, Murray (January 28, 2021). "DistroKid launches 'matchmaking service' to help labels find unsigned artists; Republic Records named first partner". Music Business Worldwide. Retrieved February 22, 2021.
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