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DistroKid

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DistroKid
The Distrokid logo
Type of site
Digital distribution
OwnerPhilip J. Kaplan
IndustryMusic
URLdistrokid.com
LaunchedMay 2013
Current statusActive

DistroKid, formerly titled Fandalism, is an independent digital music distribution service, founded in 2013 by American entrepreneur Philip J. 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.[1] It began as a side-feature of Kaplan's music social network, Fandalism,[2] and was split out into its own company in 2015.[3]

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 or royalties, making this the first time a number-one charting artist was able to keep 100% of their earnings.[2]

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] In 2018, DistroKid reached an agreement with Spotify to support cross-platform uploads for Spotify artists who upload directly or have direct licensing deals with the company.[8][9][10] In 2021, the company launched an initiative allowing record labels to mine its data in search of new artists. It receives a finder's fee from record labels each time a label signs a new artist by way of the platform. The first label to take part in the initiative was Republic Records.[11]

On July 1, 2020, Brazilian YouTuber and musician Dan Vasc called out DistroKid for allegedly stealing the 100% royalty he was promised by DistroKid, as he had only received a reduced percent of the royalty based on the US tax withholding (where DistroKid is based). Vasc uploaded two videos on YouTube highlighting the situation, along with an update.[12]

In summer of 2022, DistroKid launched DistroVid to let both members and non-members upload music videos with a subscription.[13]

On June 7, 2023, DistroKid faced a lawsuit for an alleged mishandling of a copyright takedown that led to their music being taken down without notice as a result of a fallout between Raquella George and Damien Wilson after release of the "Scary Movie" EP as initially agreed in 2020.[14][15] And as a result since January 2021, Wilson was notified by the distributor that the EP was removed from all of the streaming platforms.

In September 2023, it was announced DistroKid has acquired the music distribution and website hosting platform, Bandzoogle.[16]

References

  1. ^ "DistroKid Launches Much Cheaper TuneCore Alternative". Hypebot. Bandsintown. 29 May 2013.
  2. ^ 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.
  3. ^ Biggs, John (October 10, 2013). "Philip Kaplan Officially Launches DistroKid, A Cheap, Efficient Way To Distribute Lots Of Music". TechCrunch.
  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. ^ 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.
  12. ^ "Updates on DistroKid's tax withholding controversy". Medium. July 2020. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
  13. ^ Stassen, Murray (June 28, 2022). "DistroKid Officially Rolls Out DistroVid Music Video Distribution Service". Retrieved November 13, 2023.
  14. ^ "DistroKid Faces Potential Class-Action Lawsuit Over How It Handles Takedown Request". MusicBusiness Worldwide. 8 June 2023. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
  15. ^ "DistroKid Faces Potential Class-Action Lawsuit Over Alleged DMCA Takedown Mishandling". Digital Music News. 9 June 2023. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
  16. ^ "DistroKid acquires website builder Bandzoogle in effort to "empower artists"". MusicTech. Retrieved 2023-09-19.


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