Distribution Deals, Explained
A distributor gets your music onto the platforms. A distribution deal decides how much of your freedom and your money you hand over to do it. Those are not the same thing.
The short answer: distribution should be a service you pay for, not a stake in your career you give away. Before signing, nail down four things — is it exclusive, how does it renew, who owns the masters, and how do you get out. A clean deal is time-limited and leaves your ownership untouched.
Exclusive vs. non-exclusive
Non-exclusive means you can use other distributors and services too — you are not locked in. Exclusive means this distributor is the only one who can carry the covered music for the term. Exclusive is not automatically bad, but you should get something real in return, and you should know precisely what music and how long it covers.
The auto-renew trap
The single most common way artists get stuck: a deal that renews itself automatically unless you cancel in a narrow window, sometimes months before the term even ends. Miss the window and you are locked in for another full term. Before signing, find and write down the exact renewal date and the cancellation notice period. Put it in your calendar the day you sign.
Do not sign your catalog away
- Ownership stays with you. Distribution is delivery and collection. It should not transfer ownership of your masters. If the contract quietly assigns your masters, that is a record deal wearing a distribution costume.
- Scope should be specific. Watch for language that pulls in your entire catalog or all future releases when you only meant to distribute one project.
- Know the exit. How do you leave, how long does takedown take, and do you keep your streaming numbers and links when you go?
This is general education, not legal advice — Done Deal Digital is not a law firm. The right move always depends on your exact deal, your state, and the wording in front of you. Before you sign anything, run it past a qualified music attorney.
That's the short version
Sign delivery, not your ownership
The full chapter in What’s Legal & What’s Not compares the deal structures side by side, shows you exactly where auto-renew and catalog-grab language hides, and gives you the questions that separate a distributor from a disguised record deal.
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