Compare
Notes vs Songtrust
Songtrust is a publisher-only administrator with a 15% / 20% fee. Choose Notes when you want publishing administration with no cut, and distribution in the same account.
Best for Notes. Songwriters who also release recordings, or who do not want 15% / 20% of publishing.
Best for Songtrust. Writers who already have a distributor and only want a Downtown / Songtrust publishing admin.
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What you pay
| Item | Notes | Songtrust |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free, then $5 / month (musician). Companies from $100 / month. | $100 one-time per songwriter. |
| Performance royalty cut | None | 15% of performance royalties collected. |
| Mechanical / non-performance cut | None | 20% of non-performance (worldwide mechanical) royalties collected. |
| Distribution | Included | Not included |
Features
What each product does
| Feature | Notes | Songtrust |
|---|---|---|
| Publishing administration | Yes | Yes |
| Keep 100% of collected publishing | Yes | No |
| Deliver recordings to DSPs | Yes | No |
| Two independent 100% pools per song | Yes | No |
| You keep copyright | Yes | Yes |
Notes — strengths
- No 15% / 20% publishing administration fee.
- Distribution is in the same product.
- A musician is the person, with separate recording and songwriting pools.
Notes — limits
- Songtrust is a dedicated publishing brand if you only want that vendor.
- Notes musician $5 / month is a different shape than a $100 one-time Songtrust fee.
Songtrust — strengths
- Public pricing is simple: $100 one-time plus stated percentages.
- You keep copyright.
- Built only for publishing administration.
Songtrust — limits
- 15% of performance and 20% of mechanicals, for the life of collection.
- No DSP distribution.
- You still need DistroKid, TuneCore, or another distributor for recordings.
Recommendation
Who should use which
Keep Songtrust if you only want that publishing administrator and you already like the 15% / 20% deal. Choose Notes if you want publishing administration without a cut, plus distribution.
Questions
Songtrust and Notes
- How much does Songtrust take?
- Songtrust’s public pricing page charges $100 one-time per songwriter, 15% of performance royalties, and 20% of non-performance (worldwide mechanical) royalties.
- Does Songtrust distribute to Spotify?
- No. Songtrust is publishing administration. Notes distributes recordings and administers publishing.
- Does Notes take 15% of publishing?
- No. Notes is a flat subscription. It does not take a percentage of royalties.
Public sources