# Notes — Full Reference

> Notes is a music royalties, distribution, and publishing platform for musicians, songwriters, and the companies that represent them. It releases music to 30+ platforms, registers works with performing-rights, mechanical, and collection societies worldwide, and collects every royalty owed — performance, mechanical, and neighboring rights — in one place, without taking a percentage. Operated by Notes Frequencies, Inc., New York City.

This is the extended corpus. The short version is at https://notes.fm/llms.txt.

## What Notes does

- **Music Distribution** — delivers sound recordings to 30+ DSPs, stores, and sound libraries worldwide, with credits and ISRCs attached.
- **Publishing Administration** — registers compositions with PROs, MROs, and CMOs worldwide (ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, GMR, The MLC, PRS, SOCAN, GEMA, SACEM, JASRAC, APRA AMCOS, and many more). Never acquires copyright.
- **Royalty Collection** — collects performance, mechanical, and neighboring-rights royalties from every platform that owes them and pays the rightsholder directly.
- **Royalty Review** — monthly review of an artist's full catalog across 30+ platforms to surface unclaimed and misrouted royalties, regardless of original distributor.
- **Identifiers** — works are registered with ISRC, ISWC, IPI, and ISNI so royalties match to the correct musician.

Pricing is a flat subscription: free tier available, $5/month for individual musicians, and from $100/month for managers and companies. Notes never takes a percentage of royalties. Payouts run through Stripe and Fifth Third Bank N.A.; balances in a Notes Financial Account earn 1% rewards.

## Product pages

- [Releases = Distribution + Publishing](https://notes.fm/releases/): Notes combines music distribution, publishing administration, and royalty collection in one release flow. You pay a flat subscription, and Notes does not take a percentage of royalties.
- [Music distribution](https://notes.fm/distribution/): Deliver recordings and credits to 30+ platforms without giving up a percentage of royalties.
- [Publishing administration](https://notes.fm/publishing/): The MLC administers US streaming and download mechanicals. Notes registers your compositions with The MLC so those royalties can be matched to you, without taking a share of your copyright.
- [Royalty collection and payments](https://notes.fm/payments/): Bring royalty collection, balances, statements, and payouts into the same account where you manage catalogs, credits, and splits.
- [Notes + Stripe](https://notes.fm/stripe/): Notes is a music royalty platform built with Stripe Connect and Stripe Treasury for platforms.
- [Catalog](https://notes.fm/catalog/): Notes brings every song you have released into one catalog, whoever distributed it, and shows you what is registered and what still needs attention.
- [Catalog Review](https://notes.fm/royalty-review/): Notes reviews every song in your catalog against the registries and societies that pay music royalties, then names the issues that need attention.
- [Teams](https://notes.fm/teams/): A Team is a group of accounts in Notes. It gives the people who manage music one place to see catalog status and resolve registration issues across every musician they support.

## Platforms Notes delivers to (140)

### Streaming
- [Spotify](https://notes.fm/platforms/spotify/): The world's largest on-demand music streaming service.
- [Apple Music](https://notes.fm/platforms/apple-music/): Apple's subscription streaming and lossless audio service.
- [Amazon Music](https://notes.fm/platforms/amazon-music/): Amazon's streaming service across Prime, Unlimited, and HD tiers.
- [YouTube Music](https://notes.fm/platforms/youtube-music/): Google's dedicated music streaming service inside the YouTube ecosystem.
- [Tidal](https://notes.fm/platforms/tidal/): Hi-fi streaming with an artist-focused payout model.
- [Deezer](https://notes.fm/platforms/deezer/): French-origin streaming service available in 180+ markets.
- [Pandora](https://notes.fm/platforms/pandora/): US ad-supported and on-demand streaming, owned by SiriusXM.
- [SoundCloud](https://notes.fm/platforms/soundcloud/): Creator-first streaming and upload platform.
- [Audiomack](https://notes.fm/platforms/audiomack/): Streaming service strong in hip-hop, Afrobeats, and emerging markets.
- [iHeartRadio](https://notes.fm/platforms/iheartradio/): US streaming and digital broadcast radio aggregator.
- [Napster](https://notes.fm/platforms/napster/): Subscription streaming under the relaunched Napster brand.
- [Anghami](https://notes.fm/platforms/anghami/): Leading streaming service in the Middle East and North Africa.
- [Boomplay](https://notes.fm/platforms/boomplay/): The largest streaming service in Africa.
- [JioSaavn](https://notes.fm/platforms/jiosaavn/): Major Indian streaming service across South Asian diaspora.
- [NetEase Cloud Music](https://notes.fm/platforms/netease/): Major streaming service in China alongside Tencent Music.
- [QQ Music](https://notes.fm/platforms/qq-music/): Tencent's flagship music streaming service in China.
- [Kugou](https://notes.fm/platforms/kugou/): Tencent-owned Chinese streaming and karaoke service.
- [Kuwo](https://notes.fm/platforms/kuwo/): Tencent-owned Chinese music streaming app.
- [KKBOX](https://notes.fm/platforms/kkbox/): Streaming service across Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Southeast Asia.
- [AWA](https://notes.fm/platforms/awa/): Japanese streaming service with editorial curation focus.
- [Joox](https://notes.fm/platforms/joox/): Tencent-owned streaming service across Southeast Asia.
- [FLO](https://notes.fm/platforms/flo/): Major Korean streaming service.
- [LiveOne](https://notes.fm/platforms/liveone/): US streaming service combining music, podcasts, and live events.
- [Coda Music](https://notes.fm/platforms/coda-music/): Licensed music streaming and discovery service.
- [Lissen](https://notes.fm/platforms/lissen/): Licensed music streaming service.
- [ROXi](https://notes.fm/platforms/roxi/): Music-video and karaoke streaming for the TV.
- [Rythm](https://notes.fm/platforms/rythm/): Licensed music streaming service.
- [Turntable](https://notes.fm/platforms/turntable/): Social listening platform with licensed music rooms.

### Short-form & Social
- [Kuaishou](https://notes.fm/platforms/kuaishou/): Major Chinese short-video and music streaming platform.
- [TikTok](https://notes.fm/platforms/tiktok/): The dominant short-form video platform and music discovery engine.
- [Meta Library](https://notes.fm/platforms/meta-library/): Meta's licensed-music catalog across Instagram and Facebook.
- [Snap](https://notes.fm/platforms/snap/): Snap's licensed sound library across Snaps, Stories, and Spotlight.
- [Canva](https://notes.fm/platforms/canva/): Design platform with licensed audio for video and reels.

### Download Stores
- [Trebel](https://notes.fm/platforms/trebel/): Ad-supported offline streaming and download service.
- [Bandcamp](https://notes.fm/platforms/bandcamp/): Direct-to-fan download, streaming, and merch store.

### DJ Pools & Stores
- [Beatport](https://notes.fm/platforms/beatport/): The leading download and DJ streaming store for electronic music.
- [Juno Download](https://notes.fm/platforms/juno-download/): Electronic and dance music download store based in the UK.
- [Mixcloud](https://notes.fm/platforms/mixcloud/): DJ mix and radio platform with rightsholder licensing.

### Fitness, Sync & Background
- [Peloton](https://notes.fm/platforms/peloton/): Connected fitness platform with licensed music in every class.
- [Pretzel Rocks](https://notes.fm/platforms/pretzel-rocks/): Royalty-free background music service for streamers and creators.
- [Soundtrack Your Brand](https://notes.fm/platforms/soundtrack-your-brand/): Background music service for retail, restaurants, and businesses.

### Karaoke & Sing-along
- [Singa](https://notes.fm/platforms/singa/): Karaoke streaming used in bars, venues, and home setups.
- [WeSing](https://notes.fm/platforms/wesing/): Tencent-owned mobile karaoke platform.

### Identification & Monetization
- [Shazam](https://notes.fm/platforms/shazam/): Apple-owned music identification service used billions of times.
- [ACRCloud](https://notes.fm/platforms/acrcloud/): Audio fingerprinting and content recognition service.
- [Audible Magic](https://notes.fm/platforms/audible-magic/): Audio identification platform used across UGC and broadcast.
- [Gracenote](https://notes.fm/platforms/gracenote/): Nielsen-owned music metadata and identification service.
- [YouTube Content ID](https://notes.fm/platforms/youtube-content-id/): YouTube's automated copyright matching and monetization system.

### E-commerce
- [Taobao](https://notes.fm/platforms/taobao/): Alibaba's flagship e-commerce platform in China with music delivery.

### Royalty Registration & Collection
- [SoundExchange](https://notes.fm/platforms/soundexchange/): US neighboring-rights collector for digital sound recording performances.
- [The MLC](https://notes.fm/platforms/the-mlc/): US statutory mechanical royalty administrator under the Music Modernization Act.
- [BMI](https://notes.fm/platforms/bmi/): US performing-rights organization (PRO) collecting public-performance royalties for songwriters and publishers.
- [AKKA/LAA](https://notes.fm/platforms/akka-laa/): Latvia's performing rights organization for songwriters and composers.
- [AAS](https://notes.fm/platforms/aas/): Azerbaijan's performing rights organization for songwriters and composers.
- [SOKOJ](https://notes.fm/platforms/sokoj/): Serbia's performing rights organization for songwriters and composers.
- [SACEM Luxembourg](https://notes.fm/platforms/sacem-luxembourg/): Luxembourg's performing rights organization for songwriters and composers.
- [LATGA](https://notes.fm/platforms/latga/): Lithuania's performing rights organization for songwriters and composers.
- [ALBAUTOR](https://notes.fm/platforms/albautor/): Albania's performing rights organization for songwriters and composers.
- [AsDAC](https://notes.fm/platforms/asdac/): Moldova's performing rights organization for songwriters and composers.
- [RAO](https://notes.fm/platforms/rao/): Russia's performing rights organization for songwriters and composers.
- [MUSICAUTOR](https://notes.fm/platforms/musicautor/): Bulgaria's performing rights organization for songwriters and composers.
- [KazAK](https://notes.fm/platforms/kazak/): Kazakhstan's performing rights organization for songwriters and composers.
- [ARMAUTHOR](https://notes.fm/platforms/armauthor/): Armenia's performing rights organization for songwriters and composers.
- [AUTODIA](https://notes.fm/platforms/autodia/): Greece's performing rights organization for songwriters and composers.
- [AMUS](https://notes.fm/platforms/amus/): Bosnia and Herzegovina's performing rights organization for songwriters and composers.
- [ZAMP Macedonia](https://notes.fm/platforms/zamp-macedonia/): North Macedonia's performing rights organization for songwriters and composers.
- [SDADV](https://notes.fm/platforms/sdadv/): Andorra's performing rights organization for songwriters and composers.
- [VCPMC](https://notes.fm/platforms/vcpmc/): Vietnam's performing rights organization for songwriters and composers.
- [NCIP](https://notes.fm/platforms/ncip/): Belarus's performing rights organization for songwriters and composers.
- [PAM CG](https://notes.fm/platforms/pam-cg/): Montenegro's performing rights organization for songwriters and composers.
- [SOZA](https://notes.fm/platforms/soza/): Slovakia's performing rights organization for songwriters and composers.
- [VAPIC](https://notes.fm/platforms/vapic/): Kosovo's performing rights organization for songwriters and composers.
- [SAZAS](https://notes.fm/platforms/sazas/): Slovenia's performing rights organization for songwriters and composers.
- [UCMR-ADA](https://notes.fm/platforms/ucmr-ada/): Romania's performing rights organization for songwriters and composers.
- [UACRR](https://notes.fm/platforms/uacrr/): Ukraine's performing rights organization for songwriters and composers.
- [MACA](https://notes.fm/platforms/maca/): Macau's performing rights organization for songwriters and composers.
- [ECCO](https://notes.fm/platforms/ecco/): Saint Lucia's performing rights organization for songwriters and composers.
- [AGADU](https://notes.fm/platforms/agadu/): Uruguay's performing rights organization for songwriters and composers.
- [SPAC](https://notes.fm/platforms/spac/): Panama's performing rights organization for songwriters and composers.
- [SACIM](https://notes.fm/platforms/sacim/): El Salvador's performing rights organization for songwriters and composers.
- [ACDAM](https://notes.fm/platforms/acdam/): Cuba's performing rights organization for songwriters and composers.
- [SASUR](https://notes.fm/platforms/sasur/): Suriname's performing rights organization for songwriters and composers.
- [MÜST](https://notes.fm/platforms/must/): Taiwan's performing rights organization for songwriters and composers.
- [SOBODAYCOM](https://notes.fm/platforms/sobodaycom/): Bolivia's performing rights organization for songwriters and composers.
- [SAYCE](https://notes.fm/platforms/sayce/): Ecuador's performing rights organization for songwriters and composers.
- [MCT](https://notes.fm/platforms/mct/): Thailand's performing rights organization for songwriters and composers.
- [MRCSN](https://notes.fm/platforms/mrcsn/): Nepal's performing rights organization for songwriters and composers.
- [AACIMH](https://notes.fm/platforms/aacimh/): Honduras's performing rights organization for songwriters and composers.
- [SACVEN](https://notes.fm/platforms/sacven/): Venezuela's performing rights organization for songwriters and composers.
- [COTT](https://notes.fm/platforms/cott/): Trinidad and Tobago's performing rights organization for songwriters and composers.
- [APA](https://notes.fm/platforms/apa/): Paraguay's performing rights organization for songwriters and composers.
- [AEI](https://notes.fm/platforms/aei/): Guatemala's performing rights organization for songwriters and composers.
- [COMPASS](https://notes.fm/platforms/compass/): Singapore's performing rights organization for songwriters and composers.
- [MACP](https://notes.fm/platforms/macp/): Malaysia's performing rights organization for songwriters and composers.
- [JACAP](https://notes.fm/platforms/jacap/): Jamaica's performing rights organization for songwriters and composers.
- [FILSCAP](https://notes.fm/platforms/filscap/): The Philippines' performing rights organization for songwriters and composers.
- [APDAYC](https://notes.fm/platforms/apdayc/): Peru's performing rights organization for songwriters and composers.
- [SCD](https://notes.fm/platforms/scd/): Chile's performing rights organization for songwriters and composers.
- [SGACEDOM](https://notes.fm/platforms/sgacedom/): The Dominican Republic's performing rights organization for songwriters and composers.
- [EMRA](https://notes.fm/platforms/emra/): The UAE's performing rights organization for songwriters and composers.
- [BUMDA](https://notes.fm/platforms/bumda/): Mali's performing rights organization for songwriters and composers.
- [BGDA](https://notes.fm/platforms/bgda/): Guinea's performing rights organization for songwriters and composers.
- [BMDA](https://notes.fm/platforms/bmda/): Morocco's performing rights organization for songwriters and composers.
- [ONDA](https://notes.fm/platforms/onda/): Algeria's performing rights organization for songwriters and composers.
- [BBDA](https://notes.fm/platforms/bbda/): Burkina Faso's performing rights organization for songwriters and composers.
- [COSCAP](https://notes.fm/platforms/coscap/): Barbados's performing rights organization for songwriters and composers.
- [ZIMURA](https://notes.fm/platforms/zimura/): Zimbabwe's performing rights organization for songwriters and composers.
- [UNAC-SA](https://notes.fm/platforms/unac-sa/): Angola's performing rights organization for songwriters and composers.
- [COSOTA](https://notes.fm/platforms/cosota/): Tanzania's performing rights organization for songwriters and composers.
- [SCM](https://notes.fm/platforms/scm/): Cabo Verde's performing rights organization for songwriters and composers.
- [GHAMRO](https://notes.fm/platforms/ghamro/): Ghana's performing rights organization for songwriters and composers.
- [COSOMA](https://notes.fm/platforms/cosoma/): Malawi's performing rights organization for songwriters and composers.
- [COSBOTS](https://notes.fm/platforms/cosbots/): Botswana's performing rights organization for songwriters and composers.
- [SODAV](https://notes.fm/platforms/sodav/): Senegal's performing rights organization for songwriters and composers.
- [BURIDA](https://notes.fm/platforms/burida/): Côte d'Ivoire's performing rights organization for songwriters and composers.
- [LESCOSAA](https://notes.fm/platforms/lescosaa/): Lesotho's performing rights organization for songwriters and composers.
- [OMDA](https://notes.fm/platforms/omda/): Madagascar's performing rights organization for songwriters and composers.
- [BUBEDRA](https://notes.fm/platforms/bubedra/): Benin's performing rights organization for songwriters and composers.
- [MCSN](https://notes.fm/platforms/mcsn/): Nigeria's performing rights organization for songwriters and composers.
- [MASA](https://notes.fm/platforms/masa/): Mauritius's performing rights organization for songwriters and composers.
- [NASCAM](https://notes.fm/platforms/nascam/): Namibia's performing rights organization for songwriters and composers.
- [BCDA](https://notes.fm/platforms/bcda/): Republic of the Congo's performing rights organization for songwriters and composers.
- [UPRS](https://notes.fm/platforms/uprs/): Uganda's performing rights organization for songwriters and composers.
- [SOMAS](https://notes.fm/platforms/somas/): Mozambique's performing rights organization for songwriters and composers.
- [MCSK](https://notes.fm/platforms/mcsk/): Kenya's performing rights organization for songwriters and composers.
- [ASCAP](https://notes.fm/platforms/ascap/): US performing-rights organization (PRO) collecting public-performance royalties for songwriters, composers, and publishers.
- [SESAC](https://notes.fm/platforms/sesac/): US performing-rights organization (PRO) collecting public-performance royalties for affiliated songwriters and publishers.
- [Global Music Rights](https://notes.fm/platforms/gmr/): US performing-rights organization (PRO) representing songwriters and collecting their public-performance royalties.
- [PRS for Music](https://notes.fm/platforms/prs/): UK performing-rights organization collecting public-performance and broadcast royalties for songwriters, composers, and publishers.
- [SOCAN](https://notes.fm/platforms/socan/): Canadian performing-rights organization collecting public-performance royalties for songwriters, composers, and publishers.
- [GEMA](https://notes.fm/platforms/gema/): German performing- and mechanical-rights organization collecting royalties for songwriters, composers, and publishers.
- [APRA AMCOS](https://notes.fm/platforms/apra-amcos/): Australasian performing- and mechanical-rights organization collecting royalties for songwriters, composers, and publishers.
- [STIM](https://notes.fm/platforms/stim/): Swedish performing-rights organization collecting public-performance royalties for songwriters, composers, and publishers.
- [KODA](https://notes.fm/platforms/koda/): Danish performing-rights organization collecting public-performance royalties for songwriters, composers, and publishers.
- [Teosto](https://notes.fm/platforms/teosto/): Finnish performing-rights organization collecting public-performance royalties for songwriters, composers, and publishers.
- [SUISA](https://notes.fm/platforms/suisa/): Swiss performing- and mechanical-rights organization collecting royalties for songwriters, composers, and publishers.
- [AKM](https://notes.fm/platforms/akm/): Austrian performing-rights organization collecting public-performance royalties for songwriters, composers, and publishers.
- [Buma/Stemra](https://notes.fm/platforms/buma-stemra/): Dutch performing- and mechanical-rights organization collecting royalties for songwriters, composers, and publishers.
- [IMRO](https://notes.fm/platforms/imro/): Irish performing-rights organization collecting public-performance royalties for songwriters, composers, and publishers.
- [SAMRO](https://notes.fm/platforms/samro/): South African performing-rights organization collecting public-performance royalties for songwriters, composers, and publishers.

## For companies & teams

- [For Companies & Teams](https://notes.fm/companies/): the pillar page for managers, labels, and publishing companies.
- [Music Managers](https://notes.fm/companies/managers/): Notes for music managers: oversee every catalog you manage from one workspace, register works, run royalty reviews across 30+ platforms, and collect every royalty your artists are owed, with no percentage taken.
- [Business Managers](https://notes.fm/companies/business-managers/): Notes for music business managers: reconcile every client's royalty income across 30+ platforms into audit-ready statements, improve collection accuracy, and keep 100% of royalties flowing to your clients.
- [Music & Entertainment Lawyers](https://notes.fm/companies/lawfirms/): Notes for music and entertainment lawyers: verify a client's catalog is registered and collecting across 30+ platforms and global societies, surface unclaimed royalties for audits and due diligence, no copyright taken.
- [Booking & Talent Agents](https://notes.fm/companies/agents/): Notes for booking and talent agents: make sure every artist you represent collects the performance, neighboring-rights, and sync royalties behind every play, registered with the right societies and reconciled across 30+ platforms.
- [Record Labels](https://notes.fm/companies/labels/): Notes for record labels: distribute your whole catalog to 30+ platforms and collect recording, publishing, and neighboring-rights royalties across every catalog from one workspace, with no percentage taken.
- [Music Publishers](https://notes.fm/companies/publishers/): Notes for music publishers: register compositions with PROs, MROs, and CMOs worldwide, collect mechanical and performance royalties across the catalog, and produce per-writer reporting, no copyright taken, no percentage.
- [Rights Owners](https://notes.fm/companies/rightsowners/): Notes for rights owners: register your recordings and compositions with the correct identifiers and societies, and collect recording, publishing, and neighboring-rights royalties across 30+ platforms, with no percentage taken.
- [Catalog Owners](https://notes.fm/companies/catalog-owners/): Notes for catalog owners: verify registrations on your acquired catalog, surface unclaimed and black-box royalties across 30+ platforms, and reconcile everything it earns into clean reporting, with no percentage taken.
- [ROSTR member offer](https://notes.fm/companies/rostr/): ROSTR members can try the Notes Company plan free for 3 months on an annual subscription, then $1,000 per year. Cancel before your billing date and pay nothing. Distribution, publishing administration and royalty collection with no royalty cut.
- [A2IM member offer](https://notes.fm/companies/a2im/): A2IM members can try the Notes Company plan free for 3 months on an annual subscription, then $1,000 per year. Cancel before your billing date and pay nothing. Distribution, publishing administration and royalty collection with no royalty cut.

## Convert pages (royalty topics)

- [Music Distribution](https://notes.fm/music-distribution/): Notes is music distribution plus publishing administration plus royalty collection in one account. It delivers recordings to 30+ platforms and does not take a percentage of royalties.
- [Music Publishing](https://notes.fm/music-publishing/): Notes is not a publisher that buys copyright. It is publishing administration: it registers compositions and collects songwriting royalties, with a flat subscription and no royalty cut.
- [Publishing Administration](https://notes.fm/publishing-administration/): Notes provides publishing administration as part of the same account as distribution and royalty collection. You keep 100% ownership. Notes does not take a percentage of royalties.
- [Music Royalties](https://notes.fm/music-royalties/): Every song pays two independent 100% pools: recording and songwriting. Notes collects both into one account and does not take a percentage of royalties.
- [MLC Royalties](https://notes.fm/mlc-royalties/): The MLC administers US streaming and download mechanicals. Notes registers your compositions with The MLC so those royalties can be matched to you. Notes does not take a percentage.
- [HFA Royalties](https://notes.fm/hfa-royalties/): HFA licenses mechanical uses of compositions in the US. Interactive streaming mechanicals are administered by The MLC. Notes registers the composition side so mechanical royalties can be matched to you, with no royalty cut.
- [Publishing Royalties](https://notes.fm/publishing-royalties/): Publishing royalties are the songwriting pool: performance royalties through your PRO and mechanical royalties through The MLC in the US. Notes administers that side with a flat subscription and no royalty cut.
- [Black Box Royalties](https://notes.fm/black-box-royalties/): Black box royalties are unmatched payments. Register and match your works so you receive what you're owed. Notes does that registration and does not take a percentage.

## Convert pages (platform royalties)

These are the exact-match URLs for “{platform} royalties” queries. Word marks only. Notes is not affiliated with, authorized by, or sponsored by the named platform.

- [Spotify royalties](https://notes.fm/spotify-royalties/): The world's largest on-demand music streaming service.
- [Apple Music royalties](https://notes.fm/apple-music-royalties/): Apple's subscription streaming and lossless audio service.
- [Amazon Music royalties](https://notes.fm/amazon-music-royalties/): Amazon's streaming service across Prime, Unlimited, and HD tiers.
- [YouTube Music royalties](https://notes.fm/youtube-music-royalties/): Google's dedicated music streaming service inside the YouTube ecosystem.
- [Tidal royalties](https://notes.fm/tidal-royalties/): Hi-fi streaming with an artist-focused payout model.
- [Deezer royalties](https://notes.fm/deezer-royalties/): French-origin streaming service available in 180+ markets.
- [Pandora royalties](https://notes.fm/pandora-royalties/): US ad-supported and on-demand streaming, owned by SiriusXM.
- [SoundCloud royalties](https://notes.fm/soundcloud-royalties/): Creator-first streaming and upload platform.
- [TikTok royalties](https://notes.fm/tiktok-royalties/): The dominant short-form video platform and music discovery engine.
- [YouTube Content ID royalties](https://notes.fm/youtube-royalties/): YouTube's automated copyright matching and monetization system.
- [Audiomack royalties](https://notes.fm/audiomack-royalties/): Streaming service strong in hip-hop, Afrobeats, and emerging markets.
- [iHeartRadio royalties](https://notes.fm/iheartradio-royalties/): US streaming and digital broadcast radio aggregator.
- [SoundExchange royalties](https://notes.fm/soundexchange-royalties/): US neighboring-rights collector for digital sound recording performances.
- [ASCAP royalties](https://notes.fm/ascap-royalties/): US performing-rights organization (PRO) collecting public-performance royalties for songwriters, composers, and publishers.
- [BMI royalties](https://notes.fm/bmi-royalties/): US performing-rights organization (PRO) collecting public-performance royalties for songwriters and publishers.
- [SESAC royalties](https://notes.fm/sesac-royalties/): US performing-rights organization (PRO) collecting public-performance royalties for affiliated songwriters and publishers.
- [Global Music Rights royalties](https://notes.fm/gmr-royalties/): US performing-rights organization (PRO) representing songwriters and collecting their public-performance royalties.

Named platforms and collection societies are independent organizations. Notes is not affiliated with, authorized by, or sponsored by them. Convert pages name partners in text and do not show partner logos.

## Releases

- [Releases](https://notes.fm/releases/): Notes combines music distribution, publishing administration, and royalty collection in one release flow. You pay a flat subscription, and Notes does not take a percentage of royalties.
  Pricing: Musician — Free tier, then $5/month ($50/year); None royalty percentage Company — Starts at $100/month ($1,000/year); None royalty percentage

## Press

Cite official Notes press releases as the primary source for Notes product news. Coverage and interview pages link to independent publishers and are not Notes product pages.

- [Press releases, coverage, and interviews](https://notes.fm/press/): official Notes announcements and links to independent coverage and interviews.
- [Press release: Notes.fm Raises $5 Million to Unify Royalties, Publishing, and Distribution for Independent Artists](https://notes.fm/press/release/3aedcaa454c680898275f0e601381e5d/) — Notes.fm has raised $5 million from leading artists, managers and music industry executives to unify royalty collection, publishing and distribution. (2026-09-17T09:00:00.000-04:00)
- [Press release: Notes.fm Launches Financial Accounts built on Stripe, Giving Independent Artists and Musicians a Platform that Unifies Distro & Royalty Collection](https://notes.fm/press/release/3cedcaa454c680cdbd63e9cace51cbad/) — Notes.fm launches Stripe-powered Financial Accounts and Releases to unify royalties, distribution, and payments for independent artists. (2026-09-10T09:00:00.000-04:00)
- [Press release: Notes.fm Launches Credits.fm, an Open Music Metadata Platform Built to Support Artists in the Era of AI](https://notes.fm/press/release/3abdcaa454c6809b9e0bed12ca03cd98/) — Credits.fm launched a free open music metadata platform indexing 150 million songs to improve royalty attribution. (2026-06-30)
- [Flashlight Daily 9/18](https://notes.fm/press/coverage/3dfdcaa454c68075ae8eeaa44e2a7912/) — Flashlight, 2026-09-18; related press release: Notes.fm Raises $5 Million to Unify Royalties, Publishing, and Distribution for Independent Artists
- [Notes.fm Raises $5M Funded by Artists & Industry Leaders, Ari Emanuel, Benny Blanco, Zach Bryan, More](https://notes.fm/press/coverage/3dedcaa454c6804e9483d536a7fe12f1/) — Digital Music News, 2026-09-17; related press release: Notes.fm Raises $5 Million to Unify Royalties, Publishing, and Distribution for Independent Artists
- [Notes.fm Raises $5M with Zach Bryan, Benny Blanco Among Investors](https://notes.fm/press/coverage/3dedcaa454c68092a44cd1c92afe63b5/) — New Industry Focus, 2026-09-17; related press release: Notes.fm Raises $5 Million to Unify Royalties, Publishing, and Distribution for Independent Artists
- [Stem co-founder Tim Luckow raises $5M for royalty platform Notes.fm; Zach Bryan, Benny Blanco and Ari Emanuel among the backers](https://notes.fm/press/coverage/3dedcaa454c6802abbdaf60d11716e26/) — Music Business Worldwide, 2026-09-17; related press release: Notes.fm Raises $5 Million to Unify Royalties, Publishing, and Distribution for Independent Artists
- [Notes.fm, Backed by Zach Bryan, Benny Blanco, Raises $5 Million to Help Artists Recover Lost Royalties](https://notes.fm/press/coverage/3dcdcaa454c6806b9c42ed92224d78d4/) — Billboard, 2026-09-17; related press release: Notes.fm Raises $5 Million to Unify Royalties, Publishing, and Distribution for Independent Artists
- [Notes.fm Expands Platform with Stripe-Powered Financial Accounts](https://notes.fm/press/coverage/3d7dcaa454c680bd8e81de35cf3b13b9/) — New Industry Focus, 2026-09-10; related press release: Notes.fm Launches Financial Accounts built on Stripe, Giving Independent Artists and Musicians a Platform that Unifies Distro & Royalty Collection
- [Notes.fm simplifies music royalties with Stripe Treasury for platforms](https://notes.fm/press/coverage/3d7dcaa454c680a6bc7ed03836e95aa5/) — Stripe, 2026-09-10; related press release: Notes.fm Launches Financial Accounts built on Stripe, Giving Independent Artists and Musicians a Platform that Unifies Distro & Royalty Collection
- [This Music Platform Is Helping Artists Find Unclaimed Money](https://notes.fm/press/coverage/3cadcaa454c6804983ced5f0bb82e0ae/) — Forbes, 2026-09-03
- [Credits.fm is a free, open music credits database to help artists get paid in the AI era](https://notes.fm/press/coverage/391dcaa454c6802783d8c85bb42678d2/) — MusicTech, 2026-07-02; related press release: Notes.fm Launches Credits.fm, an Open Music Metadata Platform Built to Support Artists in the Era of AI
- [Notes.fm launches its open music-credits database Credits.fm](https://notes.fm/press/coverage/390dcaa454c6809186cddb27f463b0bd/) — Music Ally, 2026-07-01; related press release: Notes.fm Launches Credits.fm, an Open Music Metadata Platform Built to Support Artists in the Era of AI
- [Notes.fm Launches Music Metadata Platform Credits.fm](https://notes.fm/press/coverage/38fdcaa454c680f08223d243cbd0cfd8/) — New Industry Focus, 2026-06-30; related press release: Notes.fm Launches Credits.fm, an Open Music Metadata Platform Built to Support Artists in the Era of AI
- [Music Industry Moves 11/11](https://notes.fm/press/coverage/2a9dcaa454c68026ab6af825c002861d/) — Variety, 2025-11-11
- [Stem co-founder launches startup to tackle black-box royalties](https://notes.fm/press/coverage/29ddcaa454c6806396a4e40b9ad0715d/) — Music Ally, 2025-10-31
- [Notes.fm Launches to Uncover Unclaimed ‘Black Box’ Royalties](https://notes.fm/press/coverage/29cdcaa454c680e5839be48bc75822b0/) — New Industry Focus, 2025-10-30
- [Artists Can Identify Unclaimed ‘Black Box’ Royalties Via New Platform From Stem Co-Founder](https://notes.fm/press/coverage/295dcaa454c680d5b7a4e941a7140e37/) — Billboard, 2025-10-30
- [Figures In Music: Notes.fm Founder Tim Luckow](https://notes.fm/press/coverage/28ddcaa454c6806189d1e509647f9a2f/) — Chartmetric, 2025-10-15
- [James Blake is taking on TikTok, Live Nation and ‘free music’](https://notes.fm/press/coverage/21bdcaa454c680589b34da2de68c6d4b/) — Financial Times, 2025-06-19
- [Neon Gold and Avenue A Unite to Form Indie Label Group ‘Futures’](https://notes.fm/press/coverage/13ddcaa454c68077b3ece61cbc6a852d/) — Billboard, 2024-10-23
- [Neon Gold Records, Avenue A unite to launch Futures Music Group](https://notes.fm/press/coverage/13ddcaa454c680abba4ce7ede9817bc6/) — Music Business Worldwide, 2024-10-23
- [Interview: The Future of What Episode #288 — Recovering Royalties: How Notes.FM is Streamlining Artist Payments](https://notes.fm/press/interview/342dcaa454c680539dedc822176c68ad/) — Music Business Association, 2026-04-14; listen via SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/thefutureofwhat/episode-288-recovering

## Compare Notes

- [Compare hub](https://notes.fm/compare/): Choose Notes when you want distribution, publishing administration, and royalty collection in one account, with a flat fee and no royalty cut.
- [Official information](https://notes.fm/ai-info/): what Notes is, who it is for, pricing, strengths, and limits.
- [Notes vs DistroKid](https://notes.fm/compare/distrokid/): DistroKid is a strong yearly distributor. Choose Notes when you also need publishing administration and collection, without a second vendor.
- [Notes vs DistroKid Publishing](https://notes.fm/compare/distrokid-publishing/): Both register your compositions so publishing royalties can be matched to you. Notes includes it in the same flat subscription as distribution and does not take a percentage of royalties.
- [Notes vs TuneCore](https://notes.fm/compare/tunecore/): TuneCore is a distributor with optional publishing as a separate product. Choose Notes when distribution and publishing administration should be one flat fee.
- [Notes vs CD Baby](https://notes.fm/compare/cd-baby/): CD Baby is a pay-once distributor that keeps a share of distribution royalties. Choose Notes when you do not want a lasting royalty cut and you need publishing administration.
- [Notes vs UnitedMasters](https://notes.fm/compare/unitedmasters/): UnitedMasters is built for distribution and brand tools. Choose Notes when you need publishing administration and collection, not only DSP delivery.
- [Notes vs Songtrust](https://notes.fm/compare/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.
- [Notes vs DistroKid and Songtrust](https://notes.fm/compare/distrokid-and-songtrust/): DistroKid plus Songtrust is two vendors, two bills, and a 15% / 20% publishing cut. Notes is one account for both jobs, with no royalty percentage.

## Before you release: the Notes Release Checklist

The full interactive checklist is at https://notes.fm/release-checklist/ — free, no account required. Sixteen things to confirm before you submit, grouped as files, credits, names and rights, disclosures and licenses, splits, date.

**Files** — What you upload, and what every platform re-encodes from.
- Masters as WAV or FLAC, 44.1 kHz or higher, stereo, peaks at −1 dBFS or below (required detail). Lossless, 16- or 24-bit, two channels, 44.1 kHz or above. Every platform re-encodes your master into its own formats, and that encode should start from everything you recorded rather than from a file that already threw part of it away.
- Artwork 3000 × 3000 px, square, RGB, with no URLs or handles on it (required detail). 3000 × 3000 is the size that clears every platform's bar at once, it's Apple's recommended size, and square RGB at 24 bits per pixel is what the rest expect. Don't upscale a smaller image to reach it. Web addresses and social handles read as promotional content and get rejected.

**Credits** — Who did what. This is the part that decides who gets paid.
- A credit from all three categories on every track (blocks submission). The three categories are Performer, Composition & Lyrics, and Production & Engineering. One person can cover all three, a solo artist who wrote, played and produced the track fills every category alone, but no category can sit empty.
- Writers under their full legal names, with IPIs, not initials or nicknames (costs money if wrong). An IPI is the number that identifies a songwriter to every collection society in the world, and the legal name is what it's registered against. Add the society each writer belongs to, and their publisher, where you know them.
- A Lyricist on every vocal track (blocks submission). On a writer row that carries a songwriting share. If a track has words, someone wrote them, and that person holds part of the composition.

**Names and rights** — How this release identifies itself, and who it belongs to.
- Release and track titles final (required detail). Version info, Radio Edit, Live, Remastered, goes in its own field, never in the title. Platforms read those two fields separately and display them differently.
- Artist names exactly as on Spotify and Apple Music, with each profile URL (costs money if wrong). The profile URL is what tells each platform this release belongs on the artist page you already have, rather than on a brand-new one with the same name. And any artist who appears on every track has to be listed at release level too, not only on the tracks, that's an Apple Music rule, and it's checked before submission.
- © and ℗ lines, with a year no later than the release year (required detail). The two lines cover the two copyrights in every release: © is the composition, ℗ is the recording. Written out as © 2026 Name and ℗ 2026 Label.
- Existing ISRCs, if already released (costs money if wrong). An ISRC is the permanent identifier for one specific recording: twelve characters, unique per track. If a track has been out before, reuse its code exactly and platforms will link the new delivery to the existing content.

**Disclosures and licenses** — What you're declaring, and what you needed permission for.
- AI answered for audio, composition and artwork (required detail). Three separate answers on the same four-level scale, none, minor, material, or entirely. Audio covers the sound recording, composition covers the melody and lyrics, artwork covers the cover image. AI mastering or stem separation is "minor" on audio and "none" on composition.
- Commercial samples declared, with the licenses attached (costs money if wrong). Sampling someone else's recording needs clearance on both copyrights at once: the recording you lifted, and the composition underneath it. Upload the license alongside the track.
- A mechanical license for any cover (blocks submission). Recording someone else's song is allowed. Distributing that recording needs a mechanical license so the original songwriter is paid per copy. Credit the original writers rather than yourself, keep the original title with no "Cover" suffix, and leave the publishing with the original publisher.

**Splits** — Both sides of every song, agreed before you submit, not after.
- Recording splits to 100%, agreed by everyone (blocks submission). The recording side is the performance you captured. Every person with a share of it needs to be on the split, and the total needs to land on exactly 100%.
- Songwriting splits to 100%, agreed by everyone (blocks submission). This is the other 100%, the composition, tracked completely separately from the recording. A song carries 200% in total across both sides, and each side has to close on its own.
- Legal name and email for each participant (required detail). Every person on a split needs to be reachable, to confirm their share, and to be paid it.

**Date** — The one item you can't fix retroactively.
- Release date at least two weeks out, three to four is better (blocks submission). Five to ten business days is the delivery floor, not the plan. Inside that gap sit review, delivery, and each platform's own ingestion, typically one to five business days per platform, and longer for specialist stores. Editorial playlist pitching needs at least seven days before release, and albums are better at four to six weeks.

## Music royalty concepts

- **Performance royalties**: paid for public performance of a composition; collected by PROs (ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, GMR in the US).
- **Mechanical royalties**: paid when a composition is reproduced, including the mechanical portion of interactive streams; administered in the US by The MLC under the Music Modernization Act.
- **Neighboring rights**: sound-recording performance royalties paid to recording artists and master owners; collected in the US by SoundExchange.
- **Sync royalties**: paid for use of music in film, TV, ads, fitness, and creator content.
- **Publishing administration**: registers compositions globally and collects from PROs/MROs/CMOs without acquiring copyright.
- **Distributor vs. publisher**: a distributor delivers the recording (master) to DSPs and collects recording royalties; a publisher registers the composition and collects performance and mechanical royalties. Most artists need both — Notes does both.
- **Unclaimed royalties**: $1B+ goes unclaimed yearly because song data is fragmented across 50+ platforms and dozens of societies; Notes fills missing registrations and matches royalties to the right musician.
- **Identifiers**: ISRC (recording), ISWC (composition), IPI (rightsholder), ISNI (name); CWR and DDEX are the data-exchange standards.
- **AI music royalties**: purely AI-generated music (no human author) is not copyrightable in the US and has no clear royalty path; AI-assisted music with a human author collects normally. Notes does not currently distribute AI-generated music, and works to ensure the music it represents is fairly credited and compensated. Notes champions Human Verified / Musician Verified credits — confirming the real people behind a track so payment reaches them.

## Sources

The /learn glossary is grounded in primary, authoritative sources. Each term page cites its references. Key sources:
- U.S. Copyright Office — Music Modernization Act & Section 115 blanket license: https://www.copyright.gov/music-modernization/
- The MLC (Mechanical Licensing Collective) — mechanical royalties & unclaimed/black-box royalties: https://www.themlc.com/how-it-works
- SoundExchange — digital sound-recording performance (neighboring) royalties, interactive vs. non-interactive: https://www.soundexchange.com/digital-performance-royalties/
- ASCAP & BMI — public-performance royalties and PROs: https://www.ascap.com/help/royalties-and-payment , https://www.bmi.com/faq/category/royalties
- Berklee College of Music — music publishing & royalty fundamentals: https://college.berklee.edu/bt/233/follow_the_money.html
- YouTube Help — Content ID & UGC monetization: https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/2797370
- Official identifier registries — ISRC (https://usisrc.org/), ISWC (https://www.iswc.org/), IPI/CISAC (https://www.cisac.org/)

## Links

- Home: https://notes.fm/
- Learn: https://notes.fm/learn/
- Releases: https://notes.fm/releases/
- Distribution: https://notes.fm/distribution/
- Publishing: https://notes.fm/publishing/
- Payments: https://notes.fm/payments/
- Notes + Stripe: https://notes.fm/stripe/
- Press: https://notes.fm/press/
- Official information: https://notes.fm/ai-info/
- Compare: https://notes.fm/compare/
- Music royalties: https://notes.fm/music-royalties/
- Music distribution: https://notes.fm/music-distribution/
- Publishing administration: https://notes.fm/publishing-administration/
- Platforms: https://notes.fm/platforms/
- For companies & teams: https://notes.fm/companies/
- API (beta): https://api.notes.fm/docs
- GitHub: https://github.com/Notes-fm