Bypass: Music Industry News for Independent Artists

Saturday edition • 3 min read

Your Catalog Has A Leak

What's Up

Leaky pipes. Leave them long enough, and all of a sudden, your water bill is through the roof.

Same thing with your music. You're probably leaking money right now as you read this. All because you haven't properly registered your songs. That's where Lumoza comes in. It automates PRO registration with ASCAP and BMI, locks in split sheets, and generates what they call a "Digital Birth Certificate" for every track you upload.

So What

If your metadata's off, or your songs were never properly registered to begin with, your royalties just sit there, alone. And you don't want your royalties to be alone, do you?

Now What

Sign up for Lumoza while it's free in beta. Who knows if they might charge for it in the future? Register your existing catalog first; maybe you have some unclaimed royalties.

[Full story at Hypebot]

Close All Those Tabs… You Just Need SoundBetter Storefront

What's Up

SoundBetter (the closest thing musicians have to Fiverr) just set up a lemonade stand.

It's called Storefront, and it lets you sell beats, sample packs, presets, courses, and mentorships all in one place.

So What

Most indies aren't living off streams (shocker). Juggling freelance gigs, selling sample packs, and teaching across five different platforms is one of those things where it works until it doesn't.

Sometimes, all you need is one place where you can run everything, and Storefront's exactly that place.

Now What

Give SoundBetter Storefront a shot if you're not new to juggling. Fair warning, though, it's $9.99 with a 10% cut per sale.

[Full story at Hypebot]

The Indie-Friendly Advance Is Here

What's Up

Advances, advances, advances. Nothing like losing your ownership to the corporate overlords. That's one reason why indies stay clear of label deals.

But what if you could get an advance… and still keep your soul?

Tunecore partnered up with RoyFi to do just that.

So What

Now you don't have to be grudging label artists. But they might just be grudging you. You repay your Direct Advance with a flat fee plus 10% of your future royalties until the balance hits zero. Absolutely no lifetime cuts. The best part is you choose how much of your catalog goes towards repayment.

Now What

Need upfront cash for studio time, gear, or a tour? Check whether you qualify for Direct Advance through TuneCore. It's rolling out now.

Don't get carried away, though. Remember that it's an advance, so always read the fine print.

[Full story at Music Business Worldwide]