DistroKid Expands into Publishing with Kobalt-Powered Service

DistroKid has unveiled DistroKid Publishing, a publishing administration service that allows independent songwriters to collect publishing royalties while retaining full ownership of their music. The service is powered by Kobalt.

Why it matters:

• It’s estimated $1 billion in publishing royalties go uncollected each year.

• DistroKid Publishing aims to make it easier for independent songwriters to collect publishing royalties they might otherwise miss.

• As this is an administration service, rather than a traditional publishing deal, songwriters retain full ownership of their music.

How it works:

• Songwriters and artists with at least one release on DistroKid, and more than $50 in streaming revenue over the past 12 months, are eligible to collect publishing royalties through their DistroKid accounts.

• After paying a one-off set-up fee of USD $75, they receive 80% of the publishing royalties collected on their behalf.

• DistroKid Publishing registers songs, tracks their use worldwide, and collects mechanical and public performance royalties.

• Only original songs, including co-writes, are eligible, with covers, remixes, mash-ups, and fully AI-generated songs excluded.

Show me the money:

• DistroKid says a songwriter’s first royalty payment arrives approximately six to nine months after their publishing earnings exceed $10, with quarterly payments thereafter.

• Payouts are deposited into users’ DistroKid Bank accounts, where DistroKid already pays recording royalties.

• Songwriters can leave the service at any time, with no long-term commitment.

What they said:

• Phil Bauer, President of DistroKid: “The top request we’ve been getting from DistroKid members is for help collecting the music publishing revenue generated by their songs, something that has historically been very difficult for independent artists. Through this partnership with Kobalt, we’re making it easier than ever for songwriters to collect the royalties they’ve earned, with just a few clicks from their DistroKid dashboard.”