What’s behind the new label-artist’s ‘match’ service is based on streaming data

Music artists are looking for an audience. Registration forms are looking for the next big thing. Could it be as easy as swiping right?

DistroKid, which broadcasts about a third of the world’s independent music, thinks it could be. The company is today launching Upstream, listed as the first matching service connecting anonymous musicians and labels. Universal Music Group Republic Records – which has a power record featuring Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande, The Weeknd and Post Malone – is the first label partner to jump in.

Founded in 2013, DistroKid serves songs from over 2 million artists to streaming services including Spotify and Apple

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Music. The company processes more than 35,000 new tracks every day, has nearly 20 million songs in its catalog, and pays 100% of the royal income to its artists and clients. . The cost to musicians is $ 20 per year for unlimited distribution.

Enter Upstream, which pulls participating artist stats from the DSPs (digital streaming platforms) and provides them with a service to register participants. Participation in Upstream is free for existing DistroKid members of their choice.

The point of sale is accessible – on all sides. Artists get a more direct line to labeled execs, and labels receive caches of streaming data that help identify promising actions early in their careers.

DistroKid founder / CEO Philip Kaplan says musicians always want help getting established label attention, while leaflets have gone to the company to help them celebrate talent in eco- DistroKid system.

Demand on both sides

“With demand on both sides, it made sense to play a match player. And by building relationships with key industry labels, DistroKid artists will be able to identify partners who could accelerate their careers, ”Kaplan says.

Getting early Republican support is a trophy for Upstream, directed by Ché Pope, a Grammy-winning producer who has worked with artists including Lauryn Hill, Eminem and Hans Zimmer, and who was on time as a COO at record label Kanye West GOOD Music.

Republic has been Variety’s Hitmakers top label of the year for three years in a row, and they got five of the top seven albums on the Account Board 200 cards dated 23 January 2021, with entries from Grande, Swift and Morgan Wallen among others.

“Republic’s history is in finding and investing in artists and developing them into unparalleled global names,” Avery Lipman, co-founder of Republic and president, said in a statement. “Upstream provides artists with insights that we can combine with existing data sources and insights to cast a wider web in terms of celebrating emerging talent. crop. ”

However, Lipman also points to the pity of the music industry: Streaming success is a sign of something new and hot, but by itself that doesn’t necessarily reflect the power of an artist breaking or living in an area damaged by a rapid amount of fresh fire. songs.

“You will not receive any data yet,” he said. “Our success has been based on our unparalleled ability to celebrate passion and translate it into creative and commercial success around the world for our artists.”

The Republic and upcoming albums will find a heavy Upstream roster on hip-hop, electronic / EDM, pop, R&B / soul and more.

The DistroKid community is made up of emerging entertainers and musicians as well as international stars such as 21 Savage, who joined in January 2016, who released two track and two mixes and was eventually signed by Epic. Arizona Zervas joined in August 2016, released 30-plus tracks and was eventually signed by Columbia. Other DistroKids include Ludacris, Will Smith and Tom Waits.