SA: SOL Distro marks first year with more than 1,000 artists, R1m in royalty payouts

SOL Distro launched on 13 August 2025 and provides independent artists with music distribution services while allowing them to retain 100% of their royalties.

Slikour OnLife founder Siya ‘Slikour’ Metane said the platform was designed to support independent artists in retaining ownership while accessing tools and infrastructure for building sustainable careers.

“For us, these numbers represent something bigger: independent artists building careers while maintaining ownership of their music,” Metane said. “We’re building the infrastructure, tools and network to help independent artists distribute, grow and create sustainable careers on their own terms. When artists own their masters and we own the network infrastructure, together we own the masterplan.”

As part of its expansion, SOL Distro has also partnered with New York-based music financing company beatBread, which provides funding to independent artists, songwriters and record labels.

Through the partnership, eligible artists can access advances against their future royalty earnings. The financing ranges from $1,000 to $10 million, subject to eligibility and the terms of individual agreements.

SOL Distro combines digital music distribution with services including creative support, brand partnerships and data analytics. The platform says its focus is to provide independent artists with tools to distribute their music and develop their careers while maintaining ownership of their recordings.

The partnership with beatBread adds a financing component to the platform's existing distribution services, giving eligible artists another potential source of capital based on their royalty income.