CD Baby, Soundrop partner with Roto on Spotify video tool

The tool is expected to let users create rapid and inexpensive eight-second videos, for appealing visuals to their music. It also allows artists to preview their customised creations as they will appear on Spotify.

The feature costs $9 a month, and CD Baby and Soundrop users will be the first to use the tool before it is rolled out globally.

“When artists get in touch with us looking for help or advice, one of the most common questions they have is how to make those short Spotify videos,” CD Baby strategic partner manager Alex Trevino said. “We always let artists’ needs and requests guide what tech and tools we develop and offer”.

Rotor CEO Diarmuid Moloney said: “Our companies share similar roots and we really admire CD Baby and Soundrop’s artist community. They are completely dedicated to their art, have faced mounting pressure to create more and more vid content, but the majority of musicians and even major labels don't have the tools or the means to keep up. The old method is too expensive, costing hundreds of dollars for a Canvas video on average. These new tools are matched to the pace and quality fans expect. They give time back to musicians to let them make more music.”

CD Baby is one of the largest distributors and rights administrators of independent music around the world. The artist-services platform makes it easy for independent musicians to distribute, promote, and monetise their music. The platform has paid out more than $1bn in royalties to artists since it was founded in 1998, and administers publishing rights for over 300 000 songwriters.

Soundrop, meanwhile, offers tools for monetising copyrighted media. It provides indie artists with tools for promotion, and Rotor offers audio and visual technology, which enables video content creation at scale for artists, labels, rights holders and services companies.