Platoon announces writer compensation service

Platoon says the move is “dedicated to fostering a supportive community where artistic innovation thrives.”

Under the Platoon Songs initiative, songwriters receive master use royalties and can retain song rights for six months to allow artists to record. Platoon also gets priority access to publishing rights and greater insight into the songwriting workflow, collaborating with their publishing, creative and marketing teams to build campaigns for releases.

“Platoon Songs embodies a vision of inclusivity and collaboration, where artists can explore their craft freely and fearlessly,” Platoon global head of music Linda Ayoola said. “Our hope is to inspire a new wave of creativity and cultural resonance through every project we support while ensuring artists receive the right money and ownership that empowers their careers.”

Platoon CEO and co-founder Denzyl Feigelson says the move will “honour and fairly remunerate songwriters in the room who contribute so much to the ethos and master rights of the song”, a longstanding dream for him. He added that it is “an amazing use of our Platoon7 studio and team of talented (female) engineers  –  a real team effort.”

The Platoon7 facility was unveiled in 2021, featuring three recording studios, two Dolby Atmos rooms, a content capture studio, a podcast booth, writing rooms, an artist lounge, and an education lab.

“After so many years of planning a space that hosts everything an artist could want under one roof, this is it,” Feigelson said at the time. “I’m so thrilled that we’ve had the opportunity to work with the most amazing minds to help bring this to life, and I’m excited to see and hear all the fearless creativity that will emanate from these gorgeous rooms.”

Platoon was launched in 2016 to support the independent distribution of music and was acquired by Apple in 2018. Over the years, it has partnered with leading musicians like Mr Eazi, DJ Cuppy, Simi, Billie Eilish, Jacob Banks, Stefflon Don and Jorja Smith.