Soundrop strikes distribution deal with Tidal

“Tidal has been one of our most requested distribution partners,” Soundrop director of business development Gabe Herring said. “On top of that, Tidal has made some industry-leading commitments to its artist-founded roots. One big one: it’s launched a fan-centric payment model that will serve Soundrop artists well.”

Launched in 2020, Tidal’s Fan-Centered Royalties model directly connects usage and royalties from individual listens by HiFi Plus users, instead of aggregating payouts like the traditional pro rata system.

Herring added: “We work with a lot of constant creators, especially those who’ve gathered a community on a specific platform but who need music distribution to supplement what they’re already up to. We make sure our artists are getting their content to as many possible fans as possible, wherever they listen.”

“A lot of people have been asking for it, and now it’s finally happening,” Qumu, a video game-inspired music creator whose YouTube channel boasts more than 230 000 subscribers, said. “Gotta love Soundrop for making it happen, and for all the amazing stuff they do for the video game music community in general.”

Record label Trap Music Now, which runs a YouTube channel with more than 3.7 million subscribers, said: “Tidal gives our artists and producers a high-fidelity platform to garner a larger audience and more exposure. With Soundrop and Tidal, Trap Music Now is able to offer artists an unparalleled edge in marketing their content to new fans in new ways.”

In November, Tidal made a number of important announcements including their first-ever free music tier, two enhanced HiFi plans, and the new fan-centric payout system. At the time, Tidal said it was “going beyond current industry standards to make royalty payments more transparent for artists and rights holders”.