COMMON QUESTIONS
Frequently Asked Questions
How does royalty accounting work in LabelGrid?
LabelGrid processes incoming DSP payments and calculates royalty splits automatically from the rules you configure. Each party, whether label, artist or producer, is credited their share first, and expenses and recoupment then reduce that balance before payout. Statements follow each cycle, itemised by release and track. Automated royalty splits are included on the Basic, Pro and Custom plans, and on every API plan. The artist statements, expense ledger and recoupment that make up Artist Payouts are a separate feature, included from the Basic plan ($199/year) up, with every plan price published: Solo $99/year, Basic $199/year, Pro $499/year, Custom from $999/year.
Can I set custom royalty splits?
Yes. You can configure royalty splits per release or per track. A split can cover the artist's share and producer points, and your label keeps the remainder. Once set, the split applies automatically to every payment that arrives.
How often are royalties processed?
Royalties process on a monthly cycle, in step with the store reports as they arrive. Each time DSP payments land, LabelGrid calculates the splits and generates statements, with no waiting for a quarter to close. You approve a statement, then create and record the payment when you send it.
Does LabelGrid handle multi-currency royalties?
Yes. DSP payments arrive in each platform’s own currency, are calculated in that currency, then converted to your payout currency. LabelGrid tracks earnings by DSP and currency, so your statements show accurate per-platform revenue and the currency it was earned in.
Can I generate royalty statements for my artists?
Yes. LabelGrid generates detailed royalty statements showing earnings by DSP, stream counts and rates, with the split calculations. Export a statement as a PDF to send to your artist, or export the transactions as CSV for your own accounting. Artist statements are part of Artist Payouts, on Basic plans and above.
How does the expense ledger work?
The expense ledger lets you log costs such as recording, marketing and advances against specific releases. Earnings are credited to each artist by their split first, and committed expenses then reduce that artist's balance, so recoupment runs automatically each payment cycle until the balance clears.
Does LabelGrid support direct deal (SOBO) royalties?
Yes. LabelGrid handles several royalty models: standard distribution, direct deals delivered on your own behalf (SOBO) and hybrid structures. Each is tracked separately, with per-DSP breakdowns. All three consolidate into the same statements, in one place, with per-DSP breakdowns on each. Retention is 85% on Solo and Basic, 90% on Pro, and 95% on Custom and API plans under LabelGrid’s DSP deals. UGC and Content ID earnings through LabelGrid’s deals carry a 20% fee on every plan, so you keep 80%. If your label holds its own Merlin Network membership or its own direct DSP feed contracts, LabelGrid delivers under your agreements via SOBO on Custom and API plans, and you keep 100% on that catalog.
What payment methods are available for payouts?
LabelGrid pays your own cleared royalties by bank transfer for domestic payments or by wire for international ones, on a monthly cycle. The minimum payout is USD 20, and a smaller balance carries forward. Paying your own roster is separate: LabelGrid records the payment request and tracks it, you send the money through your own bank, then you mark it paid.
Are my royalties checked for artificial streaming?
Stream Radar, LabelGrid’s streaming-integrity monitor, watches your catalog for patterns consistent with artificial streaming and flags the tracks and releases involved early enough for you to act before DSP fees, takedowns or strikes arrive. It runs on the same streaming-integrity detection LabelGrid uses in production on its own catalog, and it is an addon on Engine API plans, which Imprint also runs on, switched on for your account when you ask us. Every standard plan also includes audio fingerprinting and AI content-protection controls. Stream Radar stays separate from your analytics and statements, so nothing in your reporting doubles as a verdict on an artist.
Can artist statements carry my brand instead of LabelGrid’s?
Yes. From the Pro plan up, statements go out under your own label’s identity, with your logo and your label name in front of your artists. If you want the whole platform branded, not just the reporting, Imprint is LabelGrid’s white-label portal: your own domain, logo, exact brand colors and fonts, your own layouts, your own subscription plans and prices, billing on your own Stripe account, and artist payouts with statements built in. LabelGrid runs distribution and royalties underneath. Imprint is scoped at onboarding (talk to us about Imprint).