A digital aggregator (or digital distributor) is a company that helps to distribute your music to streaming platforms like YouTube and YouTube Music.
Even if you upload your music videos to YouTube through your artist channel, you’ll need to have your music audio files and metadata delivered to YouTube to ensure that your music is fully published on YouTube and YouTube Music.
Aggregators can help by:
- Preparing your metadata according to industry standards
- Completing DDEX deliveries to music streaming platforms
- Offering different degrees of licensing, marketing, and analytics support
- Reporting earnings to you
Aggregators typically charge a flat fee or keep a percentage of royalties collected on your behalf to cover their services. These royalty rates can vary based on the aggregator, please research different options in order to find the partner that suits you best.
Tips:
- Research partners. There are many music aggregators in the market, and their services vary. This YouTube Services Directory has a list of partners supporting YouTube audio deliveries and Content ID management amongst other services .
- Prepare your metadata. Your metadata will need to be delivered in the appropriate format. The format requirements will vary based on the aggregator.
- Each aggregator will also give audio file formats, album image files, and other specs. Always deliver your music assets with the highest quality possible, as services often require lossless (that is, wav or FLAC) files.
Preferred Distributor Program
Preferred Distributor Partners are best in class aggregators who comply with a set of technical and business best practices established by YouTube and are willing to implement system integrations to help scale access to music products. These partners are highlighted as Preferred Distributors in the YouTube Services Directory for Music.
Every Preferred Distributor must offer to its clients content delivery and management services for YouTube, including Art Track delivery, Content ID rights management, and asset management. In addition, Preferred Distributors must provide to their clients usage and revenue reporting for their content on YouTube and YouTube Music.
Key Requirements For Preferred Distributors
- Partner provides YouTube usage and revenue reporting to its clients (artists and or record labels) and remits payments to clients in a timely manner.
- Partner is proficient in managing content on YouTube and YouTube Music, including Art Track delivery, Content ID rights management, and asset reporting.
- Partner must have delivered over 50,000 Sound Recordings and 50,000 Art Tracks to YouTube and YouTube Music.
- Partner has the ability to deliver artist IDs via DDEX, and to use DDEX to automate creation of Official Artist Channels.
- Partner manages all aspects of its CMS account on its own, including Content ID claims. Partner does not hire any third-party to manage any aspect of its CMS account.
- Partner is certified in all applicable YouTube Certification courses.
For more information on using Preferred Distribution Partners for your music rights, please visit the YouTube Services Directory for Music.
For more information on becoming a Preferred Distribution Partner, please contact your YouTube Manager.