You must be 18 years of age or older to sign up for Unbound Music, per our Distribution Agreement. If you're younger than that, please have an adult sign up on your behalf.

Nope! With a Unbound Music account, you can distribute unlimited releases for free. Oh, and enjoy fast, next-day distribution speeds.

You do! Unbound Music does not take any ownership or intellectual property rights from artists. You keep 100% ownership.

Unbound Music distributes your content to more than 30 service providers across the globe and the list is constantly expanding. Some of our most notable stores are Amazon, Apple Music, Deezer, iTunes, Spotify, YouTube, and Beatport. Here's the list: ADAPTR AMAZON ANGHAMI APPLE MUSIC AUDIBLE MAGIC (LICENSING) AUDIOMACK AWA BEATPORT BOOMPLAY DEEZER FACEBOOK AUDIO LIBRARY FACEBOOK RIGHTS MANAGERFLO IHEARTRADIO IMUSICA ITUNES JAXSTA JIOSAAVN JOOX KKBOX KUAISHOU LICKD MIXCLOUD MUSICTIME NAPSTER / RHAPSODY NETEASE NUUDAY PANDORA PELOTON PRETZEL RESSO ROXI SHAZAM SNAP SOUNDCLOUD SOUNDTRACK YOUR BRAND SPOTIFY TENCENT TIDAL TIKTOK TREBEL TRILLER YOUTUBE CONTENT ID YOUTUBE MUSIC

The turnaround time can vary from store to store. We recommend submitting your album at least 2 weeks prior to your intended release date. This gives enough time for us to ingest and deliver your tracks, and for the services to also ingest, index and display them on their own sites. We will advise you from your catalogue page if your release has been delivered to stores, but this does not mean the store itself has been able to get the tracks live on their site (which is out of our control).

Yes! Your release will be sent to TikTok automatically when you distribute through Unbound Music.

Unbound Music is non-exclusive. If you'd like to distribute some (or all) of your works with a different company in addition to, or instead of, Unbound Music-you're welcome to do that. Betcha won’t want to though, with all the perks of being a part of the Unbound Music! :D

When modifying any of the following aspects of your release, you can: do so directly yourself without help from our support team. Here is what you can change/update: Release cover image and title (as long as the image text matches the associated metadata – and vice versa – for the release)Language localization for artist names, submissions, and original/public domain tracks, Additional artist names & roles Track title and additional artist names & roles Genre Publishing information Explicit lyrics Distribution territories Changes that require a take down of your release: Here are the items you cannot change without taking down your release. Note that this is true even if your release isn't live yet. Track order Track count UPCs / ISRCs Audio changes that do not correct an audio error and/or significantly change the track length For Apple/iTunes only: The release catalog ID The track catalog ID Any other changes not included in the permitted items you can change/update in the list above

Your single or album will go through several stages of processing before it is delivered to online music stores. PENDING means we've received your order and are checking the release data before we ingest it on our delivery platform. Approved means the product is in our delivery platform and is in the process of being delivered to music stores. DELIVERED means your product has actually been delivered to stores (note some stores can take at least 5 days to push content live after delivery). Please note you cannot make edits to your product after the PENDING stage once you have submitted your release to us. If you need to make edits (eg. change release date), please contact us using the form at the bottom of your dashboard and we can make the changes from our side.

Is your song appearing on all other platforms/stores, but not Apple Music? Apple Music/iTunes are one of the strictest platforms when it comes to properly uploading a release to them - if you do anything wrong, they will reject your release. To prevent this from happening, please ensure you're following these guidelines: Your release image has no text, or the text is minimal, small, and exactly matches your release name or artist name. Your release name, track name, and other field forms (except artist name) follow PROPER capitalization of the first letter of each word(Like This For Example). If your track is an instrumental and you select 'Instrumental - NO VOCALS' in the 'Vocals' field, it must have absolutely no vocals at all (not even a half-second sample).The language you select in the 'Vocals' field must exactly match the language of the vocals on your song. Apple Music/iTunes are the most strict about the guidelines above, so if you follow them well you should not have any more issues going forward :)

A remix is a reimagined or altered version of an existing piece of music, typically created by modifying elements like tempo, key, instrumentation, or vocal arrangements. It's a form of artistic reinterpretation, where a producer or musician takes an original recording and uses it as a foundation to create something new and distinctive. Remixes can take many forms, ranging from subtle alterations to radical transformations. Some common types of remixes include: Extended Mix: This version extends the length of the original track by repeating certain sections or adding new elements to create a longer dance-friendly version. Radio Edit: A shorter, more concise version of the original track, often created for radio play. It typically omits longer instrumental sections or repetitions. Club Mix: These are remixes specifically tailored for playing in nightclubs. They often emphasize the beat and bass, making them more danceable. Acoustic Remix: This version strips away electronic elements and emphasizes acoustic instruments, giving the track a more organic feel. Instrumental Remix: The vocals are removed from the original track, focusing solely on the instrumental elements. Vocal Remix: This type might focus on enhancing or reworking the vocal elements of the original track. Mashup: This involves combining elements from two or more existing songs to create a new, unique composition. Bootleg Remix: These are unofficial, unauthorized remixes often created by fans or amateur producers. Remixes provide a way for artists and producers to put their own creative spin on existing material, creating something that appeals to a different audience or serves a different purpose. It's worth noting that while some remixes are officially sanctioned by the original artist or record label, others may be created and distributed without permission, which can sometimes lead to copyright issues.

Common usage of the term “cover song” refers to a new recording of an existing song by a musician who is not the original composer or recording artist. A cover song must be a “faithful rendition” (no change in melody, lyrics, and arrangement), and the original song must be distributed or offered to the public by the original artist or their record label before the cover version is recorded. A cover song must not include any part of the original master recording, regardless of the duration. That would make the song a remix or a mashup that requires an additional license. Whenever an artist records and releases a cover song, they need to obtain a mechanical license that will secure the payment of the mechanical royalty to the original songwriter(s). Cover songs may be eligible for compulsory mechanical licenses. In some cases, these licenses are obtained by digital service providers (DSPs).

We require you to ensure that all proper licenses have been obtained prior to distributing any cover songs or remixes. We will discuss common scenarios and frequently asked questions on this page. If you do upload a cover song or remix, we will reach out as request you send us all the proper licenses and permissions in order to verify and distribute your release.

Quick answer: No. Unless you have permission from all concerned parties, it is not possible to upload songs with uncleared samples. If you don’t, your Unbound Music account may be shut down (and all your releases removed). You are welcome to upload remixes of your own work.

Of course! You can opt-in for YouTube Content ID for free whenever you're going through the uploading process of a release. We'll add your release to YouTube's Content ID database, and continually scan for matches. When your music is detected in any YouTube video, you'll be notified—and ad revenue will automatically go to you, instead of to the person who uploaded the video. You'll keep 80% of earnings generated through Content ID and it will be automatically added to your royalty statements, analytics and payouts. Learn more about Content ID from YouTube here: YouTube is very strict with what is eligible for Content ID and what isn't. Your release must follow all the guidelines below in order for Content ID to be applied: ✅ 1) Your release must NOT contain any audio (beats, loops, samples, video game sounds, other people's music, etc) that you didn't create on your own. ✅ 2) Your release does NOT contain beats, loops, sound effects, samples, or other audio that you downloaded from sample packs or other public sources. This includes paid sources like Splice as well as free sources such as GarageBand, Ableton, FL Studio (Fruity Loops), etc. ✅ 3) You must agree to NOT allow other artists to remix this release or use any of the sounds from this release in their own songs. (That's because if their remix gets uploaded to YouTube, Content ID may claim it as yours. Or if the remixer opts into Content ID, it may think your version is the same song, and claim it as theirs). ✅ 4) Your release does NOT contain public domain recordings or songs. ✅ 5) Your release does NOT contain sounds from video games, television, movies, etc. ✅ 6) Your release does NOT contain any audio from other peoples' YouTube videos. ✅ 7) You're the only person who will add this single to YouTube Content ID. Nobody else (band members, producer, etc.) will also try to add it to YouTube Content ID. Because that causes a huge mess. ✅ 8) You have NOT used another company, such as TuneCore, DistroKid, CD Baby, to submit this single to YouTube Content ID. That will cause a conflict, and a mess. If you choose to have Content ID on a release that does not meet all the mentioned criteria, your GNS MUSIC account may get suspended. Or worse, you'll be liable for any fees (legal or otherwise) that may accrue. As long as you follow the rules, you'll be earning that sweet, sweet Content ID cash !

There is no way to sell a song for free in the online stores and streaming services, such as iTunes. If you see a song available for free download in iTunes, this is because the iTunes editorial team made that decision. If you want to make your music available for free to the general public, you might try Bandcamp. If you want to give your music away to certain, specific people you know -- such as radio stations, DJs, and friends -- an easy way to do this is to just email them your MP3s (or FLAC files, etc.).You can also put your MP3s on a file hosting service and give whoever you want a link. For example, if you use Dropbox, just right-click on the file and select "Share..."

The term “mechanical” refers to when songs are mechanically reproduced in physical formats like vinyl and CDs, and in digital formats such as interactive streaming and downloads. Mechanical royalties come from the composition copyright.

Practically speaking, musicians who record cover songs and upload those covers for streaming by DSPs who have obtained blanket mechanical licenses aren’t required to obtain a mechanical license. If the following conditions are met, you do not need to obtain a mechanical license to distribute via streaming to DSPs: The cover version is a “faithful rendition” of the original song, meaning no changes in the melody or lyrics were made (minimal arrangement changes are allowed).The cover version does not include any part of the original song's recording. The original song was already distributed or offered to the public by the original artist or any record label. The original authors of the composition and lyrics and the publisher of the original song are correctly listed and credited in the cover song metadata. You can find the correct information on websites like the Easy song search engine.

Respectively, if you intend to sell the song via download for sale in the US, distribute physical copies of the song on CD or vinyl, or make changes in melody or lyrics, a mechanical license is required. Generally, DSPs are required to acquire mechanical licenses for the content streamed via their platforms. Therefore, you do not need to obtain a mechanical license when distributing your recordings for streaming by a DSP.

Via the record label/ publishing company of the original song. This is the most recommended way, and most big companies have a process for this in place. Via services like Easysong that offer licensing services for a fee. Via collecting societies that handle also mechanical royalties like SACEM and GEMA. Releasing a cover song on YouTube Given that YouTube is an audiovisual platform, distributing a cover song as part of an audiovisual work on the platform requires a synchronization ‘sync’ license in addition to the mechanical license. YouTube’s licenses cover the reproduction and performing rights for most publishing catalogs. However, you must obtain synchronization rights separately if you are uploading premium music video (PMV) content. For any audio-only content delivered to YouTube, including user generated content (UGC), you are not responsible for publishing licenses.

In order to properly license a remix, you need to obtain permission from both the songwriter (or music publisher) and the artist (or record label). There is no compulsory license for a remix, and obtaining a proper license will secure the payment of the royalties to the original artists and songwriter(s).

Via the record label and publishing company of the original recording/song. This is the most recommended way, and most companies have a process in place for such licensing: Labels will obtain permission from the respective labels and publishers in order to create the remix/mashup (the DSPs do not have the authority to obtain this permission). Once the labels obtain the necessary permissions for the remix/mashup, they can distribute through DSPs (the DSPs will obtain the mechanical license). Generally, DSPs will acquire mechanical licenses for the content distributed to their platforms. Therefore, remixers only need to obtain permission from the record label to remix the master recording.