NEW ‘Clips’
Spotify launches ‘Clips’ – short, under-30-second vertical videos that allow you to express your artistry and invite fans into your creative process, all while keeping your music front-and-centre.
Unlike other short-form video platforms, Clips on Spotify are attached to artist profiles and can be attached to tracks and albums – putting your music at the centre of the experience so viewers can easily listen after watching your videos. It gives you a way to inspire fandom and long-term success.

Instagram Reels Pro Techniques
Reels continues to be the #1 way to reach new fans/followers on Instagram.
Instagram Reels are short, entertaining videos that can be up to 60 seconds long and are created using the reels feature within the Instagram app. Here are some low lift, high impact quick tips to get you into the Reels game.

Spotify – Algorithm Update
Starting this week, Spotify made an update to the algorithm that determines track selection and track ranking for the Popular section on artist profiles on Spotify. Previously, tracks that appeared within artist Popular sections were determined based on individual track popularity. The updated algorithm will calculate Popular section tracks based upon recording popularity rather than individual track popularity. This method will result in a more accurate reflection of artists’ current top tracks and will resolve issues such as: Downranking of tracks with multiple live versions (as a result of play counts fragmenting with each additional version)
Discrepancies between what appears in artists’ Top Songs sections within Spotify for Artists vs. what appears in artists’ Popular sections on platform. Please note that as of this week many top-performing artists’ Popular sections on Spotify will begin to refresh to reflect the algorithm update.

TikTok Marketing & Resources

Submissions now open for 2023 + PPL reminder

Happy Holidays & 2023 Dev Schedule

We wish you all the best for the holiday season and look forward to an exciting 2023 working with you!
It’s a privilege to work with so many great artists, labels, brands and managers from all parts of the world. Our offices are now closed until 4th Jan. Support emails will be monitored intermittently over the holidays.
Roster / PPL Submissions
You can of course register your content directly with PPL via www.ppluk.com.

Set times for TikTok Sounds, Previews and Insta Reels

Spotify Wrapped 2022

NEW YouTube Handles

NEW TikTok, Instagram & Facebook Early Delivery

NEW Statement Overview Page
We have just launched a new ‘Statement Overview’ page. To access the page simply login, go to ‘Accounts’, click on your label and you’ll be brought to the NEW ‘Account Transactions’ page.
Click on ‘Overview’ next to any distribution royalty statement and you’ll go through to the NEW ‘Statement Overview’ page. You can now access your label statement, products summary and artist accounting tools within this overview page.

SoundCloud ‘Blue Tick’

NEW Freelance Designers and Writers
Essentials to Read!

PPL added to statements

Facebook launches music revenue sharing

Instagram QR / Juno Pre-Orders /
Spotify Codes

Important: Content ID changes on Meta

Further to our email on Monday regarding suspected changes to Instagram and Facebooks content ID algorithm, we now have an update of the situation.
Meta (Facebook & Instagram) uses a company called Audible Magic who provide a content ID infrastructure, and this is also who companies like SoundCloud use. As of June 27, Meta will no longer be using Audible Magic and will be using its own Rights Manager content ID system.
The change on Meta is good news as content will be better protected and have more effective monetisation. At Cygnus Music we see revenue increasing at a significant rate month upon month and this is set to increase further with this update.
As you may have noticed across the music industry, a number of new copyright blocks are starting to happen, mostly on older content. It may be the case that from June 27 there are some settling in issues; however, in anticipation, we are requesting that all labels and artists resubmit their account URLs to us to hopefully prevent any new issues from occurring.
New DSP 140 Plates

Facebook & Instagram Approve List
It appears that Facebook and Instagram have made some changes to their content I.D algorithms and this has resulted in several clients reporting issues with content on their label pages.
Whilst many of our clients have approved accounts on the platforms, we feel that it is best for us to resupply Facebook and Instagram with an updated list. We are waiting for Facebook and Instagram to update partners on what exact changes have been made.
In the meantime, please can you submit your accounts via the form below, and email [email protected] if you experience any issues on these platforms.
New Graphic Designer
Free Artist Accounting!
Smash Social Media
New DSPs!


Getting into Official Playlists FAQ’s
Official playlists support: Where a track has been added to a playlist that is curated by the stores own in-house editorial team. Many of the biggest playlists on Spotify, Apple Music, Deezer, Amazon, Yandex, NetEase, SoundCloud etc, are managed by the stores themselves.
We have put together a page to provide transparency so that artists and labels can strengthen their positions and increase their chances of getting official playlist placements.

Adding Lyrics to Songs
If you want to post your lyrics on sites such as Facebook, Instagram, Apple Music, Amazon Music Alexa, YouTube, Spotify and Tidal, we suggest that you use Musixmatch.
Musixmatch is the music industry’s preferred provider of lyrics with millions individuals contributing to creating the largest catalogue of lyrics in the world. Our deliveries to stores and streaming sites worldwide allow you to utilse the tools at Musixmatch.

Spotify Only Singles

Roster / PPL Submissions
If you use our ISRC codes when creating your releases and you would like us to submit your labels catalogue to PPL, please ensure you submit your releases using the Label Roster tab.

New DSP added: FEED.FM
Request a Verification Badge on Instagram

SmartLinks 2.0

BiteSize Recap

Label Access to Apple Music

Beatport HYPE


Rotor Videos + Exclusive Deals! 🔥🔥🔥
We are pleased to inform you that we have just partnered with ROTOR to offer an exclusive discount for all distribution clients.

New Accounting Development!



Asian DSP’s Update
- Netease – June 2020- Up to August
- Anghami – April 2021 – May 2021
- Alibaba – Oct 2020 – Feb 2021 (remaining expected in the following months)
- Resso – Jan 2020 – May 21 (This should be with you in either Aug or Sept)

Important Account Information & NEW Developments!



Cygnus speaks with Promoly on Spotify
Cygnus Music Director, Lewis Sinclair speaks to CEO of Promoly about how Cygnus Music started, Pitching to Spotify, Starting a Record Label and much more.
+ JunoDownload are inviting labels to add their logo and biography to label pages. Please see below and use the Google Form to submit the content for your label.
Black History Month | Juno Download
“October is Black History Month in the UK and at Juno Download we want to play our small part, raising awareness on problems such as underrepresentation and discrimination in the Music Industry. Throughout the whole month we are going to put the spotlights on the amazing work of Black DJs and producers as well as giving some deserved extra space to Black-owned record labels!
We are featuring a selection of great and emerging Black artists and their work on a dedicated landing page.If you are interested in collaborating with us, please submit the following form by no later than the 20th of September.”
Parity on Spotify & Apple
Deezer for Creators hub
Deezer recently launched their new Deezer for Creators hub, a mobile and desktop destination for artists, managers and podcasters that provides analytical performance data based on how fans and listeners engage with music and podcasts for in-depth insight into their streams.
Claim an Instagram Reel
If you, or one of your artists/managers, identifies an Original Audio on Reels that is, in fact, one of your sound recordings, then you can manually request Attribution for this Original Audio via the form below.
Instagram will re-title the original audio to an official sound recording, and this Reel and all others created with the same audio will be aggregated on the Audio Page associated with the official song.
Changes to Payment Times
As of now, payment days will be every Tuesday and Thursday, meaning you’ll get your money even faster. We will now process all new invoices on Tuesdays and Thursdays by 6pm BST.
Invoices submitted after 4pm BST Thursday will be paid on the following Tuesday, and invoices submitted after 4pm BST Tuesday will be paid on Thursday.
Note: Bacs can take a day to go through, international may take an additional day, Payal is often immediate.
Essential Links & Forms
Creative Writing at Cygnus Music

Luke has worked on PR campaigns for Universal Music Group, Merky ACE, Funky Dee, Snowy, DJ Argue, XP BURSTGANG and others. He’s a former editor of the specialist publication Once Upon A Grime and writes bylines in Genius, Clash Magazine, Link Up TV, The Line of Best Fit & Qobuz.

Ryan is the founder, editor and sole writer for specialist music platform The Art of Grime. He regularly writes features, monthly reviews and artist interviews. He works freelance PR for Digital 101 Recordings and writes bylines in specialist music publications such as Truants.
New Lead Time + SoundCloud Monetisation
Please note the following announcements regarding; a new reduced lead in time for release submissions, SoundCloud’s new 3rd party montisation request form for premiers and uploads and an update regarding Pretzels onboarding process.

Make money from Twitch via Pretzel
- Complete the Pretzel consent form.
- You will then receive a composition information form which must be completed.
- Pretzel will notify us once your label has been accepted.
- We will open the delivery feed for your label.


Spotify Marquee Now Available in UK + Ireland (125k+)
Spotify has now expanded its Marquee product to UK and Ireland in addition to US, Canada and Australia.
Please note that Spotify’s Marquee tool is still in its rollout stage and this tool is only available for artists with more than 125k monthly listeners in the target territory.

SPOTIFY Editorial: Significant Press Updates
We recently published an article called PRO TIPS on pitching to Spotify!
Artists and labels should be using Spotify for Artists to pitch their tracks/songs to Spotify for consideration for editorial, ie: playlist placement and playlist takeovers. (Not applicable to Various Artist releases)
We have created a new form that allows you to provide any significant press updates. We will email this information to Spotify to support any pitches you make through Spotify for Artists.

New Store: SberZvuk

New Store: Pretzel
Pretzel provides licensed music for streamers. Music can be used on Twitch without having to worry about content ID strikes. DMCA-safe music for users monetised streams and VODs.
Pretzel playlists and catalogue are constantly updated and curated by Pretzel Staff.
We will deliver all new content to Pretzel and providing you have a publisher, your content may be uploaded and used on the platform. If you do not have publishing in place we will share a consent form.

Cygnus Music – Community Music’s Official Preferred Distribution Partner
“Community Music are proud to announce that we have formalised an official partnership with Cygnus Music to make them our preferred distribution partner.”

Spotify Artist Linking
Report a problem with your music |
Artist Managers or Labels who distribute content via Cygnus Music will need to submit requests via the content relocation form in Spotify for Artists.
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PR Agencies / Campaigns /Promos
We often get asked which PR agencies our clients work with and what options are available when looking to commission a marketing campaign for a release.
Below are a number of leading companies who our clients have recommended. All these companies are well established, have worked on hundreds of campaigns with many high-profile clients, and are Dance Music specialists.

Why you should jump on Spotify Shows!


Store Features & Playlists

Beatport Expands on Bass Genres

