News & Updates

Apple Music’s new pitch tool

Apple Music’s new pitching tool is a powerful feature designed to help artists and their teams submit their music for editorial playlist consideration. Playlists on Apple Music can significantly amplify an artist’s reach and influence, making this tool a valuable asset for anyone looking to grow their presence on the platform. Recently, the Pitch tool received a major update, enhancing its functionality.

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Using Spotify For Artists

Spotify for Artists is a powerful promotional platform designed to provide artists and labels with the opportunity to expand their music’s reach on Spotify. Among its many specialised features, such as its detailed audience statistics, its campaign kit stands out. These tools help artists attract new listeners, engage with existing fans, and optimise their marketing and PR efforts. 

Simply, Spotify decided that there was value in targeted marketing compared to mass marketing. The tools that can be found in the campaign kit offer artists a more simple and targeted approach to music marketing. Some of these range from free tools to paid-for services. Here’s a detailed look at what campaigns on Spotify for Artists entail and what they offer.

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Using A.I for Music

As an independent music distributor, our mission is to support and promote the work of real artists. We also note that A.I can be a powerful creative and complementary tool when producing music. In line with this, we have established the following guidelines regarding the submission and distribution of either fully or partially AI-generated music.

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Twitch DJ Program

This July, Twitch is launching its new DJ Program, designed to streamline the process for DJs to share their music and connect with fans globally. We are happy to announce that Cygnus Music has opted into this new initiative, enhancing the program with our extensive music library. 

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TikTok Ads

In today’s ever-evolving music industry, TikTok stands out as a key platform for discovery and promotion. Understanding its features and leveraging them effectively can significantly boost your promotional efforts. We’ve compiled a comprehensive guide to our top TikTok strategies. 

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Use Official Sounds!

Many labels and artists are not fully leveraging social media, which is undermining their marketing efforts. One critical mistake is uploading an original sound instead of using their official sound from the audio library. This practice can significantly hinder the potential for virality. To maximise your reach and impact, it’s essential to use ‘official sounds’. Here’s why and how to do it: 

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Post-Release Checks for Playlists

At Cygnus Music, we’ve noticed a growing trend of post-release playlist additions, where support may come weeks or even months after your release. Unfortunately, many DSPs don’t provide direct feedback on playlist placements, so we want to ensure you’re aware of how to stay updated on PR developments.

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Pre-Release Checks

Before your release day, it is always good practice to conduct some pre-release checks. There are a number of ways you can do this so you can quickly highlight any changes to our support team. It’s not uncommon for a typo to slip while creating a release, or perhaps one of your team members has created the release on your behalf and you’d just like peace of mind. Below are 5 pre-release checks to quickly see what’s been submitted and delivered to DSPs.

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Celebrating 15 years!

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What are Algotorial Playlists?

At Cygnus Music, our mission is to keep you abreast of the latest technological advancements in Digital Service Providers (DSPs). You may have seen an increase in the amount of Algotorial playlists on the platform. This fusion has been gradually evolving, evident in the emergence of prominent playlists like Discover Weekly, Daily Mix, and Your Time Capsule, all powered by Personalization Algorithms. These algorithms analyse music’s audio to listeners patterns and identify songs frequently listened to together.

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ARTIFICIAL STREAMING – Fees 

Spotify is now applying a fee for tracks where over 90% of the streams are deemed fraudulent. DSPs like TikTok, Apple and Meta are also taking a much firmer approach to streaming fraud. We urge you to read this resource page in full so you understand what streaming fraud is, how you could fall victim to it, and most importantly, how to prevent it from happening to your label.

Artists discovered to be artificially boosting their streams hold the risk having their royalties withheld, their music removed from the platform and facing permanent bans on their accounts. This could have a significant impact on your label.

  • Spotify will apply a fee of €10 / $10.82 for tracks where over 90% of the streams are deemed fraudulent.
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Adding new users to your account

To add team members to your account (new users), please follow the steps below. You can add multiple team members to your account, set permissions to give access to distribution, accounts, payments, shop and roster.

You can also apply to add new labels to your account at any time. 

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Don’t put your music at risk

As your trusted partner, we wanted to take a moment to warn you about some deceptive advertisements we’ve recently seen for illegitimate music promotion services.

Third parties that promise playlist placements or a specific number of streams in exchange for compensation are likely using illegitimate practices without your knowledge. 

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New rates 2024

Since our inception in 2009, Cygnus Music has offered labels a sliding scale fee structure based on monthly royalties. This scale was a dynamic way to incentivise and reward clients as their revenue increased over time. As of Feb 24, we changed to a fixed commission for all new clients. We invite any existing clients to review the new rates and express their interest if they wish to switch to a fixed rate.

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Cover Songs

Creating cover songs? There are strict rules and laws on what is considered a cover song. Here’s what you need to know….

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Fast Tracking a Release

Fast tracking is requesting an earlier release date outside the recommended 3 week lead time frame, which is a default on Cygnus Musics label management system. To request a fast track, submit your release with a 3+ week lead, then email [email protected] with your label name, catalogue number and the date you need. This must be sent from an email address associated with your account.

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Collaboration is Key!

Collaboration is one of the best ways to elevate your brand and artist profile. Teaming up with fellow artists, brands, or creatives will not only bring diverse styles and perspectives to your work but also help you connect with new audiences. Creating and sharing content together, running joint campaigns, remixing, and collaborating on new projects offer fresh material that appeals to a wider audience, significantly increasing your influence in the digital space and across DSPs. 

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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 by 17th Jan 2024.

The ‘Roster’ tool is a feature on our label management system that allows labels to submit their catalogue to PPL and get the royalties they are owed. PPL royalties are then added to your label statements minus our distribution percentage and the money is all yours with no need to account to an artist. This is accounted back to us around July 2024, and added to the Q3 label statement.

Spotify’s CEO, Daniel Ek, announced a 17 percent workforce reduction, affecting over 1,500 employees, to streamline operations and cut costs amid economic challenges. This marks the third significant round of layoffs this year, reflecting the company’s shift towards profitability, with a focus on efficiency (you can read more here).

What does this mean for artists & labels moving forward? From what we’ve seen across the industry it means that it will likely effect editorial support for artists. We have provide more information and advice on what you can do below.

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Yandex reveals new look!

In a major leap towards enhancing user experience, Yandex Music has recently announced significant updates to its mobile application, with a particular focus on the transformation of the main page.

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SoundCloud like a PRO

Soundcloud is a powerhouse for music marketing campaigns. With its effortlessly shareable content and dynamic interface, artists can propel their tunes across social media landscapes, creating a buzz that resonates far and wide. Below are some of our top marketing tips for the platform.

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Artists guide to online tools

Social media acts as a fantastic tool, allowing artists to directly engage with fans, creating a tight-knit community and fostering loyalty. Platforms like Instagram, X, and TikTok enable musicians to share behind-the-scenes moments, updates on their creative process, and connect with fans on a personal level.

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Simultaneously, digital streaming platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube offer artists a global stage to showcase their music. Beyond democratising access to music, these platforms provide valuable data insights that help artists understand their audience demographics, allowing them to tailor their content effectively.

Spotify’s new 1,000 stream rule

Reports indicate that Spotify is considering a significant change to its payout model that is sparking discussions within the music industry. The latest information reveals that starting early next year, Spotify’s ‘minimum annual threshold’ for tracks to begin generating royalties will be set at 1,000 streams. 

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Get Verified on TikTok

TikTok has launched self certification of Artist Accounts in 18 territories. Artist Certification allows musicians to easily identify themselves on TikTok and access special promotional features and tools such as the Music Tab, “By Artist”, “New Release” & “Artist” tags and more.

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Facebook Broadcast Channels

Throughout this year Meta have been launching broadcast channels across their family of apps. We are pleased to share the recent announcement that they’ll be bringing that experience to Facebook and Messenger. 

🔒Logging in with 2FA

At Cygnus Music, your safety and security is a priority. To further fortify the protection of your accounts we now use Two-Factor Authentication (2FA). This provides an advanced layer of protection along with your username and password.

To login to your account using Two Factor Authentication, click on the button below. 

How to fight copyright and protect your music

The advent of the internet and the rise of digital music platforms have transformed the way we access and share music. While this has undeniably expanded the reach of artists, it has also given rise to copyright theft on an unprecedented scale. Music piracy, unauthorised sampling, and the illegal distribution of copyrighted music have become very problematic. If you fall victim to a copyright infringement this article provides key help and advice !

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Now distributing to Taobao.com

Within Taobao’s expansive digital realm, users are granted the capability to generate, modify, and share concise, user-created videos. These videos find their way to fellow users through various channels, including a dynamic ‘news feed’ and User Homepages. These videos frequently incorporate snippets of audio recordings, referred to as “Clips.” These Clips can either be sourced from Taobao’s rich “Yinlou” music library or uploaded directly by users themselves, denoted as “User Clips.” Cygnus Music is now distributing to Taobao’s library.

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Instagram Broadcast Channels

Meta has introduced a feature on Instagram known as Broadcast Channels, which has been rolled out globally. In essence, these channels serve as a platform for creators to spread messages to specific individuals within their designated Broadcast Channel.  This innovative feature empowers content creators by enabling them to invite their followers or paid subscribers into an exclusive space. 

Sped Up, Slowed down and Hardstyle versions of songs

2022/2023 saw a new phenomena with Sped Up, Slowed down and Hardstyle versions of songs gaining great success online. This was primarily driven from TikTok and then crossed over to Spotify, YouTube and more. The key genres leading the charge on this new style was mainly Pop, Phonk, Electro and Trap, with the majors jumping into the trend. Here’s what you need to know…

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‘Original Sounds’ are DAMAGING your success on TikTok…

The problem? Most labels and artists are not using TikTok correctly, and it’s damaging their marketing campaigns hugely. Many artists and labels upload an original sound with their content instead of selecting their TikTok sound from the audio library. 

Spotify Introduces ‘Blend’

“Blend” on Spotify is a feature that allows you to create a collaborative playlist with a friend. This playlist is essentially a musical representation of your friendship, where both you and your friend contribute tracks to the playlist. It’s a way to share and discover music together, creating a unique blend of your musical tastes.

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TIDAL Artist Home is Tidal’s new artist dashboard.

TIDAL Artist Home is Tidal’s new artist dashboard. At launch, it focuses on letting artists and their teams directly manage what fans see when they visit their artist profile on TIDAL.

We’re going to illustrate the product experience for artists and team members using the platform.

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Fast Track Marketing using TikTok, Instagram & Spotify

By creating a music marketing plan, artists & labels can cut through the noise and capture the attention of their target audience. This involves crafting a distinct identity, building a strong online presence, and employing various platforms and tools to create a meaningful connection with fans. 

We’re seeing more and more clients focus on the cross promotion and benefits of 3 key DSP’s, TikTok, Instagram and Spotify. We now offer you some tips on how to use them within your campaigns. 

We’ve partnered with Volumo

We’ve partnered with Volumo to push your music even further. A new DSP, the store aims to provide a consumption offering for the music industry. 

Volumo was born with a clear vision: to overcome the limitations of existing music stores and create an enhanced platform catering to both music enthusiasts and professionals. The company often emphasises their commitment to supporting artists in making a sustainable living from their music. This becomes particularly significant for niche music, which may not achieve mainstream popularity, yet deserves genuine recognition and backing.

Launching September 2023.

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We’ve partnered with Talentir

Talentir’s innovative digital ecosystem empowers music creators by providing complete control over their work and introducing a fair and transparent revenue stream. With the co-ownership model, artists and fans can now benefit from trading music videos, creating a unique revenue stream for all stakeholders.

Through smart contracts on the Ethereum layer 2 scaling solution, Arbitrum, music, and content creators can convert their YouTube video rights into shared assets. This process allows artists to actively engage their fanbase and involve them in their success stories. Fans, in turn, gain a share of the advertising revenue and become integral parts of their favorite artists’ communities.

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A.I Music Marketing Integration

The term A.I or Artificial Intelligence has been bandied about for a long time within the music industry. Despite the constant “terrors” that it will “kill” the music business, it does provide itself as a useful tool. Rather than view A.I as a replacement, it’s important to view it as something that can significantly aid your music career. 

First of all, if you’re unaware, it’s important to create an understanding of what A.I is. In a general sense, A.I systems are designed to take in and interpret data and make/create decisions. The systems that use A.I aim to replicate human abilities such as perceiving, reasoning and learning . With this in mind, Cygnus Music are going to show some of our favourite tools to help aid in your music marketing plans.

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Threads and why do musicians need it?

Threads is a new freely downloadable app that has caused quite a stir recently. It’s a text-based conversation platform developed by Meta. According to Meta’s description, Threads is specifically designed to serve as a hub where communities gather to engage in discussions that can range from current topics to upcoming trends.

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How to use TikTok in Your Music Marketing Campaign.

In the realm of music discovery, the platforms available for artists can almost seem endless. From gaining placement within huge Spotify playlists to landing features within big publications, almost anything can “break” an artist in 2023. However, no strategy has been seen to possess the level of artist-to-fan engagement that TikTok conjure up.

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Spotify launches new “This Is” Playlist Feature

DSPs are constantly evolving with new tech updates to push fan engagement to the front of their platforms. No partnership within this field comes more exciting than Spotify’s. Spotify have recently announced multiple new developments within the platform that all artists should be aware of. Most recently, their newest development has taken place within “This Is” Playlists. The “This Is” playlists  are Spotify-generated playlists that act as an artist’s Greatest Hits. It is made automatically after 50 songs are released to a Spotify page.

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TikTok – New Release Feature

Last week, TikTok announced their “New Release” feature, which will allow new releases to receive increased visibility and engagement on the platform.
How it Works:

  • Automatic Application of the “New” tag: When you release a new song on TikTok, they will automatically apply the “new” tag in the Sounds Detail Page, the For You Page, and the Music Tab.
  • Highlight and Pin Your New Release: You now have the ability to highlight and pin your release within your Music Tab on your profile, creating maximum visibility for your fanbase.

Cover Songs, Licensing & Sampling

It is important to recognise that the legal implications surrounding covers and samples diverge significantly for songwriters and music creators. In this article, we will delve into these separate but intertwined subjects, providing you with a comprehensive understanding of how copyright law addresses covers and samples, and the potential impact on your publishing royalties.

Spotify Discovery Mode

 Today, 33% of all discoveries on Spotify happen via personalised recommendations in algorithmic contexts. With ‘Discovery Mode’, Cygnus Music will signal tracks to Spotify to push through their radio and autoplay algorithms to reach more listeners across the world. This feature is in beta and Cygnus Music is one of a few key distribution partners who have onboarded with Spotify.

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NEW: 2023 Feature Submission Form

We have created a new form for clients to submit significant marketing updates to us and this replaces the two previous forms.  The new 2023 form will allow clients to add their supporting information much faster and it allows us to relay this information more effectively to stores (DSPs).

Cygnus Music Tier ‘A’ Status

Cygnus Music’s pillar review on YouTube comes back at Tier ‘A’ Status again. This is the highest tier that YouTube awards and means that all Cygnus Music clients receive higher amounts of revenue than companies below Tier ‘A’ status.

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NEW Article added: YouTube Shorts

Shorts are exploding on YouTube, generating over 50 Billion views/day. Artist channels uploading both Shorts & long-form are seeing better watch time & subscriber growth.

YouTube Shorts is a way for anyone to connect with a new audience using just a smartphone and the Shorts camera in the YouTube app. YouTube’s Shorts creation tools makes it easy to create short-form videos that are up to 60 seconds long with our multi-segment camera.

We have put together some best practice advice for artists and labels here.

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.

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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

TikTok has now become one of the prime sources of music discovery. At Cygnus Music, we are opening up new opportunities for our clients content to increase their revenue and visibility on the platform. We have negotiated and have access to advertising inventories, marketing opportunities and potential for influencer support.  Please complete the form below for your label or artist account, and ideally the main artists you work with.

Submissions now open for 2023 + PPL reminder

Roster / PPL Submissions

We hope you are well and wishing you a very happy new year! We look forward to working with you on the success of your music, along with deploying our exciting development schedule for 2023.
 
Submissions Open. Let’s go! You can now submit your new releases through to distribution. Simply create your release, select a distribution list and submit. We work to a full 3 week submission period to help maximise your releases, however we also offer fast tracking. More info below.
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 by 17th Jan 2023. 
 
You can of course register your content directly with PPL via www.ppluk.com.
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Set times for TikTok Sounds, Previews and Insta Reels

You can now set the ‘Preview Start’ time for TikTok Sounds, Instagram Reels and Pre-Orders when creating a release.
 
When you link your audio to the track data you’ll now see an area to set the ‘Preview Start’ time. This time will be the exact starting point of your clips, previews, reels and TikTok sounds. 
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Spotify Wrapped 2022

It’s time for artists to reveal the highlights of the year and celebrate with fans. If an artists music had at least three Spotify listeners between January 1st and October 31st, their 2022 Artist Wrapped will be waiting for them on Spotify for Artists.

NEW YouTube Handles

We’re pleased to share the news that handles are coming to YouTube. Handles will be a new unique identifier (example @youtube) and all channels across the platform will have a handle. 
 
Handles will be used across YouTube (Shorts, community posts, etc) and it will give channels a new URL (example: youtube.com/@youtube). Handles will help people find and interact with channels, and because handles are unique (unlike channel names), it’s easy for users to confirm whether they’re engaging with the right person or not.

NEW TikTok, Instagram & Facebook Early Delivery

We’ve added a feature to allow labels and artists to choose when they want their audio clips available on these social media libraries prior to the worldwide release date.
 
This allows any user of TikTok, Instagram and Facebook to find and use a clip of the new track or release in their content such as TikTok sounds, Instagram Reels and more. (It’s just a clip not the full release.)

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.

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SoundCloud ‘Blue Tick’

We have negotiated a bulk SoundCloud profile verification roll up with SoundCloud. Complete this form if you’re an artist or label that would like SoundCloud’s ‘Blue Tick‘ verification badge. The minimum criteria is that the page must be up to date with a profile picture, banner and social media links. The page MUST have a minimum of 500 followers.

NEW Freelance Designers and Writers

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We have created a new resource list of consultants, companies and freelancers who provide services which include cover artwork, logo design, flyer design, press releases, biographies and more.

Essentials to Read!

Want to push your music further and maximise your reach? Below you’ll find some of our essential articles found on our label resource pages.
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PPL added to statements

If you submitted your catalogue using the roster tab in January and have royalties due, PPL royalties for May – Dec 2021 have been added to your label statement. Any royalties received from PPL are for the label and do not need to be reported back to the artists. The artists can claim their share directly from PPL.
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Facebook launches music revenue sharing

Facebook launches music revenue sharing, allowing video creators to include licensed music in their videos on Facebook and earn a share of in-stream ad revenue, opening up a new way to earn money for both creators and music rights holders.
 
This feature is the first of its kind within the music industry. No other platform offers creators this type of revenue model at this scale.

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Spotify Codes

Instagram have just launched a cool new way to create QR codes from their desktop app, and Juno Download have just launched pre-orders.
 
We thought it would be a great time to remind clients of Spotify codes (which we love!) and drop one final reminder regarding the recent changes to Meta’s content ID system. 
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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

We are pleased to announce that we have now added the new specialist dubstep /140 focused store ‘140 Plates‘ to our distribution network. 
 
We have worked closely with the founder and owner (Pieter at DUPLOC) for many years, and we are pleased to be one of the first distributors to integrate with this new and exciting specialist and fully curated store.
 
The relevant labels will have been notified via email.
 
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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

We are pleased to inform you that we have a new Graphic Designer who has just taken over Cover Artwork and Logo Design via our in-house SHOP.  To order artwork, simply login, go to SHOP and order artwork. Please check out some examples of their work below. We have managed to keep the prices really competitive compared to most design solutions, and as always Cygnus Music distribution clients will find up to 20% all shop items included!

Free Artist Accounting!

We are pleased to announce that our new Artist Accounting & Royalty Splits modules are now live on the label management system. These are ready to be used and are free to all distribution clients!
 
This is another phase to our exciting development schedule currently being rolled out for 2022.

Smash Social Media

Social media is now a key element in your success as a label/artist. Not only are these platforms available for us to connect with others, but they also provide engaging and exciting opportunities to promote and sell products, like your music!
 
We have just added a new section to our label resources to act as a guide to getting the most out of your social media presence to push your music to bigger and higher places. 
 
Learn about branding, engagement, content, hastags and best practice techniques on TikTok, SnapChat, Facebook, Instagram, Facebook &YouTube.

New DSPs!

We are pleased to inform you that we have recently onboarded 7 new stores. The stores have been added to all standard distribution lists, aside from LickD which is an opt-in service.
 
All you need to do to make use of these new stores is submit your releases as normal, using any of the standard distribution lists on our system. To opt-in to Lickd, just follow the process explained further down and via our resources.
 
We hope you enjoy these new benefits, in our commitment to making sure your content is at the forefront of new and emerging markets in the digital music space.
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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.

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Spotify Only Singles

When you submit a Various Artists EP or LP (more than 3 primary artists at release level), we recommend that the singles are also sent to Spotify along with the main release.
 
This technique comes with many benefits and utilises the ‘Add existing track’ function on the Label Management System. Ensure that the ‘Spotify Only’ distribution list is selected for singles, as this technique has a detrimental effect on other stores and we will reject these type of submissions to all stores. 
News & Updates

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.

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New DSP added: FEED.FM

Request a Verification Badge on Instagram

New store added to all standard distribution lists.

Feed.fm is a company that has developed a technology which allows users to add music to other applications, fitness devices, and physical spaces.

If you do not have an Instagram verification badge and would like one, please fill out the form below to make a request.
 
Instagram will review the application within 10 working days.
 
Each label may submit 1 application. If the label is owned by an artist, they may also submit an application for the artist/s.

SmartLinks 2.0

We are pleased to launch SmartLinks 2.0.
 
All new releases from December onwards will be using the new SmartLink format which now includes Pre-Save on Spotify, Tidal, Apple Music & Deezer, with Pre-Order on iTunes, Beatport, and Preview on JunoDownload. We have developed 2.0 to facilitate JunoDownload’s forthcoming Pre-Order upgrade.
 
You will be sent your SmartLink 9 days in advance, as we set Pre-Orders up with a 10 day lead as standard. You will also be able to access SmartLinks 2.0 on your label pages. SmartLinks 2.0 are free to all distribution clients as an exclusive in-house promotional tool.
 
Please check out the Demo to the right to see a walk through of the service.
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BiteSize Recap

Check out the BiteSize recap.
 
A round of up news, developments, and recent topics at Cygnus Music. 
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Label Access to Apple Music

Apple has announced a new partner view for Apple Music for Artists, granting labels access to their compelling web and iOS application for the first time.
 
Apple Music for Artists allows artists and now labels to track performance, see how fans react to each song, album, or playlist, and understand where and how listeners discover their music.

Beatport HYPE

Beatport has reached out to labels for enrolment to Beatport Hype, Beatports label growth tool. At Cygnus Music, we have seen many releases achieve better visibility and higher chart positions as a result of Hype.
 
We really recommend Hype if your focus is on Beatport and you’re looking for ways to break in to the main charts.
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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.

The Rotor software allows you to create stunning original music videos in minutes! Simply add your music, Rotor provides the rest.
 
85% of monthly YouTube visitors just listen to music. With Rotor, you can have a video for every song.
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New Accounting Development!

We are pleased to inform you that we have just launched our new accounting summary pages on the ‘ACCOUNTS’ tab on the label management system.
 
You’ll find that this new development has been rolled out across each of your label statements! Simply login, go to accounts, your label and click on summary.
 
This is the 2nd part of a multi-phased next-gen accounting suite planned for completion in 2022. Forthcoming development includes: Artist accounting, add label costs, add percentage splits, add custom date ranges, direct to artist payments and more.
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Asian DSP’s Update

As you may be aware a number of the Asian DSP’s have had delayed reporting and payments over the last year affecting all distributors. We are pleased to announce that these will be getting brought up to date very soon. Below are the details of the late statements that should be brought up to date in the next statement run.
 
  • 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)
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Important Account Information & NEW Developments!

We are pleased to announce our new development roll outs happening over the coming weeks and moving forward. Our developers have been working hard on new and innovative upgrades for Cygnus Music distribution clients!
 
Please find a list of new tools and features dropping shortly along with a brief explanation and approximate deployment date. Click on more info!
 
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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

JunoDownload invites artists and labels to join them in their Black History Month campaign. Message from JunoDownload to Cygnus Music clients.
 

“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

Both Spotify and Apple Music ask for Parity, meaning that they ask for a release to be available on their platform at the same time it’s been made available for fans to listen to publically anywhere else.

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.

Labels, their artists and artist managers can request access to Deezer for Creators by filling out all required fields, connecting their Facebook profile, downloading the application onto their phone (if applicable) and signing in with a registered account.

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

You’ll find heaps of helpful links, forms, articles and features via our label resources pages. We thought it would also be helpful to put these in an email for you so you can save it and have it close to hand.
 
Our best advice it to read and action the activities listed in our maximise sales tab, and then complete 2 forms for each release. This enables us to present label activities to the various stores in the format they need for editorial, playlists and curation.
 

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.

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Make money from Twitch via Pretzel

Deliveries have now begun for the new service called Pretzel.
 
Pretzel exists to give streamers, broadcasters and content creators a way to use music in their content that is properly licensed by the artists and rights holders. Users can access a huge library of music all hand picked and curated by the Pretzel staff.
 
To have your content delivered to Preztel, please follow the process below.
 
  1. Complete the Pretzel consent form.
  2. You will then receive a composition information form which must be completed.
  3. Pretzel will notify us once your label has been accepted.
  4. 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. 

We will notify all clients when it is rolled further, but if you’ve only just heard about it, check out more info to learn about this new Spotify tool.
 
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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.

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New Store: SberZvuk

SberZvuk is a multi-platform streaming service that helps users find music for every moment of their lives and discover new things through podcasts. Thousands of ready-made playlists, charts, personal recommendations and collections for different activities and moods are available in the application, on the website and in all devices of the Sberbank ecosystem.
 
Territories –Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Armenia, Georgia,Moldova, Azerbaijan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Mongolia and Turkmenistan
 

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.”

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Spotify Artist Linking

Spotify have just rolled out a new reporting tool for labels and managers to directly request support in moving products and tracks from incorrect artist pages i.e. Content Relocation.
 
Tip: In Spotify for Artists, you can catch errors before they’re visible to listeners. Check out upcoming releases in the Music section. If you see someone else’s music, or don’t see a release you’re expecting, report it to Spotify right away!
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.
 

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!

Spotify recently launched a new tool called Spotify Shows, a new listening experience that brings together music and spoken-word content in an easy package, allowing full songs and talk commentary to live together wrapped up in one show.
 
Spotify says “Creators have long wanted a way to highlight the music they love and spread the word about their favourite artists. To empower an ecosystem of these new shows, Spotify is also making it possible for anyone to create their own—by rolling out tooling in Anchor.”
 
As this new feature has only recently launched, the earliest adopters can reap the biggest rewards! If you’re looking for a new super effective promotional tool for your label, we recommend you start your own show!
 
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Store Features & Playlists

Each week we pitch releases to stores and streaming sites for banners, reviews, playlist placements and features.
 
Whilst having great music is one thing, marketing teams and curators prioritise content that has been submitted with supporting evidence such as artist interviews, music reviews, DJ feedback, radio plays, Shazam counts, a press release and the overall hype surrounding the release.
 
To give your release the best chance of getting considered for features and playlist placements, we have put together some essentials below.
 
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Beatport Expands on Bass Genres

We would like to give you some information on an addition to Beatports genre pages with two new bass categories — 140 / Deep Dubstep / Grime and Bass / Club — and an update to their existing Breaks section, now Breaks / Breakbeat / UK Bass.
 
Beatports Leftfield House / Techno, Leftfield Bass, and Reggae / Dancehall / Dub sections will cease to exist. The releases currently on these pages have been relocated amongst their three new bass genres accordingly.
 
Also note that their Garage / Bassline / Grime section is changing to UK Garage / Bassline.
 
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