Skip to content

Music Business Glossary

Distribution

13 music business terms in Distribution, explained clearly.

⌘K

146 terms10 categories

Showing 13 terms

A

2 terms

An aggregator is a service that distributes music from independent artists and labels to DSPs like Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon Music.

An asset is any piece of music content, such as an audio file, artwork, video, or metadata, that makes up a release and is delivered to DSPs or used in marketing.

D

4 terms

A DSP (Digital Service Provider) delivers music digitally to consumers, whether through streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music or download stores like iTunes.

Delivery is the technical process of transmitting music files, artwork, and metadata from an aggregator or label to DSPs ahead of a release.

Digital Distribution→

Digital distribution is the process of delivering music to streaming platforms and online stores so listeners worldwide can access it via DSPs.

A Distributor is a company or service that delivers music from artists and labels to retail outlets and digital platforms around the world.

E

1 term

Explicit Content→

Explicit Content refers to music with offensive, profane, or sexually suggestive lyrics or themes, requiring specific labeling and parental advisories.

L

1 term

Label Copy is the full set of credits on a music release, including artist names, songwriters, publishers, producers, and copyright notices.

M

1 term

Metadata in music is the descriptive information embedded in or associated with a music file, such as track title, artist name, ISRC, genre, and release details.

S

2 terms

Sell-Through→

Sell-Through measures the percentage of physical music products or merchandise received by a retailer that are subsequently sold through to consumers.

Streaming is the continuous delivery of audio or video over the internet, letting users listen or watch without permanently downloading the content.

T

2 terms

A Takedown is a formal request to remove music from digital platforms, typically due to copyright infringement, contractual disputes, or policy violations.

Territory refers to the specific geographical regions or countries where a music release is distributed, licensed, or made available.