FAQ

What Is SLANG?

SLANG is a distribution platform that tracks revenue streams for artists. We provide a clear financial picture at all times to empower creators with data-driven insights and peace of mind.

What Streaming Services Integrate With SLANG?

SLANG currently works with all major music streaming services. For example, we have integrated with Amazon, Apple Music, iTunes, Deezer, Google Play, Pandora, Saavn, Spotify, Tidal, YouTube Content ID & YouTube Art Tracks.

Can You Tell Me How SLANG Works?

SLANG works directly with platforms such as Apple, Spotify, Tidal and Amazon to manage content for our users. We upload original music for distribution to your select your platforms for delivery and tell us who's due what share of revenue.
Once we distribute your work, we collect the earnings, share revenue and performance data in a unified dashboard, and pay everyone directly each month

What Is A Collaborator?

A collaborator owns part of a creative work. In other words, someone entitled to a portion of a song's revenue. For example, collaborators include producers, songwriters and performers. Videographers, editors and engineers can also count as collaborators.

Will SLANG Ever Expand to Include Other Streaming Service Integrations?

We are always looking to add streaming service integrations. In fact, if you have a suggestion, please let us know by reaching out to support@slangdsitribution.com.

What Is the Term of the Agreement With SLANG?

There's no term requirement to use SLANG. Use us to release your content how you want to, when you want to, and cancel at any time.

What Do I Need to Use SLANG?

In order to use SLANG, you need original music or video content and a bank or Paypal account.

How Often Does SLANG Release Updates for Its Application?

We constantly work to improve SLANG and regularly release new features on an ongoing basis. To ensure you enjoy the best SLANG experience possible. Our web dashboard automatically reflects these changes. Once we make those changes available to users, you will see them the moment you log in. We recommend using SLANG in Google Chrome. However, we are compatible with other browsers.

If you have ideas or recommendations, email us at support@slangdistribution.com.

How Much Does It Cost to Use SLANG?

There are no front cost to use SLANG. We make money when you make money. Unlimited release with no hidden additional fees. We charge 15 percent of streaming revenue..

What Is A Musical Composition?

A musical composition consists of a song's written melody and lyrics. The author of a musical composition is generally the composer. Additionally, if there are lyrics, the writer would also qualify as an author.

What's A Sound Recording?

A recording comprises actual sounds capable of playback. Performers and producers typically own sound recordings because they author what we physically hear. Engineers can also play a part in this process. The author of a sound recording is not necessarily the author of the underlying musical work (composition).

For example, say Childish Gambino records the vocals to a song. This action makes him, at least, a co-owner of the sound recording, but not of the composition. However, if he wrote the lyrics and melody, he also deserves writing credit. To learn more about compositions vs. sound recordings, visit our blog—click here.

What Are ISRCs? Where Do I Get One? Do I Need One??

"ISRC" stands for International Standard Recording Code. ISRCs create a global system that helps identify sound recordings.

If you have digital distribution, you already have an ISRC. However, if you are struggling to find your ISRCs, you can likely obtain them by contacting your distributor. SLANG can assign ISRCs to any track distributed through our system.

SoundScan tracks ISRCs for potential Billboard charting. Additionally, the RIAA monitors ISRCs when calculating album equivalents.

If I'm a Member of a Performing Rights Organization (PRO), Can I Still Use SLANG?

Absolutely. SLANG works with a different set of royalties than your performing rights organization does, so you are able to use SLANG in conjunction with your PRO. 

What Are the Per-Stream Royalty Rates for Music Streaming Services?

Per-stream royalty rates typically vary from platform to platform and even within the same service. For instance, rates can shift depending on the ads served against your content. Additionally, the number of streams a user accumulates can effect the rate. The same goes for the subscriber pool a platform has in a given month.

Do I Still Control the Ownership Rights to My Music?

Absolutely. SLANG does not control any ownership rights to your music. SLANG simply makes it easier for you to collect money and data-driven insights from your work. 

I Only Control the Master Rights (Sound Recording) of the Song. Can I Use SLANG?

Yes! As long as you have any claim on the master rights, we'll help you manage the payments.

I Only Control a Percentage of the Composition Rights (Lyrics and Melody). Can I Use SLANG?

Yes! As long as you have any claim to the composition rights, we'll help you manage the payments.

I Am the Sole Owner of the Recording (Master) & the Composition (Lyrics And Melody). Can I Use SLANG?

Yes! As long as you have any ownership claim on the sound recording and/or composition, we'll help you manage the payments, whether that amounts to .01 percent (minority owner) or 100 percent (sole owner).

What If Multiple Collaborators Wrote the Lyrics & Melody (the "Composition")?

Not a problem! Users can have unlimited shareholders, or collaborators, on a SLANG contract. As long as the sum of your splits simply equals 100 percent, our system can handle the rest. Each shareholder receives their own SLANG account, so any shareholder can access and manage content they have worked on. 

I Want to Make Cover Songs & Sample, Can SLANG Help Me With Clearances or Licensing?

SLANG is not responsible for sample clearances or cover songs licensing. It is the content owner's responsibility to have secured those rights prior to uploading to our platform. However, we can provide educational tips that make this process less intimidating.

Does SLANG Collect Publishing Royalties?

No, we don't

What Is SLANG's Minimum Lead Time to Guarantee My Content
Goes Live When I Want It to?

SLANG requires a minimum lead time of five business days to ensure your content goes live on your selected platforms.

If you would like to pitch for playlisting consideration, you must submit the release to our system 30 days prior to your intended release date.

If you submit your content after the listed deadlines, our system will still deliver it to all of your selected platforms. However, we cannot guarantee your release will go live on each platform by your intended release date.

 I Have A Very Important Release & Need It to Go Live Sooner Than the Required Five Business Days. Can SLANG Rush My Release for Me?

SLANG cannot rush releases to the platforms. It is the responsibility of the uploader to make sure they are allowing enough time for their content to go live on the platforms.

Can I Edit My Splits & Metadata After Uploading to SLANG?

Yes, users can edit their metadata. However, we suggest that all shareholders have agreed to their splits before uploading. Our system reverts a contract to 'Pending' when the content uploader edits splits. As a result, all collaborators must accept their splits again. This can postpone payment for at least one month. If you would like to edit your content, please email.

Do All Collaborators Need to Accept Their Splits for
SLANG to Distribute My Content?

SLANG will distribute content after users finish uploading it. However, our consensus-based payment model requires split acceptance from all collaborators before anyone receives earnings.

If it takes some time for all shareholders to accept their splits, don't worry! SLANG indefinitely keeps earnings safe until content owners approve their percentages

How Often Does SLANG Receive Streaming Data From the Music Platforms?

SLANG believes data helps guide decisions. We receive streaming data from the platforms every 30-60 days. We refresh SLANG on the 5th of each month with any new data that we have received.

When Can I Expect to Receive Payouts From SLANG?

SLANG payouts occur on the 15th of each month, assuming you have entered your payment information correctly. Your SLANG account balance must meet the minimum threshold of 50 USD to receive your payout. 

How Long Does It Take for YouTube Uploads to Post to My Channel?

SLANG does not support video uploads through our system. Instead, we deliver Art Tracks to your channel and send audio-only assets to Content ID, which both deliver the moment you click "Submit." Art Tracks release publicly, whereas audio assets live privately in the ContentID database. Users handle traditional YouTube uploads (such as music videos) themselves.

Do SLANG and YouTube ContentID Collect Money Generated by the Views on My Own Videos?

Yes! With YouTube ContentID, you can choose to monetize or block any video that contains your original music, regardless of channel. SLANG lets you decide whether to activate this service when you upload audio assets to our system. ContentID then uses those assets to detect infringement. Additionally, SLANG collects earnings from views/streams on Art Tracks that you set up via our platform.

Does SLANG Help Me Collect YouTube Revenue? 

We sure do! It's easy to collect YouTube revenue when you use SLANG. We work with YouTube's ContentID system to let you monetize or block videos. ContentID knows when a visual contains the audio assets you uploaded to our platform.

For instance, if you share a music video to your channel that contains the sound recording and/or composition you provided SLANG, we help you make money from that video. Each month, we collect those earnings and send them back to you. It's that easy.

If someone else uploads a video that features your sound recording and/or composition, we detect the infringement and let you decide whether to block that content or monetize it. 

I Need Help Pitching My Music for Editorial Placement on Streaming Platforms. Can SLANG do that?

SLANG wants you to accumulate as many streams and listeners as possible, but we can't guarantee placement when we are pitching to DSPs. SLANG has a simple form users can submit to gain access to the pitching pool. We have a blog post that breaks down best practices for users—click here to read.

I Don't Have A PayPal Account. Can SLANG Pay Me Via Direct Deposit?

Don't worry! SLANG is able to remit payments via ACH Direct Deposit or PayPal. Users can receive payments via either method of fund transfer.

Does SLANG Help Me Make Money From SoundCloud Streams?

Yes, we can help you make money from SoundCloud! SLANG is able to collect earnings generated from ad-supported and subscription streaming.

If I Choose to Monetize SoundCloud, Will Ads Play Before My Music Does?

By selecting the option to monetize SoundCloud, you enable ads to run on your content. You will collect earnings from both ad-supported & subscription streams as a result. Non-subscription listeners encounter a promoted, branded clip when they play a monetized song. 

How Do Companies Like Spotify, Soundcloud and Tidal Earn Revenue From Streaming?

Streaming revenue comes from ads and subscription fees. Spotify and SoundCloud benefit when a user pays for a premium account. They also benefit when an advertiser pays to run an ad. Streaming platforms take a percentage of the fee and pass along the rest to rights holders. Spotify historically pays 70 percent of its revenue to rights holders.

Do I Still Have to Upload to My YouTube Channel Directly?

Yes, users must upload directly to their YouTube Channel(s). SLANG distributes audio uploads to YouTube Art Tracks if users select that option, but we do not support visual uploads. The same applies to YouTube's ContentID system. If approved, SLANG will solely use your audio assets (sound recording and composition) to monetize or block YouTube videos that contain those elements.

Can I Negotiate Royalty Splits Within SLANG?

Our application does not currently support royalty split negotiations. Users must determine split allocation prior to content submission in the SLANG application, and all shareholders must accept their splits to receive payouts.

Can SLANG Distribute My Music to TikTok?

Yes we can! When you upload music to our platform and prepare to publish, SLANG lets you select TikTok as a distribution destination. It's as simple as checking a box.

Can SLANG Distribute My Music to Tidal?

Yes we can! When you upload music to our platform and prepare to publish, SLANG lets you select Tidal as a distribution destination. It's as simple as checking a box.

We believe it's crucial that an artist's music can be heard (and monetized) in as many places as possible.

Can SLANG Distribute My Music to Pandora?

Yes we can! When you upload music to our platform and prepare to publish, SLANG lets you select Pandora as a distribution destination. It's as simple as checking a box.

Best Practices For Lyric Submissions

Best Practices For Lyric Submissions

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Lyrics should accurately match the audio on the given track.

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Lyrics should contain all vocal content that is significant to the song, including sung lyrics and significant sampled vocal content.

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Spoken phrases that are integral to the song should be included in the Lyrics, but extended spoken or conversational words should not. Separate individual lyric lines with a single space.

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Separate lyrical stanzas, significant music changes and changes between major structural parts of the song (verse, chorus, pre-chorus, bridge, etc.) with a double space.

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Do not label different sections of the lyrics (verse, chorus, etc.)

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Background vocals – those heard as secondary to lead vocals in the foreground - may be added in parenthesis. Eg: All the times that I've cried (Stay, stay)

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Do not put periods or commas at the ends of lyric lines.

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Single exclamation points or question marks may be used as needed at the ends of lyric lines. Do not use them multiple times for emphasis.

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Individually enter all repeated lyric lines. Do not use “(Repeat)” or “x 3”. Ellipses may be used to indicate repeated lines only during the fadeout at the end of a song

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Profanity should be fully transcribed on explicit versions of songs. On clean versions of explicit songs, censored or edited words should use asterisks for any part of the word that is made inaudible or masked (eg: “don’t give a f***”) or be completely replaced with asterisks if the entire word has been censored (eg: “don’t give a ****”