Besides getting your songs on Spotify, you can also monetize your music on your own YouTube video channel as well as your music being used on other YouTube channels. Although access to YouTube and YouTube monetization is offered by virtually all music distributors, YouTube also has a number of music distributors listed as ‘preferred partners’ in their preferred partners program.
What are Youtube preferred music distributors?
YouTube Preferred Music Distributors are companies endorsed by YouTube to help artists monetize and manage their content effectively, ensuring smooth integration with YouTube’s monetization and content ID systems. YouTube collaborates with preferred music distributors, which are trusted to integrate seamlessly with YouTube’s content management systems.
YouTube’s Preferred Music Distributor status is a designation given to select music distribution companies that meet YouTube’s high standards for delivering music and managing rights effectively on the platform. These distributors are trusted to handle the complexities of integrating artists’ music into YouTube’s ecosystem, ensuring smooth monetization, copyright protection, and delivery to YouTube Music.
What does YouTube ‘preferred partner’ status mean?
These are the 5 areas in which a music distributor needs to really prove themselves in order to gain acceptance as a ‘preferred partner’
- Seamless Content Management: Preferred distributors have direct integration with YouTube’s Content Management System (CMS). They can upload music, manage copyright claims, and ensure that artists are credited and paid for their content.
- Content ID Support: These companies handle YouTube’s Content ID system, which scans videos across the platform to identify copyrighted material. This allows artists to monetize fan-made videos or prevent unauthorized use of their music.
- Reliable Delivery: Preferred distributors ensure high-quality delivery of music to YouTube Music, including metadata accuracy, which is critical for searchability, playlist placement, and proper attribution.
- Monetization Optimization: These distributors help artists maximize revenue by managing ad monetization, ensuring that any video using their music generates income for the creator.
- Trust and Transparency: YouTube requires Preferred distributors to maintain strong reputations for reliability, artist-friendly policies, and efficient support. This ensures creators have a professional experience when managing their content.
Who are YouTube Music’s preferred partners for music distribution?
Here’s the full overview of all current YouTube Music Distributors (as of 2024):
- CD Baby (Oregon, Portland, United States)
- DistoKid (New York, New York, United States)
- TuneCore (New York, New York, United States)
- TuneCore Japan (Tokyo, Japan)
- Vydia (New York, New York, United States)
- ONErpm (Nashville, Tennessee, United States)
- Believe (Paris, France)
- NexTone (Tokyo, Japan)
- IDE (Jakarta, Indonesia)
- POPS (Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam)
Why does YouTube preferred partner matter to artists?
- Guaranteed Monetization: Ensures music is properly tracked and monetized across YouTube and YouTube Music.
- Simplified Copyright Management: Avoids potential disputes or lost revenue due to improper claims.
- Broader Reach: Helps artists distribute their music globally on YouTube’s platforms, connecting with millions of users.
TL;DR
The music distributors play a crucial role in uploading music, claiming copyrights, and managing royalties through YouTube Content ID, which identifies and monetizes when music is used in videos. The music distributors are essential for artists aiming to maximize revenue and protect their rights on YouTube. By collaborating with a YouTube Preferred Partner, artists can have more confidence that their monetization efforts are streamlined and avoid potential copyright issues. Being associated with a YouTube preferred distributor offers artists peace of mind that their content is properly managed and monetized across the platform. The most well known are CD Baby, TuneCore and DistroKid.
Of course, non-preferred music distributors still have access to YouTube and YouTube monetization. Also read about Spotify preferred music distributors and Apple Music preferred music distributors.
