Tidal Introduces Royalty Tracking Tools for Artists

Tidal, the music streaming service, has rolled out new tools for artists to track royalties and manage their songwriting credits. Music royalties are complex, involving various rights like mechanical reproduction and performance. Artists typically need to register with a Performing Rights Organization (PRO) and get an Interested Party Information (IPI) number to identify them as rights holders.

Tidal's dashboard helps artists verify their IPI, PRO, and publisher info, showing which recordings are fully registered and which are not. For newcomers, Tidal offers options to sign up with AllTrack, a digital PRO, or join the Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC), a non-profit handling royalties for streams and downloads in the U.S.

Artists can also check and propose changes to track or album metadata to ensure accurate royalty splits. These tools are free, utilizing Tidal's catalog and third-party data.

Agustina Sacerdote, Tidal's global head of product, emphasized the need for modern tools for songwriters, recognizing their critical role in the music ecosystem. Tidal, owned by Block, appears more artist-focused than competitors like Spotify, which offers a broader range of consumer-oriented services.

Tidal's recent initiatives, including Collabs for artist collaborations and potential new features leveraging Square and Cash App for faster artist payments, signal a continued commitment to supporting artists directly.