Trust & transparency

How our calculators work

This page explains, in plain language, the math behind every Artist Payout calculator and the rules we hold ourselves to. If something here is unclear or looks wrong, please tell us — accuracy is the entire point of this site.

Our three rules

  • Every number is sourced. Each rate, multiple, and range comes from a documented data layer and carries a source and an "as of" date. We don't hardcode figures into pages or invent them on the fly.
  • Numbers are ranges, never fake precision. Real advances, royalties, and valuations depend on inputs that genuinely vary, so we show a low–high spread with stated assumptions rather than a single misleadingly exact figure.
  • Unknown means omitted, and uncertain means flagged. If we don't have a reliable figure, we leave it out instead of guessing. Volatile figures are flagged for verification against a live source before they're relied upon.

The calculators, explained

Royalty Advance Estimator

Estimated advance = annual recurring royalty income × a term-based multiple

  • You can enter your annual (or monthly) royalty income directly, which is the most accurate input.
  • If you only know your streams, we estimate income first using a sourced, blended per-stream range — never a single fixed rate.
  • We then apply a multiple that scales with the deal length you choose; longer terms can support a higher multiple.
  • The multiples are sourced modeling assumptions shown as a low–high range, not a quoted offer.
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Publishing Royalty Recovery Diagnostic

A pool-by-pool diagnostic of which royalty streams you may not be collecting

  • This tool is diagnostic, not a single dollar formula: it maps your situation against the main royalty pools (mechanical, performance, neighbouring rights, foreign black-box, and YouTube Content ID).
  • It flags which free, direct collectors you should be registered with — and we always say plainly that registering with The MLC and SoundExchange is free.
  • It highlights where money tends to go uncollected for independent artists, especially international royalties and Content ID.
  • Any estimated figures are ranges tied to your stated streaming volume and audience, not precise predictions.
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Catalog Valuation Calculator

Estimated value = annual royalty income × a stability-adjusted income multiple

  • We start from your trailing annual royalty income — the income a buyer would be acquiring.
  • We apply an income multiple drawn from sourced valuation tiers; more stable, growing catalogs map to higher multiples.
  • The result is a valuation range with stated assumptions, plus a sell-vs-finance comparison so you can weigh a sale against keeping ownership.
  • Multiples move with the market, so we show a range and flag uncertain figures rather than printing one false-precision number.
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Streaming Royalty Calculator

Estimated earnings = streams × a sourced per-stream range (by platform)

  • You enter a stream count and pick a platform; we multiply by that platform’s sourced per-stream range, or a deliberately wide blended range when no platform is specified.
  • Per-stream payouts are not fixed rates — every service divides a revenue pool by total streams, so the effective rate shifts with listener region and free-vs-paid mix. We show this as a low–high range, never a single rate.
  • The reverse mode works backward from a target payout to the streams it would take, and a multi-platform mode sums the sourced ranges across services.
  • All per-stream figures live in the sourced data layer and are flagged for verification against current statements — we never print fabricated precision.
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Distributor Comparison & Cost Calculator

Projected cost = your release volume applied to each distributor’s pricing model over the term

  • The load-bearing fact is each distributor’s pricing model — annual-unlimited, one-time-per-release, per-release-annual, or free-with-commission — not the exact dollar figure.
  • We project total out-of-pocket cost over the years you choose by applying your releases-per-year to that model; annual-renewal models compound as each release renews every year to stay live, which is the “renewal trap” the tool surfaces.
  • Commission-based options are estimated against your stated annual royalty income rather than a flat fee.
  • Every fee is a public range pre-filled as an editable default and flagged for verification, with a prompt to confirm the current price on the distributor’s own site.
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Sync Licensing Earnings Calculator

Estimated upfront fee = a sourced fee range by usage type, adjusted for territory and exclusivity

  • You pick the usage type (independent or major film, TV, commercial, video game, online ad) and we show the widely-reported upfront-fee range for that use — intentionally wide because indie-vs-major and budget tiers differ enormously.
  • Worldwide territory and exclusivity apply sourced premium multipliers to that range; these are stated modeling assumptions, not quoted terms.
  • Backend performance royalties (the money a placement earns each time it airs, collected through your PRO) are described qualitatively per usage type — never summed into a fake total.
  • Every placement is negotiated individually, so the output is always a range with a “treat as ballpark” caveat, and all figures are flagged for verification.
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Royalty Splits Calculator

Each party’s payout = total estimated streaming earnings × their share %

  • We first estimate total earnings from your stream count using the same sourced per-stream ranges as the streaming calculator, then divide by each collaborator’s percentage.
  • The split math is pure arithmetic over the percentages you enter, so every share is shown as a low–high range carried through from the underlying per-stream range.
  • Shares are clamped to sensible bounds and reconciled so the parts trace back to the same total the streaming estimate produced.
  • No share is invented — the only sourced numbers are the per-stream ranges; the percentages are entirely yours.
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Discovery Mode ROI Calculator

Breakeven extra reach = the commission you give up ÷ what’s left after that commission

  • Opting into a promotional boost means accepting a lower royalty rate on boosted streams in exchange for more reach, so the question is whether the extra streams cover the revenue you gave up.
  • We compute the breakeven lift — how many additional streams per boosted stream you need just to net the same revenue — directly from the commission percentage you enter.
  • A scenario mode compares net revenue at different reach lifts so you can see when the trade starts paying off, using your own baseline streams and per-stream rate.
  • This is a transparent algebraic relationship, not a sourced dollar figure — the only rate involved is one you supply or pull from the sourced per-stream ranges.
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PRO Comparison & Decision Tool

A decision tool comparing stable, verifiable PRO facts — not invented payout differences

  • PROs do not publish comparable per-play payout rates, so this tool deliberately does not invent “payout differences.” It compares the facts that are actually verifiable.
  • It maps each society on region, eligibility (open vs. invitation-only), writer join cost, and what each one collects, so you can find the right fit for where you are.
  • Join costs are sourced ranges flagged for verification, with a prompt to confirm current terms directly with the PRO before joining.
  • Because performance royalties are collected from the same compositions a publishing administrator handles, the tool points you onward to the publishing diagnostic.
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AI Music Royalty Eligibility Checker

A qualitative eligibility and disclosure check — stance + disclosure + risk by platform (no dollar math)

  • This is not a dollar calculator: AI-music policy is evolving fast and varies by platform, so the tool gives qualitative guidance rather than any number.
  • You indicate how the track was made — from AI-assisted to fully generated to using a real person’s voice or likeness — and we weight the exposure accordingly.
  • For each platform we summarize its sourced stance, whether it expects AI disclosure, and the demonetization or takedown risk level for AI-heavy uploads.
  • Every entry is drawn from public platform statements and flagged to confirm current policy, since these rules change frequently.
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Producer Points vs. Flat Fee Calculator

Points earnings = points % × the recording royalties the track generates; compared against a flat fee

  • We model producer points as a percentage of the streaming earnings a track generates — estimated from the same sourced per-stream ranges — so points and a flat fee can be compared like for like.
  • The tool finds the breakeven: the number of streams at which a points deal overtakes a one-time flat fee, shown at both ends of the per-stream range.
  • A hybrid option adds a reduced upfront fee to reduced points and reports the lifetime total as a range.
  • The only sourced numbers are the per-stream ranges; the points, fees, and stream counts are inputs you provide, and results are always shown as a low–high spread.
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Why we show ranges instead of one number

A single precise figure implies a certainty that doesn't exist. Per-stream rates vary by region and subscriber mix; advance multiples depend on your income stability and the term; catalog multiples move with the market and your growth trajectory. A range with clear assumptions is both more honest and more useful — it tells you the realistic span you're working within before you talk to any provider.

What our estimates are not

Our outputs are planning tools, not offers, quotes, or advice. A real advance offer, a real valuation, or a real royalty recovery comes only from a provider who has reviewed your actual income and contracts. Use our ranges to get oriented, then verify with the source.

Estimates are for informational purposes only and are not financial, investment, tax, or legal advice. Actual offers and figures vary by provider, contract terms, and current market conditions.