Navigating the complex world of digital music distribution and royalty management can be overwhelming, but platforms like Royalti.io are essential tools that simplify the process for music professionals. As technology continues to shape how music is created and distributed, Royalti.io, a comprehensive solution for managing catalogs, royalties, and accounting, simplifies the workload of artists, songwriters, and music businesses.

If you are anything like me, it takes a good minute or two to get comfortable with new software. You scan through the layout and explore the features trying to figure out how best they serve your needs. But let’s be honest, we all proceed with some level of caution, right? Nobody wants to press the wrong button and end up having awkward conversations with customer support.

While Royalti.io is user-friendly, you may come across some industry-specific terms. To help you navigate the platform effortlessly, we’ve compiled a glossary of key terms and their meanings.

Glossary

Workspace

Your workspace is the first thing you see when you log into the platform. It’s a dedicated environment where you can manage your music catalog, royalty data, and team collaborations. Workspaces can be customized with add-ons to fit the needs of individual artists, labels, or distributors.

Catalog

A catalog is a collection of assets and products (including songs, albums, or compositions) that you own or manage. In addition to being a library of your music, it contains metadata, such as track titles, ISRC (International Standard Recording) codes, release dates, compositions, and rights ownership details. A catalog allows you to keep track of what you’ve released and how much royalty you’re earning.

Products

Products are digital or physical items derived from musical works that you can sell. These include streaming tracks, downloads, vinyl records, and merchandise. Products are directly linked to royalty-generating activities.

Assets

Assets refer to individual files or components related to a musical work, such as audio files, cover art, lyrics, and metadata. Stored within the catalog, assets are essential for distribution and royalty tracking, ensuring every track or composition is properly documented.

Splits

Splits determine how royalty payments are shared among rights holders—such as artists, songwriters, producers, and labels—based on pre-agreed percentages. Royalti.io automates split calculations to ensure accurate payments.

Royalty Sources

These are platforms, distributors, or services that generate royalties. Examples include streaming platforms (Spotify, Apple Music), digital stores, performance rights organizations (PROs), and sync licensing deals.

Integrations

Integrations enable Royalti.io to connect with third-party platforms (e.g., VertoFx, Josplay, Spotify for Artists, YouTube Content ID, PROs), allowing for automated data imports, royalty tracking, and reporting. They streamline data exchange between external tools and Royalti.io.

API Keys

API keys are unique codes that authenticate and authorize access to Royalti.io’s API (Application Programming Interface). If you want to automate tasks or pull data from Royalti.io into another system, API keys make that possible. Developers and third-party services use them to interact with the platform programmatically.

Analytics

Data-driven insights and reports generated by the platform, including streaming performance, royalty earnings, audience demographics, and revenue trends, help you understand how your music is performing. Analytics allow you to make informed decisions on marketing, distribution, and management.

Checklists

Checklists are predefined or customizable task lists within the Royalti.io workspace that guide you through key processes, such as uploading assets, setting up splits, or verifying royalty statements. They ensure nothing gets overlooked.

Accounting

Royalti.io includes financial management features such as royalty statements, payment histories, tax documentation, and revenue summaries. These tools help you track and manage earnings, generate reports, and maintain financial transparency.

Revenue

This refers to the income earned from musical works, including payments from streaming, downloads, publishing, licensing, and other sources. Revenue is calculated and distributed based on pre-defined splits and agreements.

Rooster

The Rooster feature within Royalti.io manages the list of users and artists within a workspace. Administrators can add, remove, or update user information, permissions, and artist profiles to facilitate collaboration and access control.

Verto

Verto is a cross-border payments and foreign exchange (FX) platform designed for businesses. It enables you to send, receive, and convert funds in multiple currencies seamlessly across global markets.

Wallet

The Wallet section in Royalti.io allows you to manage multiple currency wallets and track transactions. It provides an overview of balances, transaction history, and available funds.

Beneficiary

A feature that allows you to manage recipients for transactions. You can add, edit, or remove beneficiaries and view details of past transactions associated with each beneficiary.

Add-ons

Optional features, extensions, or enhancements that expand Royalti.io’s functionality. Add-ons allow users to customize their experience and add capabilities tailored to specific business needs.

Files

The Files section in Royalti.io serves as a centralized hub where you can access all uploaded and downloaded files, including documents, reports, and other file types related to transactions and royalty data. It ensures easy organization, retrieval, and management of important documents.