Frequently Asked Questions

(artist inspired)

Why us?

If you are a Christian or Gospel artist looking for distribution we are the right fit for you. We understand your mission and audience. We are a low cost, opt-in and opt-out high tech solution with no hidden fees. We do not send you contracts and we are not exclusive. We want you to be here because it is the right fit for you. Our platform is powerful, with wide ranging offerings in audio distribution, and easy to use.

What happens after I sign up?

No matter the plan, you will hear from us within 24-48 hours to process your membership. From there, you will receive your own login and password to gain access to our online tools to start distributing your music. Any questions you have you can click on the “Customer Support” link at the top of the site and a team member will be assigned to your questions to answer every single one of them.

Why do you take a percentage?

Our Elite Plan members partner with us to create fresh awareness for their music and as a result we take a 5% fee on your royalties. This gives our members unlimited access to our pitch worthy features. If members would prefer to not have us take a percentage fee, they can choose the Premium Plan which has most of the same features.

How long does it take the DSPs to report after the music is streamed and or downloaded? 

Most DSPs have a lag of 60 to 90 Days between when streams are played/sold and when they are reported and paid out to us.

Are limited accounts free for collaborators?

If a collaborator on your song is not an Ocean House Music account member, you can still invite the collaborator to access your data and to split royalties all for free.

Will you distribute my catalog too?

In short, yes. We will work with you and your distributor to migrate your entire catalog to us. Import /export catalogs via CSV, XML or DDEX to process larger catalog transfers.

How does Ocean House Music decide which songs will be pitched to playlists on the Elite Plan?

When you sign up for an Elite Plan it does not guarantee that your music will be pitched every time but the more you upload the better your chances are. We give our clients 100% control of their creativity and that means that we don’t have control over what each artist decides to upload. Editorial teams expect various styles and if we believe that it doesn’t fit we won’t pitch your song however, if we do believe that it fits we will pitch the song and if it is selected we share on our socials.

Do I retain ownership of my music?

Yes, you retain 100% of your rights.

Can I generate smartlinks?

You can effortlessly generate smartlinks directly from your dashboard by clicking the word “promote” at the top left. Upon request, we can also create a customizable pre-save smartlink at no extra charge. Simply, click on the “customer support” tab with your cover art (minimum file requirements for cover art down below) and release date as well as three different slug URL options and we’ll email you back with your smartlink.

Are you able to track split on songs / albums?

Have a deal with a producer, songwriter or artist? Use our track splitting feature to have their royalties go straight to them.

Do you offer indie playlist pitching?

We specialize in the Christian & Gospel community and as part of our Elite plan we will also look for additional opportunities within our independent playlist network if we think it fits.

Can I hire you to admin the distribution pages instead?

If you like our platform but would rather have someone else set up your releases, you can request to hire a member of our team. Simply fill out the form and under the “how can we help” section put in your request and we will send you a quote.

What are the rules to posting audio on YouTube, TikTok and Meta?

YouTube: You can post your audio anytime. There are no blocking rules. When you receive a claim on your video, don't fret. That’s just us making sure you are receiving all of your royalties. You will see those in your accounting statements.

TikTok: You can also post your audio anytime however please make sure your audio posts are no longer than 60 seconds. Your whole video will be muted if you post longer and it is non-reversible.

Meta: Re: when to post,…same as YouTube and TikTok. One thing to keep in mind is that if you release a single, then an album with the same single (same ISRC code) and a future start date, that single will be blocked until after the album is released.

Can I distribute cover songs or samples?

Yes, you can.  You can use a company like EasySong.com for all of your clearance needs prior to distributing with us.

How long does it take for my music to go live?

It all depends on the platform but once your release is all set in our system it can take as little as 48 hours for some (ie. Spotify).

What happens if I need to replace my cover art for a song distributed?

Please note that once you update the cover art within your dashboard, the only step necessary is to redeliver the product to the stores to make sure the DSPs get the updated metadata (cover art in this case). For additional help, contact us by clicking the Customer Support tab at the top of your screen.

Do you support Dolby Atmos files?

Yes, our music distribution platform support Dolby Atmos for music releases. This means that when you distribute your music through Ocean House Music, you can make it available in Dolby Atmos, which allows for a spatial audio experience for listeners using compatible devices and platforms like Apple Music. All pricing is recouped against your monthly royalties due.

Pricing:

• $20.00 per track for Dolby Atmos upload and storage.

• $1.00 per Dolby Atmos delivery per track. Each Dolby Atmos track must be delivered alongside a stereo track.

What are the minimum file requirements for my songs?

44.1 kHz 16 bit depth

How do I get my Spotify URI before the Release Date?

You may require your Spotify URI before the release date if you are looking to push for playlist inclusions, gain access to your Spotify For Artists profile (for the first time) or prepare certain buy links. To get the URI, please click the “Customer Support” tab at the top of the site and send us your UPC and ISRC codes (if requesting a URI for a specific track). Please note: Your release must have been delivered to Spotify before requesting your Spotify URL.

Is Spotify Discovery Mode available?

Yes, Ocean House Music will make your songs available on Spotify’s Discovery Mode. Your tracks are eligible if….

• Tracks are released on Spotify for at least 30 days

• Tracks are streamed in Discovery Mode contexts at least 20 times over the last 28 days

• Tracks met Spotify's monetization eligibility criteria in the previous month

What are the minimum file requirements for my cover art?

Please ensure your cover art is square, less than 10 MB and a minimum of 1400px wide (3000px width is recommended for best results) in either jpg, jpeg, png or jfif.

Do you have contracts on your plans?

Our Plans and services are both non-exclusive and have and no contracts. You can cancel anytime.