FAQ

1) WMGW 's Artwork Specifications

When submitting cover art certain information is prohibited and specific criteria must be followed.

Prohibited information includes:

Any information relating to the physical release. This includes, but is not limited to the following:

Pricing Stickers

• Copy promising bonus material (e.g. Lyrics included, DVD included)
• Copy referencing the physical product itself (e.g. 3 CD Set, 7” Vinyl)
• UPC codes
• Website addresses
• Pornography
• Nazi symbolism

Criteria to follow:

• Artists listed on the cover art must be listed somewhere in the release or track level metadata
• Cover art must not be blurry or pixilated
• Cover art must not mislead the consumer into believing a certain artist is performing on the album when they are not (e.g. the original artist’s name overwhelms the actual artist name on a karaoke or tribute album). Supported File Formats: JPG or TIF (Dimensions: 1400 x 1400 pixels) (Color Mode: RGB or CMYK)

Quality: 300 DPI (resolution 10 or higher)

2) Does WMGW Distribute Ringtones?

Definitely! Please view the Ringtones section for information on how to submit your tones. Also, please know that In the USA and Canada, you the Rightsholder is responsible for securing the requisite mechanical licenses and paying out royalties to the appropriate publishers.

3) What Kind of Audio Should I Submit to WMGW for Distribution?

WMGW encodes your releases from retail ready CDs and audio CD-Rs (burned from loss less files such as .wav or .aiff) that will play in any standard audio CD player. Some players will play "data"discs with files such as mp3s, but our system is built to pull audio (.wav files) from an audio CD. If you are preparing a CD-R, choose the "Audio"option (not the "Data"option) if prompted by your burning software. Audio needs to be lossless audio files at the following specifications.

• 44.1 kHz
• 2 channel/stereo
• 16 bit
• .wav files

Each release must be submitted on its own individual CD with the tracks sequenced exactly how you would like them to appear on services. Each audio disc that we encode constitutes an individual "release"(unless multiple discs are packaged together as a "multi-disc"release).

4) Production Services How Long Before My Song Is On iTunes And Other Services?

WMGW delivers to most major services each day. Many services publish your content within a week of delivery. iTunes takes longer due to their internal QA ("polishing") process. Below is a timeline you can use to allow you enough time to hit your street date.

• 9 weeks out: Label mails releases to WMGW.
• 8 weeks out: Releases are received at WMGW, and entered into the system
• 7 weeks out: Set up promotions, resolve any image or data problems.
• 6 weeks out: Label approves the release and WMGW begins feed process.
• 5 weeks out: Feeds complete and WMGW delivery process begins.
• 4 weeks out: WMGW content is delivered to services with plenty of time for ingestion.

Your best shot at making your digital release date is to allow the services 6 weeks to ingest.

5) What other services does WMGW offer its Label Partners

• WMGW Label Services is a suite of services provided ala carte to our label partners designed to increase their revenue streams
  
  
• In house personnel & vetted consultants specializing in marketing, sales, brand partnerships, radio promotion, back office and label management
  
  
• Radio Promotion Services
  
  
• Online & Partnership Marketing tools

6) Apply For Distribution

If you are interested in becoming a client of WMGW's and accessing our tools and services, please fill out the form below. Be as comprehensive as possible, incomplete applications will not be processed. Once submitted, the Content Team will review and respond to you directly.

7) Information on WMGW's Retail Service Partners 

How does WMGW deal with YouTube work?

Overview: YouTube - YouTube is a global platform for user-generated video content ("UGC"). WMGW has executed a new contract with YouTube as of April 2011 to monetize the inclusion of WMGW clients' sound recordings in these videos.

WMGW will make deliveries to YouTube of Rightsholders' audio, which will then be "fingerprinted" by YouTube and matched against the sound recordings in the UGC. Once matched, Rightsholders are paid a percentage of the advertising revenue sold off that particular YouTube page. 

YouTube accepts responsibility for all publishing payments. In the United States, content will only be monetized if full publishing information is provided and YouTube has a deal with the publisher of the content.

YouTube has deals in place with seven major publishers and is working to add more. Monetization can occur ex-US without full publishing information. Benefits of YouTube via WMGW and its partners As of 4/1/2011, WMGW’s YouTube rates have increased 20% and you could potentially still earn more revenue after WMGW's commission than going direct. Linking a YouTube channel to WMGW’s account will give you more options for flexibility of channel design (web and mobile).

Definitions:

• AdSense – Google’s automated ad-serving tool, can be tied to particular keywords.
  
  
• Conflict – When two or more content providers assert ownership over a particular sound recording.
  
  
• CPM – online advertising phrase meaning “cost per mille”. On the label end, it means revenue generated per one thousand ad impressions.
  
  
• Dispute - When a YouTube user disputes WMGW’s ownership claim over a particular sound recording included in the user’s uploaded video.
  
  
• Fingerprinting – Audio and/or Video catalog that is ingested and analyzed by YouTube, then matched against videos in the platform using YouTube’s Content ID system.
  
  
• Match Claim – when an audio asset that WMGW has delivered matches 30 seconds of the audio in a user-generated video and asserts a claim.
  
  
• Monetize/Track/Block – Potential actions once a fingerprinted sound recording (an asset) matches audio in a UGC video.
  
  
• Premium Video – Music videos, artist interviews, live clips under 10 minutes in length that have been delivered by WMGW and other official content providers to VEVO. Premium video is no longer monetized via YouTube.
  
  
• UGC – “User-Generated Content.” Videos that have been uploaded by YouTube Users.
  
  
• [email protected] – The home for Premium Video within the YouTube platform. Also, the only way to view premium content in territories VEVO has not yet launched in.

Earning Revenue on YouTube Once your sound recordings have been fingerprinted and matched across the entire YouTube library (which can take up to 6 weeks), WMGW can begin to “monetize” those videos on your behalf; meaning WMGW has set a policy of earning revenue off of ads that are served on these videos.

Ad buyers pay a certain “CPM” and you earn a certain amount of revenue based on the number of ad impressions.

YouTube pays out both master use and publishing royalties. WMGW collects master use. Publishers collect publishing royalties.

8) Spotify What is Spotify?

With access to millions of songs in high quality audio through your computer, on your mobile and beyond, Spotify makes it easier than ever to play and share music legally. All you need to do is create an account and download the streaming music player.

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

At this time it takes about 6-8 weeks for content to go live in Spotify after it's been delivered from our system.

How does Spotify sell my music?

Spotify sells your music via streaming or paid downloads.

1.) Streaming: Spotify provides on-demand streaming access to your music through an application. Users can choose either a free, ad-funded version or a subscription option for ad-free listening and access to Spotify on their mobile phone.

2.) In early May 2011, Spotify launched their own download store. So, when you distribute your music to Spotify, your music will be available for streaming and downloads. Users can purchase music downloads via a la carte or bundles.

How much do I get paid for streams?

Spotify has deals with necessary rights holders in all of its launch countries. Together with them, Spotify has agreed upon a royalty based on how frequently your music is played. Each stream earns you a share of Spotify's advertising revenue. The actual amount varies and depends on the ratio of advertising revenue and your percentage of the total number of streams at Spotify in a given month.

Does Spotify give away any songs/streams as promotional?

No, all plays are reported and paid for.

In what territories is Spotify available?

Spotify is currently available in Finland, France, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom and United States.

Is Spotify a software, a website, or both?

Spotify is a client based player that you need to download to your desktop or mobile.