A Distributor or Platform Asks for Proof of Rights: What Do You Send?

Most releases go live without anyone asking a question. Sometimes, though, a distributor, a store or a video platform wants to know where a song came from and whether you have the right to release it. The question can arrive at an awkward moment, such as during review a few weeks before a holiday release.

This guide covers what to keep, what to send, and what to do if a claim lands after release. If you licensed the song, most of the proof already exists. You just need it in one place.

Why you might be asked

A distribution agreement asks you to promise that you have the rights. DistroKid's agreement, for example, says you must own or have the legal right to reproduce and distribute 100 percent of the recordings, compositions and artwork you upload. It also says DistroKid may decline to distribute, or remove, a recording if it receives legal claims, reasonably believes claims may arise, or if the recording may violate a store's terms.

Platforms can also act on someone else's complaint. Spotify's intellectual property policy says that when it receives a claim it may remove the content or disable access in specific countries, and that it may contact both the claimant and the creator if it needs more information.

Two kinds of proof: the song and the recording

A release holds two sets of rights, and a reviewer may ask about either one. The song belongs to its writers. The recording is your performance and production. The Copyright Office treats them as separate works, and says the copyright in a recording does not cover the music or lyrics inside it.

Keep two folders, one for the song and one for the recording.

• Song folder: the license certificate. A Starchild certificate names the song, the writers and publishers with their PRO and IPI numbers, you as the licensee, the license type and term, the date, the order reference and a verification code. Download it from your Library. Anyone can check it at /verify.
• Song folder: the license terms and your receipt. Save the agreement you accepted and the order confirmation next to the certificate.
• Recording folder: proof you made it. One distributor, RouteNote, asks for an original video recording of your DAW displaying your track, plus your UPC and username, when its moderators send a release back. Keep your session files, stems and dated project backups, and consider capturing a short screen recording of your session.
• Both folders: the match. The song title and writer names exactly as they appear on the certificate, and the ISRC your distributor assigned to your recording.

What a certificate proves, and what it does not

A certificate shows that you hold a license to the song and names its writers. It does not show that you made the recording, which is why the recording folder matters. Send only what was asked for, to the person who asked, and keep a copy of what you sent. If a reviewer wants to confirm the certificate, the verification link lets them check it themselves.

How to reply

Answer once, in writing, with everything attached, and inside any deadline the message names. If you need more time, ask for it in writing. Say what you hold and what you do not claim. Here is a message you can adapt:

"Hello. I released [song title], written by [writer names]. I hold a [non-exclusive or exclusive] license to record and release this song, and I am the performing artist on the recording, not the songwriter. Attached are my license certificate, which can be checked at starchild.music/verify, my order confirmation, and a screen recording of my session. Please tell me if you need anything else."

Keep a copy of what you sent and the date. If your distributor's form asks whether a song is a cover or an original, see our release guide and ask the distributor's support how it wants a song licensed from its writer to be entered. Save the answer.

If a claim arrives after release

A claim is different from a review. On YouTube, you can dispute a Content ID claim if you have a valid reason, such as having all the necessary rights to the content in your video. The claimant has 30 days to respond. YouTube's help page explains that the claimant reviews the dispute because YouTube cannot make ownership determinations and does not know what content was properly licensed. So your proof has to convince the claimant, which is why you send the certificate and the verification link.

YouTube also lists what does not count: giving credit to the owner, owning a copy of the song, or choosing not to monetize. It warns that you should dispute only if you are confident that you have all the necessary rights, because repeated or malicious abuse of the dispute process can bring penalties.

Takedown notices and counter-notices

A takedown notice under the U.S. DMCA is a separate legal process. The Copyright Office's FAQ says a takedown notice does not mean you are being sued. If your material was removed by mistake or misidentification, for example because you have a valid license, you can send a counter-notice to the service that removed it. The Office says a counter-notice must include:

• your physical or electronic signature;
• a description of the removed material and where it appeared;
• a statement under penalty of perjury that you believe the removal was a mistake or misidentification;
• your contact details, your consent to a federal court's jurisdiction, and your agreement to accept legal papers from the sender.

After a compliant counter-notice, the service must restore access after no less than ten and no more than fourteen business days, unless the sender says it has filed a court action. The Office also warns that knowingly making a false statement in a counter-notice can make you liable for damages, costs and attorneys' fees. Because a counter-notice is a legal document, talk to a music attorney before you file one.

Make it easier next time

• Save the certificate, receipt and license text in your release folder the day you buy. Our year-end paperwork checklist shows a simple filing system.
• Enter the title and writers exactly as they appear on the certificate. Entering songwriter info covers the fields.
• Leave YouTube Content ID off for a song you licensed non-exclusively, as we explain in our music video guide.
• Ask the marketplace you licensed through how to reach the writer, in case a claimant needs to hear from them.
• Keep your session files and dated backups for as long as the recording is available.

This is general information, not legal advice. For a claim that involves money, or a dispute that keeps coming back, talk to a music attorney.

Sources

• DistroKid: Distribution Agreement
• RouteNote Support Hub: How do I prove I own my music?
• Spotify: Intellectual Property Policy
• YouTube Help: Dispute a copyright claim
• U.S. Copyright Office: Section 512 of Title 17, Notice-and-Takedown Resources and FAQ
• U.S. Copyright Office: Circular 56, Copyright Registration for Sound Recordings