As your music distributor we are here to support you all the way.

Forward is here to help at every stage of your release journey. It is our job to provide you with the information you need to make it as a successful record label. Can’t find the answer on our FAQ? Our team of knowledgeable Artist Support Specialists are there to make things easy for you. Contact us here and we will respond as fast as we can and hey! We are fast!!

Most frequently asked questions.

What is Forward?

Forward is a digital music distribution service record labels of any size. With forward as your distribution partner, you can rely on our technology and expertise, to maximize your global reach, get your music heard, grow your fan base, and stay in control of your career.

How does digital music distribution work?

Distribution is a crucial part of music promotion. In today’s digital age of music, a distribution platform, such as Forward, receives music from an artist or label in its digital form and delivers it to all types of digital stores. With our platform you can get your music on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, Google Play, Youtube, Traxsource or Beatport. These store types can range from streaming services to download stores or ad revenue based platforms and everywhere in between. As your distributor we will provide you with a set of promotion tools and best practices to get the best out your music releases.

How do I get paid for my music?

The moment we receive payments from the music stores we update the payments section for your account on our platform. When you have accrued more than 50 €, you can withdraw it via bank transference or PayPal.

Can I switch to Forward from another distributor?

It is a simple and straightforward process to switch to Forward from another distributor. Once you’ve uploaded your content to us we will check it over for you and get it delivered to all the digital services. You should then ask your former music distributor to take your releases down. You don’t need to change UPCs or ISRCs and if you have a sizeable catalog we can help you with tools to bulk upload it into our system. Your streaming and listener numbers on streaming platforms will remain intact.

What's the deal?

A one year contract is required for distribute with us with a 90 day rolling term which means that you can terminate your contract with us at any time on 90 days’ notice. We take a 15% share of revenue that we collect for you. There are no additional fees for distribution and no upfront or annual fees for uploading or storing your release with Forward.

What happens if I want to terminate my music distribution agreement?

The agreement continues until terminated by either you or us. If you terminate your agreement then we will remove your catalog from our service within 90 days and take it down from our digital partners’ stores and services. Alternatively you can simply remove certain territories or content from our service, without terminating your whole agreement.

Is Forward's service open to music artists as well as record labels?

Our service is just relevant to record labels. When you upload a new release to our portal you can set the label name for the release, and this label identity will be displayed on all the digital stores and services. If your company operates a number of labels then you can choose which label to associate with each release when you upload it.

How long does it take for my releases to reach stores?

When creating your release, it’s always best to select a future release date to ensure your release goes live on all platforms at the same time. In order to meet a specific release date, we recommend uploading content for distribution 3 to 4 weeks ahead of your target release date or pre-order start date. After submitting your release, it will go through our Content Review process. Our review process generally takes about 1-2 business days to review your release. Once your release has been approved, it will be sent to stores immediately. At that point, it will be the responsibility of each store to make the release live.

Can I make changes in an upload?

If you need to make a change to your release before or after it’s approved and sent to stores, our system offers you all the tools so that you can make all the changes you need. You can also take down releases that are live directly from our platform.

How the DMCA Takedown Service works?

We scan the web for copyright-infringing content. Our automatic system finds all illegal copies of your works. After scanning for copyright infringement, we check and verify that the files found actually belong to your titles. We use a combination of automatic and manual checks. In case of copyright infringement our system automatically sends DMCA takedown messages to the file hoster. If that doesn’t work, we get the pirate site removed from Google. With our DMCA takedown service you can take control of online piracy protecting your intellectual property.

Can I mix and master my music releases through your platform?

For an additional fee, you can mix and master your music with one of the world's most renowned mixing and mastering studios with a with a vast roster of worldwide known labels and artists such as Drumcode, Suara, Knee Deep In Sound, Circus Recordings, Terminal M, Still Vor Talent, Cr2 Records, Toolroom, Lost on You and many others.

Why choose Forward for music distribution?

Forward was founded with purpose to use the musical talents of the associated artists to reach its audience, achieve something beyond the music by helping others. As a Charity project when distributing your music through our platform all the money raised from the album sales on our side after production cost are destined to help with the fight against malnutrition, better health, and sanitary problems in the poorest parts of Africa.