What Should Royalty Software Cost in 2026?
A breakdown of royalty software pricing models — per-artist vs per-revenue — and why the difference matters as your label grows.
insight
Most labels pay too much for royalty software — or avoid it entirely because they assume it's expensive. Neither is necessary. But the pricing models vary wildly, and understanding them is the difference between a predictable expense and a cost that scales with your success.
Key Takeaways
- There are three pricing models: per-artist (flat), per-revenue (scales with income), and enterprise (custom quotes)
- Revenue-based pricing looks cheap at first but can reach $200-600+/month as your label grows
- Per-artist pricing means your costs only change when you add or remove artists — not when you earn more
- The real cost isn't the software — it's the time you're currently spending on manual processes
The three pricing models
Per-artist pricing (flat, predictable)
You pay based on the number of artist accounts, not your revenue. Add an artist, your cost goes up by a fixed amount. Remove one, it goes back down. Process £100 or £10,000,000 in royalties — the rate doesn't change. This is the model RosterRoyalties uses: $49/month for up to 15 artists, with enterprise tiers for larger operations. Unlimited contributors, producers, writers, and statements included.
Revenue-based pricing (scales with success)
You pay based on how much money flows through the platform. This looks affordable at first — some start as low as $17/month — but scales as your label grows. Infinite Catalog, for example, charges $17/month for up to $12,000/year in revenue, rising to $224/month at $20,000/month in revenue, and continues scaling beyond that. Royalti.io offers a free tier but adds graduated overage fees: 2% on revenue up to $20k, 1.5% from $20k-$50k, and 1% above $50k. At $100,000/month in revenue, you could be paying $500-600+ per month.
Enterprise pricing (custom quotes)
Platforms like Curve and Vistex don't publish pricing — you need to contact sales for a quote. These are built for major labels and large publishers with complex multi-territory rights, mechanical royalty reporting, and dedicated support. If you're managing thousands of releases across dozens of markets, this might be appropriate. For most independent labels, it's overkill and often requires lengthy implementation projects.
Revenue-based pricing adds up fast
What to compare beyond the headline price
- Pricing model. Per-artist? Per-revenue? Hybrid? Understand exactly how costs change as you grow.
- Onboarding fees. Some platforms charge setup fees or require paid implementation. RoyaltyWorx, for instance, charges an onboarding fee plus revenue percentage.
- Contributor limits. Can you add unlimited producers, writers, and collaborators? Or is there a per-contributor charge?
- Statement limits. Some platforms charge per statement generated or limit how many you can create per period.
- Row limits. Eddy, for example, prices based on data rows processed — €39/month for 500k rows, €239/month for 10M rows.
The question isn't "what does it cost today?" It's "what will it cost when my label is twice this size?"
What $49/month gets you at RosterRoyalties
- Up to 15 artist accounts
- Unlimited contributors, producers, writers, and freelancers
- Unlimited statements — no per-statement charges
- Logic-based CSV ingestion that auto-maps any DSP format
- Full recoupment tracking with ring-fenced and cross-collateralised options
- Artist portal access with platform-by-platform breakdowns
- Publishing split support
- Invoicing and contract management
- No revenue percentage — process £100 or £10,000,000 at the same rate
Try before you buy
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Put this into practice with RosterRoyalties
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