Partnering with Pandora

My music plays on the radio service but how do I make it available on Pandora Premium and Pandora Plus?
I'd like to use a distributor service to help get my music on Pandora. Who do you suggest?
Who administers publishing for Pandora partners?
I run a record label. How do I work directly with Pandora?
If I work with Merlin, do I need to establish a direct delivery feed to Pandora to supply my music and metadata?

 

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My music plays on the radio service but how do I make it available on Pandora Premium and Pandora Plus?

In 2016, Pandora changed our model from a statutory service where music is played and paid through Sound Exchange to a direct license model where we need specific rights granted to us for the interactive features available on each tier of Pandora (radio, Pandora Plus and Pandora Premium). Pandora has licensed music from most of the major labels, aggregators, and distributors, which includes thousands of independent labels. If you want your music to be featured in Pandora Plus and Pandora Premium, then you should participate in our direct deal with your distributor. You will benefit from access to the new interactive features, reporting and analytics. If you do not have a direct deal with Pandora, directly or through a distributor, you will not be able to take advantage of these features and your content will be played under a statutory license.

Additionally, it is necessary for you, through your music publisher, to affiliate with both Music Reports, Inc (MRI) and a performance rights organization in order for your content to be featured in Pandora Plus and Pandora Premium.  More information about that process can be found in the section called "Who administers publishing for Pandora partners?".

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I'd like to use a distributor service to help get my music on Pandora. Who do you suggest?

We think that is a good option as well. Good distributors offer robust royalty accounting, analytics, marketing support, sync licensing, publishing administration as well as delivery to dozens of music services worldwide. Here are some that we work with:

A-Train 
AWAL 
Believe 
CDBaby 
Distrokid 
IDOL 
FUGA’s IIP
Ingrooves 
One RPM 
Orchard 
Phonofile 
state51  
Symphonic 
Tunecore  

Beyond these, there are dozens of other partners we work with that specialize in various genres like Dance or in particular regions of the world to suit your needs. Contact us at artist-support@pandora.com if you have questions.

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Who administers publishing for Pandora partners?

For public performance rights, Pandora has agreements in place with all US performance rights organizations (PROs); e.g. ASCAP, BMI, Global Music Rights (GMR), and SESAC. Each PRO has different royalty distribution schedules; please check with your PRO for their payment schedule.

Pandora has retained Music Reports, Inc. (MRI), to assist in the procurement of mechanical licenses and to administer mechanical royalty payments earned in connection with those licenses.

It is necessary for you, through your music publisher, to affiliate with MRI in order to receive these royalties. Alternatively, songwriters and publishers can enter into a direct deal with Pandora, through MRI, by visiting www.musicreports.com/offers/pandora. Songwriters and publishers that would prefer to have their compositions licensed on a compulsory basis must still provide their composition and payment information in order to receive their mechanical royalties from MRI.

Songwriters and music publishers should ensure that their PRO and MRI both have up-to-date contact, catalog, and payment information.

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I run a record label. How do I work directly with Pandora?

If you are an established label and you control your digital rights rather than your physical or other distributor, you may want to work with Merlin, a global rights agency that represents well over 10% of the global music market share. Merlin represents the rights of its members to protect and enhance their ability to compete in the ever changing world of digital music. Merlin is not a distributor or aggregator but (amongst other things) provides a path for independent labels capable of managing direct relationships with digital partners, such as Pandora. Merlin members are some of the largest independent labels and distributors in the world. Companies like Beggars Group, Curb Records, Epitaph, Merge Records, Ninja Tune and Secretly Group and even aggregators and distributors like eOne Entertainment, Kontor, Phonofile, PIAS, Redeye and many others make up Merlin, so you're in good company.

Please visit www.merlinnetwork.org for more information.

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If I work with Merlin, do I need to establish a direct delivery feed to Pandora to supply my music and metadata?

Yes. Please visit delivery.pandora.com for full details and best practices on how to deliver content to Pandora.