For Publishers
A publisher's catalog problem is provenance, not storage. DropCue keeps writer and publisher splits, PRO registrations, and alternate versions attached to every copyright, then lets you pitch that catalog to clients with per-recipient analytics.
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Splits live on the track, not in a spreadsheet. Writer and publisher rows carry name, role, split percentage, PRO, and IPI as real fields. When a cue airs eighteen months later, the cue sheet data comes out of the same place it went in, instead of out of an email thread nobody can find.
One catalog, any number of writers. Track defaults let you onboard a signed writer's 400-track catalog without entering the same split 400 times. File-embedded metadata still wins where it exists, so defaults fill gaps rather than overwriting good data.
Administer and pitch from the same catalog. Filter on genre, mood, BPM, and key to answer a brief, then share the result as a branded link with password and expiry. No export step, no second system, no reconciling two databases by hand.
1. Import the catalog. Bulk upload WAV, AIFF, FLAC, or MP3. Apply per-writer track defaults so splits, PRO, and IPI land on every file automatically.
2. Group the copyrights. Alternate mixes, instrumentals, and cutdowns nest under the parent master, so the catalog reads as copyrights rather than as a file dump.
3. Answer the brief. Filter by genre, mood, BPM, and key, build a client-facing playlist, and send one branded link with password protection and an expiry date.
4. See what landed. Per-recipient analytics show which writer's tracks actually got played and for how long. Useful for renewals and for deciding which corner of the catalog to push.
DropCue is not a royalty collection system. It holds split and registration data and gets it onto cue sheets and into pitches, but it does not collect from PROs or process statements on your behalf. Most publishers keep their collection system and use DropCue for catalog presentation and delivery.
It also is not a self-serve catalog storefront. You can share filtered playlists and full albums as branded links, which covers the brief-response workflow, but clients do not browse and search your catalog on their own. If that is the core requirement, SourceAudio is the more direct fit.
Pro is priced by catalog size: $15/mo for 1,000 tracks, $20 for 3,000, $30 for 5,000, $42 for 10,000, and $69 for 20,000, billed annually. Studio adds the Business Suite (pitch pipeline, royalty tracker, agreement generator, clients and license tracker) from $29/mo on the same ladder. No per-placement fee, no revenue share.
Catalog management software for publishers · Music metadata management · DropCue for labels · DropCue for agencies · Catalog management for independent publishers
Stop reconciling a rights database against a sharing tool by hand. Keep splits, alternates, and client delivery in one catalog.
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It depends on which half of the job you are optimizing for. Enterprise rights platforms like Synchtank handle administration and collection well and are priced for companies with a dedicated admin team. SourceAudio is strong on searchable client-facing catalogs. DropCue sits where most independent publishers actually live: structured writer and publisher splits attached to every track, alternate versions grouped under their master, and the same catalog used to pitch clients with per-recipient analytics. From $15 per month annually for 1,000 tracks.
Yes. Writer and publisher splits are stored per track, so one catalog can span any number of writers with completely different split structures. Track defaults are applied per upload batch, so onboarding writer A's catalog and writer B's catalog uses different defaults without conflicting. There is no per-writer fee.
No, and it should not be sold as one. DropCue holds split and registration data on the track and gets it onto cue sheets and into pitches. It does not collect from PROs or process statements on your behalf. Publishers running full administration usually keep their collection system and use DropCue for catalog presentation and delivery. The Studio tier adds a royalty tracker for importing PRO statements, which covers reporting but not collection.
As structured rows, not freetext. Each writer row carries name, role, split percentage, PRO affiliation, and IPI number. Each publisher row carries the same. That data travels with the track and exports with it, which is what makes cue sheet preparation a copy rather than a re-derivation from someone's memory.
One copyright rarely means one file. Upload the master, instrumental, cutdowns, and beds, and DropCue nests the variants under the parent track. It reads filename markers like "(Instrumental)" or "(60)" automatically, and you can assign the parent manually. The client sees one catalog entry per copyright and expands it for versions, while the rights data stays attached to the parent.
Pro is priced by catalog size: $15 per month for 1,000 tracks, $20 for 3,000, $30 for 5,000, $42 for 10,000, and $69 for 20,000, all billed annually. Publishers who also want the Business Suite move to Studio, from $29 per month on the same ladder. There is no per-placement fee and no revenue share.