DISTROBOLT ARTIST GUIDES
Reconcile a royalty statement before approving payouts
Reconcile royalties before approving a payout by checking the source statement, calculation basis, accepted allocation and existing payment records. A correct total is not enough if the same source line was imported or paid twice.
Establish the source population
Keep the original report, selected filters, account, service, period, currency and file reference. Record whether this is a new report, replacement or correction. Check it against earlier imports using reliable source references. Do not rely on filenames alone to decide that a statement has never been processed.
Check totals at each stage
Compare source line sums with report totals by currency. Trace commission, adjustments, conversions, recoupment and recipient allocations only where applicable and documented. Keep unknown treatment unresolved. A bank deposit is a settlement record, not fresh royalty income to be added again to the source report.
Verify authority and allocation
Confirm the relevant accepted agreement and effective period for each affected recording. Review changed recipients, pending invitations and unusual balances. Do not substitute a convenient percentage to repair a difference. If another person must approve payment, retain their approval against the actual proposed payout reference and amount.
Close with a payout check
Compare the proposed request with existing pending and completed payouts before approval. Preserve the request, confirmation and later bank receipt as distinct records. Investigate missing or duplicate references rather than submitting again. This checklist is a manual review practice, not an assertion that DistroBolt has implemented automatic duplicate-import detection or payment authorisation controls.
Sources and review
Reviewed 4 November 2026. Platform requirements and plan terms can change. Examples are planning aids, not a promise of account access, release acceptance or earnings.
Continue your release planning
- Receive royalty splits without distributing your own music
- Interpolation versus sampling: identify what you are using
- Sample packs and Content ID: why a licence may not be exclusive
Ask the DistroBolt team about your release. Send a concise question and release reference; never send account passwords or verification codes.