Terms of Use

About these terms

These terms apply when you use the Canada Music Group (“CMG”, “we”, “us”) website or the Distribution Portal, or send music to CMG Records, CMG Distribution or CMG Publishing. By using them, you agree to these terms.

If you sign a separate agreement with us, such as a distribution, label or publishing agreement, that agreement also applies. Where it conflicts with these terms, your agreement comes first for that relationship.

Key words used in these terms

Some words in these terms have a specific meaning. We use them in the same way every time, so that you can tell exactly what a sentence covers.

• Services means our website, the Distribution Portal, and the distribution, record label and publishing services we provide through CMG Distribution, CMG Records and CMG Publishing.
• Release means a single, EP, album or other set of recordings, together with its artwork and information, that you submit to us.
• Platform means any streaming service, digital store, social network or other business that receives your release from us.
• Agreement means any separate written contract you sign with us, such as a distribution, label or publishing agreement.
• Account holder means the person or company that opened the account and is responsible for it.

Other words are explained where they first appear. If a word is not defined, it has its ordinary meaning.

How to read these terms

These terms are meant to be read as a whole. A few simple rules help avoid confusion about what they mean and how the parts fit together.

• Headings are there to help you find your way and do not change the meaning of the text.
• Examples show what we mean, but they are not complete lists. The words "including" and "such as" mean "including without limitation".
• A reference to a law includes that law as it is changed or replaced from time to time.
• Singular words include the plural, and the other way round.
• If these terms and a document that they mention disagree, the order of priority is your signed agreement first, then these terms, then any guide or help text in the portal.

If you are unsure what a sentence means, please ask us before you rely on it. We would rather explain it than leave you guessing.

Who may use our services

Our services are for people and businesses who can lawfully enter into a contract with us. By creating an account or submitting a release, you confirm that you have the legal capacity and authority to agree to these terms.

If you act for a company, label, band or other group, you also confirm that you have authority to bind it, and that it will be bound by these terms. If you do not have that authority, you must not use the services for that organisation.

We may refuse to open an account, or may decline to work with a person or business, where the law requires it, where an earlier account was closed for breach of these terms, or where we reasonably believe that the person is not who they say they are. We do not have to give a reason where the law or a platform prevents us from doing so, but we will explain what we can.

You may not use our services if you are prohibited from doing so under sanctions or export laws that apply to us.

Types of account

Different people use our services in different ways, and the account you choose should match the way you work. In general we offer accounts for the following users.

• Artist accounts for solo artists and bands who release their own music.
• Label accounts for record labels and companies that manage releases for more than one artist.
• Manager accounts for people authorised to act for one or more artists.
• Songwriter and publishing accounts for writers and rights holders who use CMG Publishing.

The features, reports and limits that you see may depend on the type of account you hold and on any agreement you have signed. We may ask you to change account type if the way you use the services no longer matches the account you opened, for example if a personal account is used to run a label with many artists.

Accounts held by companies and groups

If an account belongs to a company, label, band or other group, the account holder is that organisation, and not the individual who opened it. The person who opened the account must have authority to do so and must tell us if that authority ends.

• Keep the name of the account holder and its contact details accurate and current.
• Tell us promptly if the people who run the account change, if the group breaks up, or if the company changes its name or is sold.
• Agree among yourselves who owns the catalogue and who is entitled to the income. We pay the account holder, or the people the account holder tells us to pay, and we are not responsible for disputes inside the group.

If two or more people claim to represent the same account holder and we cannot tell who has authority, we may pause changes to the account and any payments until we receive proof, such as a signed agreement or a court order, that resolves the question.

Identity checks and verification

Music distribution is a target for fraud, so we may ask you to prove who you are or that you have the rights to your music. We may do this when you open an account, when you submit a release, when you change payout details, when income reaches a certain size, or when something about your activity looks unusual.

We may ask for:

• a government identity document or a company registration document;
• proof that you control an artist profile, a social media account or a website named in your release;
• agreements, licences or messages that show you have the rights to the music, samples or artwork you submitted; and
• a short video call or other reasonable steps to confirm that you are the person you claim to be.

Until we have what we ask for, we may delay a release, hold a payment or limit certain features. We handle any documents you give us as explained in our Privacy Policy.

Adding other people to your account

Where the portal allows it, you may give other people access to your account, for example a manager, a bandmate, an accountant or a label employee. You decide who may see what, and you are responsible for the people you add.

• Only add people who have agreed, and give each person the lowest level of access that lets them do their job.
• Anything done by someone you added counts as done by you, so these terms apply to their actions as well as your own.
• Remove people promptly when they leave your team or stop working with you. Changing a password does not remove a person’s access if they have their own login.
• Do not let one person use another person’s login. Each person should use their own.

If you tell us that someone should no longer have access, we will act on it as soon as we reasonably can, but we may first ask for proof that you are the account holder.

Protecting your login details

Your login details are the key to your account, your music and your money. You are responsible for keeping them safe, and for everything that happens when they are used.

• Choose a strong password that you do not use anywhere else, and change it if you think someone else knows it.
• Where the portal offers extra protection, such as a second step when signing in, turn it on and keep it on.
• Never share your password, a verification code or a reset link with anyone, including people who say they work for CMG. We will never ask you for them.
• Sign out on shared devices, and keep the email account linked to your portal account secure.

Tell us immediately if you notice a sign-in, change or release that you did not make. We may reset your password, pause your account or hold payments while we look into it, and we may ask you to prove who you are before we restore access.

If you lose access to your account

If you forget your password or lose access to the email address or device linked to your account, you can ask us to help you recover it. Because an account holds money and rights, we need to be careful that we only give access back to the real account holder.

We may ask you to answer questions about your account, name releases you submitted, show proof of identity, or confirm details that only the account holder would know. If you cannot give us enough proof, we may refuse to restore access, and we may ask you to open a new account and claim your releases through our verification process instead.

While recovery is in progress, we may pause payout changes and new releases on the account. This delay protects you from someone who may be pretending to be you. We are not responsible for losses caused by a delay that results from a genuine security check, and we will do our best to finish the process quickly.

Keeping your information accurate

The information you give us is used to deliver your music, credit the right people and pay the right accounts. Mistakes can cost you money or delay a release, so please keep your details accurate and up to date.

• Check your name, email address, address, tax details and payout details when you sign up, and after any change.
• Make sure the name on your payout account matches the name on your account or release, unless we have agreed otherwise in writing.
• Do not give details that belong to someone else, or that you do not have the right to use.
• Tell us about changes before they affect a payment, not afterwards.

We may rely on the information in your account without checking it, and we are not responsible for errors or losses caused by information that was wrong or out of date.

Your artist name and profile

Your artist name is how listeners find you. Platforms often link a new release to an existing artist profile by matching the name, and a wrong match can put your music on another person’s page.

Give us the exact artist name and, where the portal asks for it, the correct profile link or identifier on each platform, so that your music goes to the right place. We cannot promise that a platform will accept the link we send, and we are not responsible for a platform matching your release to the wrong profile.

You must not choose an artist name that is the same as, or confusingly close to, a well-known artist, band or brand, unless you really are that artist or have written permission. We may ask you to change a name that could mislead listeners, and we may refuse or remove a release that uses one.

If two artists share a name, you may be asked to add a clear difference, such as a middle name or a short descriptor.

How we communicate with you

We contact you mostly by email and through the Distribution Portal. By using our services, you agree that we may send you notices, statements and other information that way, and that a message counts as received when we send it to the address on your account or post it in the portal.

• Keep your email address current and check your inbox, and your spam folder, regularly.
• Add our sending address to your safe list, so that important messages reach you.
• We send service messages, such as changes to a release, payment notices and security alerts, whether or not you have chosen to receive news.
• You can unsubscribe from news and offers at any time. Unsubscribing does not stop service messages.

If you want to give us a formal notice under these terms or your agreement, use the contact details at the end of these terms and keep a copy of what you send.

Agreeing electronically

You may accept these terms, and any agreement or amendment we offer you, electronically, for example by clicking a button, ticking a box or signing in a digital signing tool. You agree that doing so has the same effect as signing a paper document.

We may keep an electronic record of the date, the time and the version of the terms that you accepted, along with the account that accepted them. These records can be used as evidence in the same way as any other business record.

If you cannot accept electronically, for example because of a disability or a technical limit, tell us and we will try to find another way for you to agree, such as a signed paper copy sent by post or by email.

You agree not to challenge an electronic agreement or signature only because it was made electronically.

Language and translations

These terms are written in English, and the English version is the one that applies. We may provide translations to help you understand them, for example in Indonesian or another language, but a translation is a convenience only.

If a translation and the English version differ in meaning, the English version applies, unless the law where you live says otherwise. Support messages and notices from us will normally be in English, although we will try to answer in your language where we reasonably can.

If you do not fully understand these terms, you should ask us questions before you use our services, or get advice from a person you trust, such as a lawyer or an experienced manager, who can explain them in your own language.

When you write to us in another language, we may use translation tools or other people to understand your message, and you agree that we may do so.

Your account

• You must be old enough to enter a contract where you live. If you are younger, a parent or guardian must agree on your behalf.
• Give us accurate information and keep it up to date, including your contact and payout details.
• Keep your password private. You are responsible for what happens under your account, so tell us at once if you think someone else has used it.
• Do not share an account between different artists or labels, and do not create accounts to get around a suspension.

Using the Distribution Portal

The Distribution Portal lets you upload releases, follow their progress, view reports and manage your details. To use it properly:

• Submit files that meet the technical and platform requirements shown in the portal, such as audio quality, artwork size and required metadata.
• Enter titles, artist names, credits, genres and release dates exactly as you want them to appear, since platforms may not allow changes after a release goes live.
• Do not submit the same release more than once, and do not use the portal to test or store files you do not intend to release.
• Treat what you see in the portal, including reports and balances, as information that can be updated when platforms send corrections.

We may update, pause or change the portal and its features from time to time, and we may carry out maintenance that makes it unavailable for a short while.

Availability of the portal

We want the Distribution Portal to be available when you need it, but we cannot promise that it will always work without interruption. It depends on systems and providers that we do not fully control, and it needs regular maintenance.

• We may take the portal offline for planned maintenance, and we will try to do this at quiet times and to warn you where we reasonably can.
• It may also be unavailable because of faults, attacks, power or network failures, or problems at our hosting providers.
• We may limit how fast or how often you can use certain features, so that the portal stays fast and safe for everyone.

Plan ahead for important dates. If you have a release date, a pitch deadline or a campaign that depends on the portal, upload your files early, because we are not responsible for losses caused by a short period of downtime.

Changes to features and tools

We improve the services all the time. This means that features may be added, changed, moved or removed, and that the way you complete a task in the portal may be different from one month to the next.

When we make a change that significantly reduces something you rely on, we will try to tell you in advance, for example by an email or a notice in the portal. We are not required to keep a feature, tool or layout unchanged, and we do not promise that a feature will be offered forever or free of charge.

If we stop offering a feature that is part of an agreement you signed, the agreement decides what happens. Otherwise, you may stop using the services if you do not accept a change, and you may ask us to close your account and take down your releases, as explained elsewhere in these terms.

We may also set limits on how many releases, files or users an account can have, and we may change those limits where there is a good reason to do so.

Early access and test features

From time to time we may invite you to try a feature that is still being tested. We may call it a beta, a pilot, a preview or early access. These features help us learn, but they may not work as well as the finished service.

• Test features are offered as they are, and may contain errors, change without notice or be withdrawn at any time.
• Do not rely on a test feature for something important, such as a release that must go live on a fixed date.
• We may ask for your feedback, and we may use it as set out in the section on feedback and ideas.
• Special terms may apply to a test feature. If so, we will show them to you before you use it, and they apply in addition to these terms.

Where the law allows, we are not liable for losses caused by a test feature, and your use of one is at your own risk.

Audio file requirements

Platforms set strict rules for audio, and a file that does not meet them may be rejected after we have sent it. To avoid delays, you agree to supply audio that meets the requirements shown in the portal at the time you upload it.

• Send the final, mastered version of each track, in the format and quality we ask for. Do not send low-quality copies, converted files or recordings made from a stream.
• Make sure the file is complete, plays from start to end, and contains no clicks, cuts or distortion that you did not intend.
• Do not include extra audio, such as silence, adverts, voice notes, watermarks or messages about other services.
• Keep the track in the order, length and title you entered, so that the file matches its information.

We may check files by hand or with automated tools, and we may reject or ask you to replace a file that does not meet the requirements. We do not edit or improve your audio unless you ask us to and we agree.

Artwork requirements

Your cover art is often the first thing a listener sees. Platforms apply their own rules about what it may show, and they may refuse artwork that does not follow them.

• Use the size, shape, colour format and file type shown in the portal. Artwork should be sharp, square and free of borders and blur.
• Show only the information that matches your release, such as the title and artist name. Do not add prices, store logos, website addresses, social media handles or the words "new" or "out now".
• Do not use images, logos, fonts or designs that belong to other people unless you have permission in writing.
• Do not include nudity, sexual imagery, graphic violence, hateful symbols or any content that breaks the section on what you must not do.
• Make sure that any person shown in the artwork has agreed to their image being used.

We may ask you to change artwork that does not comply, or we may replace it with a plain placeholder if a release has to go live on time and you have not sent a suitable alternative.

Metadata and credits

Metadata is the information about a release, such as titles, artist names, writers, producers, genre, language and dates. It decides how your music is displayed, searched, credited and paid, so it must be correct and consistent.

• Use the same spelling, capital letters and punctuation for names and titles everywhere, and follow the style rules shown in the portal.
• Credit every contributor who is entitled to a credit, and do not credit people who were not involved.
• Enter the correct language, explicit content marking and version information, such as live, remix or acoustic.
• Do not put promotional text, URLs, emoji or other extras in titles or artist names.
• Do not use metadata to mislead, such as adding a famous name to attract searches.

Platforms may change or reject metadata that does not follow their rules. After a release is live, some changes may not be possible or may take time, and some require a new release. You are responsible for the accuracy of the metadata you enter.

Singles, EPs and albums

Platforms treat releases differently depending on how many tracks they have and how long they are. We follow the rules that platforms publish, and we may classify or label your release according to them.

As a general guide, a release is shown as a single, an EP or an album depending on the number of tracks and the total running time. If your release does not match the format you chose, a platform may reclassify it, and we may change the format shown in the portal to match.

• Do not split one work into many tiny tracks, or join unrelated tracks together, to change how a release is classified.
• Do not add short filler tracks, silence or repeated tracks to reach a certain length.
• If you update a release by adding tracks, tell us, and we will explain whether a new release is needed.

We are not responsible for how a platform labels or arranges your release.

Release dates and scheduling

You choose a release date when you submit your music, and we aim to deliver it so that it can go live on that day. This requires time for checking, delivery and platform processing, so you should submit early.

• Submit your release well before the date you want. The time we need can change, and it is longer at busy times of the year.
• If you submit too late, we may move the date to the earliest possible day, and we are not responsible for a missed date.
• If you want a release to appear in editorial playlists or featured sections, platforms may ask for much more notice. We cannot guarantee that a platform will consider your music.
• You can ask to change a release date, but platforms may not accept the change once a release has been delivered.

Time zones can affect when a release appears. Check the date and time shown in the portal, and ask us if you are unsure how it applies in each country.

Choosing platforms and territories

You decide where your music is sent, within the platforms and territories that we offer. Some choices may be limited by the rights you hold, by your agreements with others, or by the laws of a particular country.

• Only choose territories and platforms for which you have the necessary rights and licences.
• If you have granted exclusive rights in a territory, for example to a label or another distributor, do not send the same music to that territory through us.
• Some platforms or countries may not be available for every release, and some may have special rules for certain content.
• We may add or remove platforms and territories over time, and we do not promise that any particular platform will be offered.

If a platform refuses your release, delays it or removes it, we will tell you what we can. We are not responsible for platform decisions, and we may not be able to challenge them on your behalf.

Pre-saves, previews and early promotion

If you share a link, a pre-save page or a preview of your release before it goes live, you are responsible for what you share and for any risks that come with it. Early promotion can help, but it can also cause problems if the release is delayed or changed.

• Do not promise a firm release date to fans or partners until we have confirmed that the release has been delivered.
• Do not share unreleased audio from the portal, or give out access to your account, so that others can preview a release.
• Pre-save and link tools may be provided by other companies, and their own terms apply to them.
• Do not use misleading claims, such as saying that a release is on a platform before it is live.

If a release date changes, we will tell you, but we are not responsible for any promotion, event or campaign that you planned around a date that later moved.

Codes and identifiers

Music is tracked using codes. Recordings, releases and songs are given identifiers so that platforms and societies can match plays, sales and income to the right owner. Using these codes correctly protects your income.

• We may assign codes to your releases and tracks, or you may supply codes that you already own. Only supply a code that was issued to you or to the rights owner.
• Never use the same code for two different recordings, and do not change a code after a release has been delivered unless we agree.
• If you move a release from another distributor, use the original codes, so that the history of the release and its earnings stay together.
• If a code is used wrongly, we may correct it, ask you for a new one, or hold the release until the problem is solved.

Codes that we assign remain linked to the release, and you may not sell or transfer them separately from the release they identify.

Explicit and sensitive content

Many platforms ask whether a recording contains explicit language or other content that may not be suitable for all listeners, and some restrict this content by age or country. You must tell us the truth about what your release contains.

• Mark a track as explicit if it has strong language, violence, sexual themes or references to drugs, in line with the guidance in the portal.
• Do not mark explicit content as clean, or the other way round, to avoid a restriction or to attract attention.
• Provide a clean version where one exists, and tell us which version is which.
• Some content is not allowed even when it is marked, including the content described in the sections on what you must not do and on child safety.

Platforms may change the marking you chose, restrict a release or remove it. We may also correct a wrong marking before delivery, and we may refuse a release that we reasonably think is unsuitable for the services.

Lyrics and written content

If you provide lyrics, translations, liner notes or other written material with a release, you are responsible for it as part of your content. It must be your own work or used with permission, and it must follow the same rules as the audio and artwork.

• Provide lyrics exactly as they are sung, and in the language of the recording, unless a translation is clearly marked.
• Do not copy lyrics or text written by someone else without permission, and do not include material that is unlawful or that breaks the rules on what you must not do.
• Where lyrics are sent to a service that shows them to listeners, we may share them with that service and its partners, and you give us permission to do so.

If you do not provide lyrics, a platform or a lyrics partner may create or license its own version. We do not control this, and we are not responsible for lyrics that other companies add or display.

Videos and visual content

If we offer a way to deliver music videos, lyric videos, visualisers or other moving images, these terms apply to them as part of your content, together with any extra rules that the portal shows.

• You must own, or have a licence for, everything shown and heard in the video, including footage, images, effects, fonts and music.
• Anyone who appears in the video must have agreed to it, and where the law requires it, a parent or guardian must agree for a person who is under age.
• Video files must meet the technical requirements in the portal. A video that does not may be rejected.
• Videos must not show anything that breaks these terms, a platform’s rules or the law.

Platforms may set different rules for video and may charge for or restrict its delivery. We will tell you of extra costs shown in the portal, and any income from video is reported and paid as set out in your agreement.

Your music and content

You keep ownership of your music, artwork and other material (“your content”). When you submit a release, you give CMG permission to store, copy, format and deliver it to streaming platforms and stores, and to show your name, titles and artwork to promote and report on the release. The permission covers what is needed to provide our services, and any further rights are set out in your agreement. It lasts until you ask us to remove the release and we have taken it down, except for copies we must keep for legal or accounting reasons and copies already held by platforms and listeners.

By submitting a release you confirm that:

• you are legally allowed to submit the release and to give us the permission described above;
• you own the music and artwork, or have permission to use everything in them, including samples, beats, covers and images;
• every writer, producer, performer and other contributor has agreed to the release and to how income is split;
• nothing in it breaks anyone’s copyright, trademark, privacy or other rights, or the law;
• the details you enter, such as artist names, credits and release dates, are accurate.

What you must not do

• Upload music or artwork you do not have the rights to, or pretend to be another artist or label.
• Use bots, click farms or paid schemes to inflate streams, plays, followers or saves.
• Upload content that is unlawful, hateful, threatening, or that sexually exploits or endangers anyone.
• Use misleading titles, artist names or metadata to confuse listeners or divert royalties.
• Attack, scrape or overload our systems, try to access other people’s accounts, or upload harmful code.
• Use the Distribution Portal to resell our services or to build a competing service without our written permission.

Review, delivery and takedowns

We may check every release before delivery. We can ask you to make changes, delay a release, or refuse it if it does not meet our standards, platform requirements or these terms. If we refuse a release, we will tell you why where we reasonably can, and you may fix the problem and submit it again.

Streaming platforms and stores make their own decisions about what to publish and when. We cannot promise that a release will go live on a certain date, appear on every platform, or stay available, and we are not responsible for platform delays, rejections or removals.

You can ask us to take down a release at any time through the contact details below. Removal can take time to reach every platform, and copies, playlists and listener libraries may still show your music for a while.

Cover songs and other people’s compositions

If your release includes a song that was written by someone else, you need the right permissions before you submit it. Recording your own version of a song does not, on its own, give you the right to distribute it.

• Tell us when a track is a cover version and name the original writers and publishers in the metadata.
• Obtain the licences that apply in each territory, such as a mechanical licence, where the law or a platform requires one.
• Do not use a cover to hide that you have copied a recording. A cover must be newly recorded, and not a copy, edit or re-upload of someone else’s recording.
• Some platforms or territories may refuse cover versions, or may require extra steps before they accept them.

We may ask for proof of your licence, and we may hold or reject a release until you provide it. If a rights owner makes a claim about a cover, we may take action as described in the section on copyright complaints.

Samples, loops and beats

Samples, loops, beats, presets and other pre-made sounds can speed up a project, but they come with licence conditions that you must follow. Not every sound that is easy to find is free to use in a commercial release.

• Clear every sample taken from another recording, both the recording itself and the song it contains, before you submit the release.
• Check the licence of any sound library or beat store you use. Some allow commercial use, some limit the number of streams, and some need a credit.
• If you buy a beat, keep your licence and receipt. A basic licence may not allow you to distribute the music on all platforms.
• Tell us in the metadata if a track contains a sample, and if a credit or a share of income is owed.

You are responsible for any claim that arises from a sample or beat in your release. If we receive a claim, we may take down the release, hold income, or pass your details to the claimant.

Music made with artificial intelligence

Tools that generate music, voices, lyrics or images are now common. You may use them in your releases, but you must do so honestly, lawfully and in line with the rules of the platforms that receive your music.

• Tell us if a recording, voice or artwork was made wholly or partly with an artificial intelligence tool, when the portal or a platform asks.
• Check the terms of the tool you used. You may only submit output that you are allowed to use commercially, and you must own or hold the rights to what you submit.
• Do not imitate the voice, name, style or likeness of a real artist in a way that could mislead listeners, and do not use a voice without the person’s consent.
• Do not use artificial intelligence to produce large numbers of low-quality tracks, to create fake artists, or to generate plays.

We may reject, label or remove a release that breaks these rules or a platform’s policy, and we may hold income that comes from it.

Public domain recordings and works

Some songs and recordings are so old that their copyright has ended. A work that is in the public domain in one country may still be protected in another, and a new recording of an old work can carry its own rights.

• Do not assume that a work is free to use because it is old, because you found it online, or because it sounds familiar.
• Check the status of the composition and of the recording separately, and in each territory where you want to release.
• Do not submit an old recording that you did not make or that you do not own, even if it is in a format that is easy to copy.
• Tell us if a release is based on a public domain work, and provide the writers and sources, so that platforms can treat it correctly.

Some platforms apply extra checks to public domain content because of the risk of copying. We may ask for evidence and may reject a release that does not satisfy us. You remain responsible for the status of your material.

Compilations, mixes and live recordings

Releases that gather other people’s tracks, or that capture a live event, bring extra rights questions. These releases are allowed only when every right in them has been cleared.

• For a compilation, you must have written permission from the owner of every track and every contributor, and you must credit each one correctly.
• For a DJ mix or a mashup, you must clear each original recording and composition. A mix is not allowed simply because it was put together by you.
• For a live recording, you must have the consent of the performers, the venue or promoter where needed, and the writers of any songs performed.
• For recordings of speeches, sounds or ambient noises, you must have the permission of the people who can be heard or who own the recording.

We may ask to see your licences, and we may refuse or remove a release that does not have them. Platforms may not accept some of these releases at all, and may label them differently.

Remixes, edits and alternate versions

A remix, an edit, a sped-up version or any other new version of an existing track is a derivative work. The rights in the original do not go away, and the person who owns them has a say in what is done with it.

• Only submit a remix or edit if the owner of the original recording and song has given written permission, or if you own both.
• Show clearly in the title and the credits that the track is a version of another track, and credit the original artist and writers.
• Do not submit unofficial remixes, bootlegs or re-uploads of tracks that belong to other people.
• Do not use sped-up, slowed or lightly edited copies of a track to create new releases that earn separate income, if the original is already distributed.

If more than one version of the same track exists, we may ask you to link them so that platforms present them correctly, and we may combine, relabel or remove versions that are duplicates.

Content identification and claims

Some platforms use systems that recognise music and match it to its owner. These systems help owners get paid, but they can also make mistakes, and they can be misused.

• If we offer a service that registers your recordings with such systems, you agree that we may do so on your behalf, and you must tell us if the same recordings are registered by someone else.
• Do not claim music that is not yours, and do not register recordings that are already claimed by another party unless you have the right to do so.
• If a platform makes a claim on your recording, we may pass that information to you and may pause related income until it is resolved.
• If a claim is made against you wrongly, tell us promptly, and send the evidence we ask for, so that we can support your case with the platform where we can.

We do not decide who owns what, and we are not responsible for a platform’s identification systems, its decisions or the speed of its disputes process.

Child safety

We have no tolerance for any content that sexualises, exploits or endangers children. Nothing of this kind is allowed in any release, artwork, title, lyric, video or message that is sent through our services.

• You must not submit content that depicts or promotes the abuse or sexualisation of anyone under the age of 18.
• You must not use our services to contact, groom or exploit a child, or to share material that does so.
• Where a child is a performer or appears in your release, you must have the consent of a parent or guardian, and you must make sure that the child is safe and appropriately treated.

We will remove content that breaks this section immediately, close the related accounts, and keep records. Where the law allows or requires, we will report it to the police and the authorities, and we will cooperate with their investigations. We may do this without warning, and we may share information with them, as set out in our Privacy Policy.

Impersonation and false identity

Listeners trust that the name on a release belongs to the person who made it. Pretending to be someone else damages that trust and can hurt real artists and fans.

• Do not use another person’s name, voice, image, brand or identity in a way that could make people think you are them or that they support you.
• Do not set up an account, profile or release in the name of an artist or a label without their written permission.
• Do not use a false name, a false address or false documents to open an account or to receive payments.
• Do not claim to represent CMG, or to have its approval, unless we have given you that right in writing.

If we believe that an account or release involves impersonation, we may remove content, suspend the account and hold income while we investigate. We may ask the person who is being imitated to confirm that they did not give their consent.

Fake streams and manipulation

Streams and sales should come from real listeners. Platforms invest heavily in finding fake activity, and they can penalise artists, labels and distributors that are connected to it.

• Do not create, buy, sell, trade or use fake plays, followers, saves, likes, comments or playlist placements, whether by bots, scripts, click farms, paid schemes or any other means.
• Do not ask friends and family to play your tracks on repeat, or use devices or accounts for the sole purpose of increasing counts.
• Do not work with promoters who guarantee a number of plays, unless you are sure how they achieve them.
• Do not let anyone else do these things for your music, with or without your knowledge.

If a platform or we detect artificial activity, we may remove the release, hold or take back the income, add charges that a platform passes on to us, suspend or close your account and tell platforms and other distributors. We may do this even if you say that you did not know.

Following platform rules

The platforms that carry your music have their own policies, and we must follow them in order to keep delivering to them. By using our services, you agree to comply with the rules that apply to your releases.

• Platforms may publish guidelines on content, metadata, artwork, release behaviour, payments, spam and fraud. We may pass these on to you, or show them in the portal.
• When a platform changes its rules, we may need to ask you to change a release, or to stop delivering it, to stay within the new rules.
• If a platform takes action against your music, such as a removal, a fine or a warning, we may pass on the effect to you, as far as your agreement allows.
• We may decide not to deliver content that we think is likely to cause a problem with a platform, even if the content is lawful.

We do not control the platforms and cannot guarantee how they will apply their rules. Staying informed about the rules of the places where you want your music to appear is part of your responsibility as a releasing artist or label.

How we review releases

Every release goes through a review before we deliver it. The review helps to catch technical errors, rights problems and rule breaches, so that your music is less likely to be rejected or removed later.

• The review may combine automated checks and checks by our team, and it may look at audio, artwork, metadata, credits and the history of the account.
• It may take longer for new accounts, for large releases, or when we need to ask you questions.
• We may repeat checks after delivery, and we may act on information we learn later.
• Passing our review is not a promise that a release is lawful, accurate or acceptable to a platform. It does not reduce your responsibility for your content.

We use reasonable skill and care in our reviews, but they cannot find every problem. We are not liable for errors that our checks do not detect.

If a release is rejected or needs changes

Sometimes a release cannot be delivered as it was submitted. When this happens, we will normally tell you what we found and what you can do next, so that you have the chance to put it right.

• We may ask you to replace a file, correct information, supply documents or remove content before we continue.
• If you make the changes, we will review the release again. We do not promise that it will then be accepted.
• If you do not respond within a reasonable time, we may cancel the submission and ask you to start again.
• We may refuse a release for reasons that we cannot explain in detail, for example because of a legal restriction, a safety concern or a platform requirement.

You may ask us to reconsider a decision by replying to the message and giving your reasons and any evidence. A person on our team will look at it again. A rejected release does not on its own lead to a charge, although the account may be reviewed if problems are repeated.

Taking a release down

You can ask us to remove a release from the platforms to which it was delivered. We will pass your request on as quickly as we reasonably can, but we do not control how fast each platform acts.

• Send your request through the portal or by email from the address linked to your account, and tell us which release or track you want removed.
• We may ask you to confirm your identity and your authority, in particular if the request comes from someone other than the account holder.
• Removal can take from a few days to several weeks. Until then, your music may remain available, and some copies, links or listener libraries may continue to show it.
• You may not be able to re-release the same recording through us immediately after a takedown, and some identifiers may not be reused.

Taking a release down does not cancel income already earned, nor does it end your responsibility for the content that was released. We may keep records of the release, as explained in the Privacy Policy.

Urgent removals and legal orders

In some cases we need to take down content quickly, and we may do so without asking you first. This protects listeners, rights owners, platforms and you.

• We may act at once when we receive a credible complaint of infringement, a court or authority order, or a report that a release is harmful, unlawful or fraudulent.
• We may act at once when a platform or a rights organisation tells us that a release must be removed.
• We may act at once when we have a reasonable belief that leaving the content up could cause serious harm.

Where we reasonably can, we will tell you what we did and why, and we will explain what you can do to challenge it. We may be prevented by law from giving you details, in which case we will tell you as much as we are allowed to.

We are not liable for loss that results from a removal made in good faith under this section, even if it later turns out that the complaint was mistaken, although we will help to restore your release if the problem is solved.

When a platform removes your music

A platform can remove or restrict a release for its own reasons, with or without telling us. Some of these decisions are about the music, and some are about the account, the artist or the way a release was promoted.

• If we learn that a platform has removed or restricted your release, we will tell you what we know, where we are allowed to do so.
• We may try to ask the platform to explain or to review its decision, but we cannot make it change its mind.
• If a platform charges us a fee, a penalty or a cost because of your content, we may pass this on to you as the agreement allows, and we may deduct it from your income.
• We may stop delivering your future releases to a platform that has acted against your music, if we reasonably think the problem would continue.

You are not entitled to compensation from us because a platform has refused, delayed or removed your music, except as your agreement provides.

Moving a catalogue to us

If you already have music with another distributor, you can usually move it to us. Done carefully, a move keeps your streams, playlist places and history intact. Done badly, it can cause duplicate releases and lost income.

• Tell us that the release is already live, and give us its original codes, dates and details, so that we can match the existing release.
• Do not deliver a release through us while it is still delivered through another distributor to the same platforms, unless we agree on a plan for the move.
• Make sure that you have the right to move the release, and that you have settled anything that you owe to the previous distributor.
• Be prepared for a short overlap or gap while the platforms process the change.

We cannot promise that the platforms will keep all play counts, playlist places or reviews after a move, as this depends on their systems.

Moving a catalogue away from us

If you decide to leave us, you may move your releases to another distributor. We will help you do this in an orderly way and in line with your agreement, so that your music is not interrupted.

• Tell us in writing which releases you want to move and when, and give us the name of the new distributor, if you can.
• Do not tell the new distributor to deliver a release until we have removed ours, unless we have agreed on a transfer, because duplicates can cause platforms to reject or merge them.
• Pay any amount that you owe us before we release the catalogue, and tell us about any outstanding claims on your music.
• Expect income from earlier periods to arrive for some time after the move, since platforms report with a delay.

We will continue to report and pay income that we received for the time when the music was with us, as set out in your agreement.

Conflicts over who controls a release

Disagreements about who has the right to release a track, who owns a catalogue, or who may give instructions about it can arise between band members, producers, labels, managers and former partners. We are not able to decide these questions, and we do not take sides.

• If we receive conflicting instructions, we may follow the instructions of the account holder, or we may pause the release until the people involved agree.
• We may ask each person for proof of their rights, such as signed agreements, and we may share the claims that are made with the people concerned.
• We may hold income, suspend changes to the release, or take it down where a dispute is serious.
• We will follow an order from a court or other competent authority, and we may ask you to give us a copy.

You agree that we are not liable for decisions we make in good faith while we work through a conflict, and that each person involved will bear their own costs.

Royalties and payments

Royalties come from the platforms and stores that carry your music. We report what they report to us and pay you as set out in your agreement, after any fees or commission stated there.

• You are responsible for giving us correct payout details. We are not liable for payments sent to details you gave us in error.
• You are responsible for your own taxes. We may withhold tax or ask for tax forms where the law requires it.
• Platform reports can be corrected later. If we were paid too much, or income came from fraud or artificial streams, we may adjust, hold or take back that income from your future payments.
• We may hold payments while we look into a dispute or a rights complaint about a release.
• Platforms pay on their own schedules, so earnings may appear in your reports some time after the streams or sales happen.
• If your payout details are wrong or out of date, payments may be delayed until you fix them. We may also charge any bank or transfer fees the payment provider applies, as stated in your agreement.

When royalties are paid

Platforms report and pay on their own schedules, usually weeks or months after the music is played or sold. We can only pay you after we have received and checked the money, so the timing of your payment depends on theirs.

• We prepare statements for each reporting period and pay the amount shown, after any fees and deductions allowed by these terms or your agreement.
• The payment dates shown in the portal are a guide and not a promise. Delays by platforms, banks or our payment providers can move them.
• Some income arrives late, in small amounts or in adjustments to earlier periods. We will include it in a later statement.
• If a payment is delayed for a reason that is within our control, we will tell you and pay as soon as we reasonably can.

Seeing a figure in your reports does not mean that the money is ready to be paid, because it may still be waiting for confirmation from a platform.

Minimum balances and payout requests

To keep fees and costs reasonable, we may only pay when your available balance reaches a minimum amount that is shown in the portal or in your agreement. Smaller balances stay in your account and carry over to the next period.

• You may be able to ask for a payout when your balance is above the minimum, and we will process your request as set out in the portal.
• We may change the minimum amount, and we will tell you before the change affects you.
• A balance that has not been paid does not earn interest, and we do not hold it as a deposit or as banking money.
• If your balance stays below the minimum and your account is closed, we will explain how any remaining amount will be handled, and we will pay it where we reasonably can.

We may refuse or delay a payout while we complete a check, investigate a concern or wait for information that you have not provided.

Currencies and exchange rates

Platforms pay in many currencies. We may need to convert the money into the currency in which we pay you, and the rate used may differ from the rate you see in the news or on your bank’s app.

• We pay in the currency stated in the portal or in your agreement. You may be able to choose another currency where we offer the option.
• When we convert, we use a rate that we or our payment provider obtain on or around the date of conversion, and we may include a reasonable margin.
• Your own bank may convert the money again and charge its own fees, and we have no control over this.
• Exchange rates move, so the amount you receive may be higher or lower than you expected.

We are not responsible for losses caused by changes in exchange rates, or by conversion costs that are charged by banks or payment providers.

Fees, commission and costs

The fees we charge, and the share of income we keep, are set out in your agreement and in the portal. If something is not described there, we will not charge for it without telling you first.

• We may deduct our fee or commission from your income before we pay you.
• We may charge for optional services, such as extra stores, special delivery, cover-song licensing, content identification or faster support, and we will show the price before you agree.
• Banks, payment providers and platforms may charge fees that we pass on to you. We will show these in your statement where they apply.
• If we change our fees, we will tell you in advance, and the new fees will apply from the date we give. If you do not accept them, you may stop using the services and take down your releases.

All amounts are shown before tax, unless we say otherwise.

Taxes

You are responsible for your own taxes on the money you earn from your music. We do not give tax advice, and you should speak to a qualified adviser about your own situation.

• You must give us the tax information we ask for, such as your tax residency and tax identification number, and keep it up to date.
• We may withhold tax from payments, or pay it to a tax authority, where the law requires it, and where you have not given us the information we need to apply a lower rate.
• We may issue tax forms or reports about your payments, and we may send these to the relevant authorities.
• Where a tax or similar charge applies to our fees, we may add it to the fees you pay.

If you do not provide the tax details we request, we may hold payments or apply the highest rate that the law allows until you do.

How we send your money

We pay by the methods shown in the portal, which may include bank transfer and payment services. The methods available can depend on your country and on the rules of our payment providers.

• Pay-outs go to the account you have set up in your payout details. They must be in your name, or in the name of the company that holds the account, unless we have agreed otherwise.
• We may ask you to verify a new payout account, and we may delay the first payment to it while we do so.
• If a payment is returned or rejected, we may deduct the cost of the failed transfer, and we may hold the money until you give us working details.
• We are not responsible for delays or fees charged by the receiving bank, or for rules that restrict payments to or from certain countries.

If we send a payment according to the details in your account, we will have done what we are required to do, even if the details turn out to be wrong.

Corrections, refunds and repayment

Sometimes income that we have paid has to be reversed. This is rare, but it can happen, and it is only fair that we explain how it works.

• A platform may refund or reverse a sale, correct an earlier report or take money back because of fraud, a chargeback or an error.
• We may have paid you too much because of our own mistake, a duplicate payment or a late correction.
• Income may be found to come from fake streams, from content that was not yours or from a release that broke the rules.

In these cases we may deduct the amount from future payments, ask you to repay it, or both. If your account has been closed, we may ask you to pay the amount directly, and you agree to do so within a reasonable time that we set. If we make a deduction, we will show it in your statement and explain the reason.

We will not take money back without a good reason, and we will tell you what is happening and why.

If your balance goes below zero

A balance can fall below zero when deductions, fees or reversals are larger than your available income. This is called a negative balance.

• We may carry a negative balance forward and deduct it from later income, from any account you hold with us, or from any amount we owe you.
• We may pause new releases or paid services until the balance is cleared, or until we agree a plan with you.
• We may ask you to pay a negative balance, especially when it is caused by fraud, wrongful claims, advances or costs that we paid on your behalf.
• We do not charge interest on a negative balance unless your agreement says so.

If an account is closed with a negative balance that you do not pay, we may use legal means to recover it, and we may share the details of the debt with agencies that help us, as the law allows, and as explained in our Privacy Policy.

When we may hold a payment

There are times when we must pause a payment. A hold is not a penalty, and we use it only when there is a good reason.

• We are looking into suspected fraud, fake streams, impersonation or a breach of these terms.
• We have received a rights claim, a legal order or a request from a platform or authority.
• People disagree about who should be paid, or about the splits in a release.
• We need information from you, such as tax details, identity documents or corrected payout details.
• The payment seems unusual, for example a sudden change of payout account followed by a large request.

We will tell you about a hold where we reasonably can, and explain what is needed to release it. We will release the money when the reason for the hold has been resolved, less any amounts we are entitled to deduct. If we find that you broke these terms, we may keep or return the income to the person entitled to it.

Checking your statements

Your statements show the income we received for you and how we calculated what we pay. Please read them and tell us quickly if something looks wrong.

• Check that each release, track and split is shown correctly, and that the amounts match what you expect.
• Tell us in writing about any error or question, and explain what you think is wrong and why.
• We will look into your concern and reply, and where we find a mistake we will correct it in your next statement.
• If you do not tell us about a problem within the period shown in your agreement, or in the portal, we may treat the statement as correct, to the extent the law allows.

Platforms may send us corrected reports long after the first ones. We will pass these changes on in a later statement, and the figures in earlier statements may change as a result.

Asking to see our records

If you want to check that we have paid you correctly, you may ask us for supporting information. We would like you to feel confident that your statements are accurate.

• Ask us in writing, say what you want to check and give a reason, and we will respond within a reasonable time.
• We may give you reports, reasonable explanations and, where appropriate, extracts from platform statements for your music.
• If your agreement gives you the right to an audit, it sets out how and when you may use it, and it applies in place of this section.
• We may keep confidential any information about other artists, our other customers, our contracts with platforms and our own business.

You must keep any information we give you for this purpose confidential and use it only to check your own account. We may ask you to sign a confidentiality agreement before we share anything sensitive.

Splits and collaborators

You are responsible for setting up splits correctly. We pay the shares you record and are not responsible for disputes between you and your collaborators. If two people claim the same share, we may hold the income until you settle it or a court or agreement decides it.

Publishing and licensing

If you use CMG Publishing, we may register your songs, collect royalties on your behalf and offer your music for sync licensing in film, television, advertising and games. The specific rights you give us, the territories, how long they last and the share we keep are set out in your publishing agreement and not in these terms.

Registering a song with us does not by itself transfer ownership of it. You should not give another publisher or collection society the same rights for the same songs in a way that conflicts with your agreement with us.

Copyright complaints

If you think a release on our services uses your work without permission, email halo@canadamusicgroup.cc with the title and artist of the release, what you own, proof that you own it, and your contact details. We may take the release down, pass your notice to the account holder, and share your details with them. We may also end the accounts of people who repeatedly infringe.

If your release was removed after a complaint and you believe it was a mistake, you can reply to us with an explanation and any proof that you have the rights. We will review it fairly, but we may keep the release down while we do.

Our website and brand

The CMG website, name, logos, design and original text belong to CMG or its licensors. You may view and share links to the site for personal and normal business use. You may not copy, sell or reuse our material, or imply that CMG endorses you, without our written permission.

Feedback and ideas

If you send us suggestions about our services, you agree that we may use them without paying you or giving you credit. This does not apply to your music or other content, which stays yours as described above.

Third-party services

Our services work with other companies, including streaming platforms, payment providers and tools such as Google Forms and Tally. They have their own terms and privacy policies, and we are not responsible for them.

Registering your songs

If you use CMG Publishing, we may register your songs with collecting societies, rights databases and partners, so that income from their use can be found and paid to the right people. Registration is only as good as the information behind it.

• Give us the correct titles, writers, shares and contact details for every song, and tell us if any of them change.
• Make sure that every writer agrees to the shares you give us. If the shares do not add up, or writers disagree, we may delay registration.
• Tell us if a song is already registered by you, by another publisher or by a society, so that we do not register it twice or against your agreement.
• Tell us if a writer is already a member of a society, and give us their membership details.

We are not responsible for delays or refusals by societies and databases, or for registrations that were wrong because of information you gave us. We cannot promise that income will be collected in every territory.

Sync licensing, step by step

Sync licensing means permission to use your music with pictures, such as in a film, a programme, an advertisement or a game. If your agreement allows us to offer your music for sync, the following general steps apply.

• We may pitch your songs or recordings to music supervisors, agencies and producers, and we choose the ones that suit each project.
• When someone wants to use a song, we negotiate the fee and the terms, and we may ask you to approve them where your agreement requires.
• We prepare and issue the licence, collect the fee and pay you your share after our costs and commission, as stated in your agreement.
• We may offer the song on a non-exclusive basis, unless your agreement says otherwise.

You must not license the same rights to someone else in a way that conflicts with our work, and you must tell us at once if you receive a sync request directly. We cannot promise that any song will be chosen, or that a licence will lead to income.

Collecting societies and rights organisations

In many countries, societies collect money for songwriters, publishers and performers when music is played in public, on radio and television, or online. How they work depends on the country and on your own membership.

• If you are a member of a society, tell us, and give us your membership details. Your membership may affect what we can collect for you and what the society keeps.
• Do not assign the same rights to us and to a society in a way that conflicts. Your agreement tells you how we work together with societies.
• Societies have their own rules, fees, payment dates and ways of solving disputes. We do not control them and cannot change them.
• We may collect income from societies on your behalf and pay it to you as the agreement allows.

If a society refuses to register a song or pays less than you expect, we will tell you what we know and help where we reasonably can, but we are not liable for a society’s decisions.

Rights for performers and recordings

Besides the rights in a song, there are rights in a recording and in a performance, which can earn money when the recording is broadcast or played in public. These are sometimes called neighbouring rights, and they are often handled separately from songwriting royalties.

• If we offer to collect neighbouring rights, we will tell you what is included and which agreement applies.
• You must tell us who owns the recording and who performed on it, and give us accurate details of each performer.
• You must not give someone else the right to collect the same income for the same recordings in a way that conflicts with our agreement.
• Performers who are session musicians may have their own rights, and you should keep written agreements with them.

Rules and payment times differ between countries, and some income may arrive years after a recording was played. We pay your share when we receive and process it.

Promotion and marketing support

We may offer help with promotion, such as pitching to playlists and media, advice, campaigns or promotional tools. These services are meant to give your music a better chance, but they cannot guarantee results.

• We decide which releases we pitch and how we do it, and we may choose not to pitch a release for any reason.
• You may be asked to provide material, such as photos, biographies, press quotes and artwork, and you must have the rights to everything that you give us.
• Paid promotion is described in the portal or in a separate agreement, and the price is shown before you agree to it.
• You must not use promotion services that break platform rules or these terms, and we may stop work if we find that you did.

We make no promise that a campaign will lead to plays, followers, coverage or income. Results depend on many things that we do not control, including the music itself and the choices of listeners and platforms.

Playlists, editors and curators

Many artists hope to be added to playlists. Some are chosen by editors who work for platforms, and some by independent curators. Their decisions are theirs alone, and we do not control them.

• If we offer a tool to pitch your music to platform editors, we will pass your information on to the platform, and the editors decide whether to consider it.
• Do not pay curators or services that promise placement in exchange for money, because many platforms treat this as a breach of their rules and may remove your music.
• Do not claim that a playlist or a placement was arranged by us unless we have said so.
• Information that you give for pitching must be true, and you must keep it up to date.

We cannot promise any placement, and we are not liable if a platform chooses not to feature your music or if a placement ends.

Using your name, image and biography

To deliver and promote your music, we may need to use your artist name, photographs, biography and other details that describe you. You keep ownership of them, and you give us permission only as far as is needed.

• You allow us to use your name, image, voice and approved biography in connection with the delivery, reporting and promotion of your releases, and in our usual material that shows the work we do.
• You allow us to share them with platforms, partners and media who help us promote your music.
• We will not use your name or image to suggest that you endorse a product or a business that is not connected to your music, without your permission.
• You can ask us to stop using them in new material, and we will do so as soon as reasonably possible, although we may not be able to remove what has already been published.

You confirm that you have the right to give us any photographs or material you provide, and that anyone who appears in them has agreed.

Using the CMG name and logos

The names, logos and brand marks of CMG, CMG Records, CMG Distribution and CMG Publishing belong to us. We allow limited use of them so that you can say, truthfully, that you work with us.

• You may say that your music is distributed, released or published by CMG, as long as it is true and as long as it is clear that you are not CMG.
• You may use our name and logo only in the form we provide, and you may not change, shorten or combine them with other marks.
• You may not use our name or logo in a way that suggests that we approve your music, your business or your statements, unless we agree in writing.
• You may not register a name, a domain or a social media account that includes our marks or looks similar to them.

We may ask you to stop using our marks at any time, and we may withdraw this permission when your account ends. If we ask, you must remove them promptly.

Reports, data and analytics

The portal shows reports and figures about the performance of your releases, such as plays, sales, countries and income. We provide them to help you understand your music and to check your statements.

• Reports come from platforms and other third parties, and we cannot promise that they are complete, accurate or up to date. They may be changed or corrected later.
• You may use the data for your own business and to plan your music. You may not resell it, publish it in bulk, or use it to build a competing service.
• You must not try to collect data from the portal by automated means, unless we have given you a tool that allows it.
• We may use information about the performance of music in a summary form, without your name, to improve our services and to understand our business.

Figures such as listener numbers and locations come in totals, and do not identify individual listeners. Our Privacy Policy explains how we handle personal information.

Keeping information confidential

In the course of working together, each of us may learn private information about the other, such as contract terms, prices, plans, unreleased music, financial details and business methods. We both agree to treat this carefully.

• Use confidential information only for the purposes of our relationship, and do not share it with anyone except advisers and staff who need to know and who agree to keep it private.
• Protect it with at least the same care that you use for your own private information, and not less than reasonable care.
• You may share it when the law, a court or an authority requires it, as long as you tell the other side first, where this is allowed.
• Information that is public, that you already knew, or that you received lawfully from another source is not confidential.

These duties continue after your account ends, for as long as the information remains confidential. They do not stop you from talking about your own music or from using information about your own account.

Security problems and incidents

We work to protect our systems and your account, but no service is completely secure. If something goes wrong, or if you notice a risk, it is best that we deal with it together and quickly.

• Tell us at once if you think your account has been misused, or if you find a weakness in our services.
• Do not test our systems, look for weaknesses, or try to reach information that is not yours, unless we have given you written permission.
• We may suspend accounts, reset passwords, hold payments or limit features while we deal with an incident.
• If an incident affects your personal information in a way that could harm you, we will tell you as explained in our Privacy Policy.

We are not liable for losses caused by something that is outside our reasonable control, such as an attack by a criminal or a failure of a system that we do not run, if we have taken reasonable steps to protect the services.

Suspension and ending your account

You can stop using our services at any time and ask us to close your account. We may suspend or close an account, remove content or hold income if you break these terms or your agreement, if we are required to by law or a platform, or if we reasonably suspect fraud or infringement. Where we reasonably can, we will tell you why. If we close your account without a breach on your part, we will give you reasonable notice and pay any income you are owed under your agreement.

If an account has had no activity for a long time, we may contact you and, if we cannot reach you, close it. We will not delete money you are owed because an account was inactive.

Sections that are meant to continue after the end of your account, such as those on your content, payments, liability and disputes, still apply afterwards.

Disclaimers

We work to keep our services running, but we provide them “as is” and “as available”. We do not promise they will always be free of errors or interruptions, or that your music will reach any number of listeners or earn any amount of money.

Events outside our control

We are not responsible for delays or failures caused by events beyond our reasonable control. This includes outages at hosting, payment or internet providers, platform or store changes, disputes between rights owners, strikes, severe weather, natural disasters, war, and actions by governments or authorities.

Limits on our liability

To the extent the law allows, CMG is not liable for indirect or consequential losses, lost income or lost opportunities arising from your use of our services, and our total liability for any claim is limited to the amount we paid you, or owed you, in the 12 months before the claim. Nothing in these terms limits liability that cannot be limited by law, such as for fraud or for death or personal injury caused by negligence.

Your responsibility for claims

If a third party makes a claim against CMG because of your content or because you broke these terms, you agree to cover the reasonable losses and costs that result, to the extent the law allows. We will tell you about the claim and let you help respond to it.

Privacy

How we collect and use personal information is explained in our Privacy Policy, and our use of cookies in the Cookie Policy.

Changes to these terms

We may update these terms as our services or the law change. We will change the date at the top of this page and, for significant changes, tell account holders by email or in the Distribution Portal. If you keep using our services after a change takes effect, you accept the new terms. If you do not agree, stop using them and ask us to close your account.

Governing law and disputes

Any agreement you sign with us states which law applies and where disputes are heard. Please try to resolve any problem with us directly first by contacting us below.

General terms

• Whole agreement. These terms, together with any agreement you sign with us and the policies they mention, are the full agreement between you and CMG about our services.
• If part is invalid. If a court finds part of these terms cannot be enforced, the rest stays in force.
• No waiver. If we do not enforce a term straight away, we have not given up the right to do so later.
• Transfers. You may not transfer your account or your rights under these terms without our written permission. We may transfer ours as part of a merger, sale or reorganization of CMG.
• Notices. We may contact you by email at the address on your account or through the Distribution Portal, and you can reach us at the address below.

Our relationship

Using our services does not make you an employee, partner, agent or joint venturer of CMG, and it does not make us yours. We each act for ourselves, and neither of us may make promises or sign contracts on behalf of the other, unless we have agreed so in writing.

• You decide what music you create and release, and you are responsible for your own business and your own choices.
• We provide services as an independent company, and we may work with many artists and labels, including ones whose music is similar to yours.
• Unless your agreement says so, we do not provide legal, tax, financial or career advice, and we are not your manager or your lawyer.
• Nothing in these terms makes us a bank, an escrow service or a holder of money on trust for you, except where the law says otherwise.

If you want advice about your rights, your contracts or your finances, you should speak to a suitably qualified professional who works for you.

People who are not part of these terms

These terms are an agreement between you and CMG. Other people, such as your bandmates, collaborators, fans or the platforms that carry your music, are not parties to them and cannot enforce them.

• Only you and CMG have rights under these terms, except where we say otherwise or where the law gives a right to someone else.
• Our affiliated companies and our staff may rely on the limits and protections in these terms, as if they were parties.
• We do not have to get the permission of any other person to change or end these terms.
• If you allow other people to use your account, you remain responsible to us for what they do.

Platforms and other partners have their own agreements with us. Nothing in these terms gives you a right against them, and nothing in them gives them a right against you.

Following the law and sanctions rules

We work in many countries and must obey the laws that apply to us, including rules on sanctions, anti-bribery, anti-money-laundering, export controls and consumer protection. You agree to follow the laws that apply to you and to your use of our services.

• You confirm that you, your business and the people you work with are not on any sanctions list that applies to us, and that you are not owned or controlled by someone who is.
• You must not use our services to hide money, to avoid tax, to pay a bribe or to move funds that come from crime.
• We may refuse, delay or reverse a payment, close an account or take down content if the law or a bank requires it, or if we reasonably think it is needed to follow the law.
• We may report suspicious activity to the authorities, and we may not be allowed to tell you that we have done so.

If a law changes in a way that affects these terms, we may update them, as explained in the section on changes to these terms.

Solving a disagreement

Most disagreements can be settled by talking. If you think we have made a mistake, or if you are unhappy with a decision, we would like the chance to put it right before things become formal.

• Tell us. Write to us using the contact details below, describe the problem, say what you would like us to do and include any evidence.
• We look into it. We will confirm that we have received your message, investigate and reply, normally in writing.
• Escalate if needed. If you are not satisfied, you can ask for a more senior member of our team to review the matter.
• Consider other routes. If we still cannot agree, we may suggest mediation or another way of solving the dispute that is fair to both sides.

These steps do not stop you from going to a court or an authority when you have the right to do so. If your agreement sets out its own method for disputes, such as arbitration, that method applies to the matters it covers.

Time limits for raising problems

The longer a problem goes unreported, the harder it is to check what happened. For that reason, we ask you to raise issues quickly, and in some cases we set time limits for doing so.

• Tell us about errors in a release as soon as you see them, so that we can ask platforms to fix them while the release is new.
• Tell us about mistakes in a statement within the period stated in your agreement or in the portal.
• Tell us promptly about any unauthorised use of your account, a missing payment or a rights claim against your music.
• Where the law sets a longer period for a claim, that period applies, and nothing here shortens a time limit that the law does not allow us to shorten.

Raising a concern late does not mean that we will refuse to look at it, but we may not be able to correct a platform’s records, recover money or obtain evidence from third parties after a long delay.

What continues after your account ends

When an account is closed, whether by you or by us, most of your access stops, but some parts of these terms must continue so that the relationship ends in a fair and orderly way.

• Your releases will be taken down as explained in the section on taking a release down, unless we agree a different plan.
• We will report and pay income that we received for the time when your music was with us, less any amounts that you owe us.
• Your promises about your content, and your responsibility for claims, continue for as long as a claim could arise.
• Confidentiality, limits on our liability, payment and repayment duties, and the sections on governing law and disputes continue as well.
• We may keep information about you for as long as the law or our legitimate business needs require, as explained in the Privacy Policy.

Closing an account does not end any debt that you owe us, and it does not cancel anything that we have the right to do under these terms.

Getting help from us

If you have a question, a problem or a request, our support team is the place to start. We try to be clear, kind and quick, although we cannot promise a particular response time for every message.

• Write to us from the email address on your account, and tell us your account name, the release involved and what you need.
• Attach the files, screenshots or documents that help us understand the problem, and do not send passwords or full card numbers.
• We may ask you for more information, and we may need time to talk to platforms or partners before we can answer.
• Urgent matters, such as a security problem, a legal notice or a harmful release, should be marked as urgent in the subject line.

Support is for questions about our services. We cannot give legal, financial or creative advice, and we cannot change the decisions that platforms and partners make. If you need help in another format, for example because of a disability, tell us and we will do our best to arrange it.

Reasonable and fair use

Our services are built for artists, labels and writers who release real music. We expect you to use them in a way that is fair to us and to other customers, and we may take steps if your use puts a strain on the services or the people who rely on them.

• Do not submit very large numbers of releases, files or requests in a short time unless we have agreed to it in advance.
• Do not send repeated, abusive or misleading messages to our team, and do not threaten or harass our staff.
• Do not use the services in a way that causes unreasonable cost or delay for us or for other users.

If your use is not reasonable, we may ask you to change it, apply limits or pause the account.

Contact us

For questions about these terms, email halo@canadamusicgroup.cc or use the contact page.