Two different systems, moving in two different directions — and why that's genuinely confusing.
If you've read Songtradr's transition notices and come away more confused than when you started, you're not alone — I've seen the same question come up again and again: "My data is moving to MassiveMusic, so does that mean my music stays where it is?" It's a fair thing to wonder, and the answer is that Songtradr is really describing two separate things at once, and they don't move the same way.
Here's the distinction that matters, stated plainly:
Your song files, metadata, and licensing profile move into MassiveMusic for Rightsholders — the sync-licensing side of the business (TV, film, commercials, games). This only earns money if a specific track gets selected for a specific placement, and going forward that's an invite-only, curated process rather than the open marketplace it used to be.
The separate pipeline that pushes your music to Spotify, Apple Music, and other stores is closing entirely on September 1, 2026. MassiveMusic does not run a public streaming distribution service — having your data live there for licensing purposes doesn't keep your music live on Spotify. Those are two different systems, and one closing doesn't require the other to.
So the two notices aren't in conflict — they're just about different parts of your catalog's life, moving to different places, on different terms. The confusion makes total sense, because Songtradr's own messaging genuinely doesn't separate the two clearly.
To be direct about it: your music does not stay live indefinitely without monetization, and it doesn't fade off slowly either. As long as your tracks remain live through Songtradr's pipeline before the shutdown, they'll keep earning streaming royalties normally. Once the distribution pipeline closes for good, Songtradr issues takedown notices to Spotify, Apple Music, and the other stores — and your music comes down from those platforms entirely, not just from monetization.
The one exception worth knowing: if your Songtradr Pro subscription stays active and simply auto-renews past September 1, that's designed to carry straight over into a MassiveMusic subscription with no extra action needed. What triggers the takedown is cancellation — whether that's a deliberate choice or just a card declining — not the date itself.
Bandcamp — also part of the Songtradr family — is a separate option worth understanding on its own terms: a direct-to-fan sales platform, not a streaming distributor. It's a genuinely well-regarded home for independent artists, with 80–85% of digital revenue and 90% of merch sales kept by the artist, paid within 24–48 hours. It's the right next step if direct fan sales and a real storefront matter to you. It's not a way to stay live on Spotify or Apple Music — that's a separate decision, covered in the companion piece below.
MassiveMusic keeps your data for licensing pitches. Bandcamp is for direct-to-fan sales. Neither one keeps your music live on Spotify or Apple Music — that requires a real decision on your part, with a real deadline. The next piece walks through exactly what to do about that, step by step.
Worth naming directly: this whole situation — a platform reorganizing, splitting your data across two new destinations, on a deadline you didn't choose — is exactly the scenario Artisanal Indie's own catalog tool exists for. Export your full catalog metadata now, independent of whichever distributor or platform you land on next, so the next time something like this happens, it's a non-event instead of a scramble.
How to move your Songtradr distribution before September 1, without losing your streams — the concrete steps, in order.