Last updated: June 22, 2026
This page is a plain-language summary for creators, partners, and legal advisers reviewing how SoundBridge handles content ownership, hosting, distribution, and payments. It is intended to answer common questions clearly and directly.
You can use SoundBridge fully for professional networking, event promotion, the Request Room, fan tipping, and the service marketplace without ever uploading audio content. Hosting music or podcasts on SoundBridge is optional — not a requirement for any other feature on the platform.
If you already have an existing distribution partner handling your releases and streaming royalties, that relationship is unaffected by joining SoundBridge for event promotion, fan engagement, and professional networking alone. SoundBridge operates as a technology platform and marketplace connecting creators with fans and collaborators; it is not a record label or your distributor unless you separately choose optional distribution facilitation described below.
You retain ownership. As stated in our Terms of Service, you retain ownership of content you upload. SoundBridge does not acquire ownership of your music, lyrics, recordings, artwork, or other uploaded material.
Limited licence to SoundBridge. By uploading, you grant SoundBridge a non-exclusive licence to host and distribute your content on the platform — solely so it can be made available to listeners and to support platform features such as playback and tipping. “Non-exclusive” means you remain free to have the same content simultaneously available through any other distributor, label, or platform. Hosting on SoundBridge does not prevent or restrict a separate distribution arrangement you already have.
Removal and account closure. You may remove your content or close your account at any time, subject to the Terms of Service. On closure, SoundBridge will cease new public use of your content in line with the Terms and product functionality then in effect, except where retention is required by law, backup policy, or an outstanding dispute.
Creators who sign our separate Creator Rights Agreement receive additional detail on ownership and licensing; where that agreement addresses ownership of uploaded content, it prevails on that specific question as between you and SoundBridge Live Ltd.
SoundBridge separately offers an optional facilitation service that connects creators with MBG Sonics for distribution to Spotify, Apple Music, and other major streaming platforms, for a flat one-time fee per release. This is entirely separate from hosting content on SoundBridge, entirely optional, and independent of any existing distribution relationship you already have. You may decline this service and keep your current distributor while using every other part of SoundBridge.
SoundBridge does not collect, hold, or pay streaming royalties on your behalf. Royalty arrangements for content distributed to streaming platforms are handled directly between you and MBG Sonics or your existing distributor — not through SoundBridge. SoundBridge's role in that flow is facilitation and referral only.
Tips paid by fans are processed through Stripe. SoundBridge facilitates the payment as a payment intermediary only (see Terms of Service, Section 15). The creator receives 85% of each tip; SoundBridge retains a 15% platform fee on that transaction.
SoundBridge does not take any ownership stake, royalty interest, or ongoing percentage of your underlying music rights — only the stated platform fee on in-app tips and other transactions processed through the platform, as described in the Terms of Service.
SoundBridge does not remove lyrical content solely because it contains religious references — including references to Jesus or other religious figures or terms — provided the content otherwise complies with our standard content guidelines (for example: no hate speech, harassment, illegal material, or copyright infringement).
Discovery and feed matching are based on factors such as genre, mood, and location preference — not on suppressing religious expression. SoundBridge does not pre-screen all uploads for copyright compliance before publication; creators remain responsible for the rights to content they upload, as set out in the Terms of Service and Copyright Policy.
SoundBridge operates an optional partner referral programme for approved partners. When a new user completes signup through a partner's unique referral link and later subscribes to a paid SoundBridge plan, the referring partner may earn a commission (currently 10% of the subscription value attributable to that conversion, unless a different rate is agreed in writing for that partner).
Commission is calculated when the referred user converts to a paid subscription, tracked in our partner systems, and paid to eligible partners according to the programme's payment schedule. Participation in the referral programme creates no ownership, equity, employment, or agency relationship between SoundBridge and the referring partner.
| What SoundBridge has rights to | What remains entirely yours |
|---|---|
| A non-exclusive licence to host, stream, and display content you choose to upload, so the platform can operate | Full copyright ownership of your music, lyrics, recordings, and other creative works |
| A 15% platform fee on tips and other in-app transactions we facilitate (you receive 85% of tips) | Your underlying music rights, masters, and publishing — no royalty share in your catalogue |
| Optional referral commission when a referred user you introduced subscribes to a paid plan (partner programme only) | Your existing distribution deal with any other label or distributor, unless you separately opt into MBG Sonics facilitation |
| Facilitation of optional MBG Sonics distribution (if you choose it) — not ownership of releases | Streaming royalties from Spotify, Apple Music, and other DSPs — paid by your distributor (MBG Sonics or your existing partner), not by SoundBridge |
| Enforcement of platform content guidelines (legality, harm, copyright, hate speech) | Freedom to use religious expression in lyrics where content otherwise complies with platform guidelines |
| Use of networking, events, Request Room, marketplace, and tipping without requiring you to upload audio | Choice whether to host audio on SoundBridge at all |
Terms of Service · Privacy Policy · Copyright Policy
This page is a plain-language summary for clarity. The full Terms of Service is the governing legal document. Questions: contact@soundbridge.live