Question 1

What is Soul Music Group?

Accepted Answer

Soul Music Group (SMG) is a music infrastructure company that provides digital distribution, YouTube Content ID operations, rights and royalty management, and catalog management for artists, independent labels and catalog owners — primarily across Southeast Asia and global markets.

Question 2

Where is SMG based?

Accepted Answer

SMG is headquartered in Vietnam (Thu Dau Mot), with additional offices in Singapore and Bangkok, Thailand. The company delivers distribution to global DSPs from its regional operational base.

Question 3

Who can work with SMG?

Accepted Answer

SMG works with independent artists, independent labels, label distributors, catalog owners and content aggregators. Reach out through the contact page to discuss whether SMG's infrastructure is the right fit for your operation.

Question 4

What platforms does SMG use to run operations?

Accepted Answer

SMG operates three platforms: OMG Distribution for release delivery and catalog operations, LUNA Accounting for royalty processing and statements, and an Operations Command Center for contracts, tasks and payments.

Question 5

Which streaming platforms does SMG distribute to?

Accepted Answer

SMG delivers to Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, TikTok, Amazon Music, Deezer, Zing MP3, JOOX and 25+ additional global and regional platforms across Southeast Asia and beyond. Platform availability is confirmed during onboarding.

Question 6

What is DDEX and why does it matter?

Accepted Answer

DDEX (Digital Data Exchange) is the industry-standard protocol for delivering music metadata and audio assets to streaming platforms. SMG uses DDEX-compliant workflows to ensure releases meet each DSP's technical requirements, reducing errors and processing delays.

Question 7

How long does it take for music to go live after submission?

Accepted Answer

Major platforms typically process releases within 2–7 business days of a compliant delivery being received. We recommend scheduling releases with at least 3–4 weeks of lead time to allow for QC review, DDEX delivery and platform processing.

Question 8

What release formats are supported?

Accepted Answer

SMG's distribution infrastructure handles singles, EPs, full albums, compilation releases and re-issues. Each release undergoes a metadata and quality-control review prior to delivery.

Question 9

What is YouTube Content ID?

Accepted Answer

Content ID is YouTube's system that allows rights holders to register reference audio files. When user-uploaded videos match registered assets, the rights holder's chosen policy is applied — such as monetisation or tracking. SMG manages the operational layer: asset registration, CMS administration and claims workflow support.

Question 10

What types of rights can be administered through YouTube CMS?

Accepted Answer

YouTube CMS handles sound recording and musical composition rights within YouTube's platform. SMG helps rights holders register assets and configure ownership and policy settings within their CMS environment.

Question 11

Can SMG manage multiple YouTube channels?

Accepted Answer

Yes — multi-channel management is a core part of SMG's YouTube CMS operations. Labels with multiple channels, rosters or content networks can have their YouTube presence managed within a structured, scalable CMS framework.

Question 12

How are royalties reported and paid?

Accepted Answer

SMG processes DSP revenue data through LUNA Accounting and generates per-track, per-territory royalty statements. Statements are delivered on an agreed schedule. DSPs typically report monthly with a 2–3 month lag.

Question 13

What rights data does SMG maintain?

Accepted Answer

SMG maintains sound recording rights data including ownership percentages, territory configurations, ISRC assignments and release metadata. This underpins the accuracy of royalty calculations.

Question 14

How are royalty splits handled across multiple stakeholders?

Accepted Answer

Agreed split arrangements are applied automatically within LUNA Accounting — reducing manual reconciliation for labels managing multiple artists and revenue sources.

Question 15

What does catalog management cover?

Accepted Answer

Catalog management covers the systematic organisation, maintenance and operational oversight of a music library — metadata accuracy, asset storage, release status tracking and rights data integrity.

Question 16

Can SMG manage catalogs across multiple labels?

Accepted Answer

Yes — multi-label and multi-artist roster management is a core capability. Labels, distributors and aggregators managing content for multiple rights holders can have their entire operation structured through SMG's infrastructure.

Question 17

How does SMG handle metadata quality?

Accepted Answer

Catalog metadata (ISRC, UPC, artist credits, genre, language, release dates) is maintained to platform standards with ongoing reviews to catch and correct inconsistencies before they affect distribution or royalty reporting.

Frequently asked questions

About SMG