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Knowledge
The stuff nobody tells independent artists.
How royalties actually reach you in Australia, what distributors really cost, which promo tools are worth money, and what the words in a contract mean. Written for people releasing their own music.
Every guide opens here. The detailed version is inside droplr, with printable templates — splits sheet, release metadata, release checklist, press one-pager — on every plan including Free.
Getting paid in Australia
Copyright is automatic. Getting paid isn't. The three registrations every self-releasing Australian artist needs.
Choosing a distributor
Yearly fee, one-off fee, or free with a cut. The differences that matter, and the add-ons that quietly cost more than the plan.
Spotify, Apple and YouTube tools
What's free, what costs money, and what you need before the paid tools will even take your booking.
The six-week release plan
What to do each week from announce to the week after release, and which parts droplr does for you.
Deals, managers and contracts, in plain words
What the words in a record deal actually mean, what a manager is worth, and how to set yourself up — solo, producer or band — so a fallout doesn't take the name with it.
Live shows and keeping fans
Gigs pay twice if you claim them, and the fans you meet there are the only audience no platform can take away.
Short-form video and your first real fans
The algorithms now push music to people who don't follow you. What to film, how long it should be, and the unglamorous part everyone skips.
Playing the long game
How long this actually takes, how to still be doing it in three years, and how to pay for it in the meantime.
Merch that actually sells
What to make first, what to charge, and why the table at your own show beats the online store for a long time.
Running it like a business (Australia)
Hobby or business, ABN, sole trader or company, the GST line, and what you can actually claim. The Australian version, because the American one will cost you.
Is it finished?
The checks that decide whether a track is ready to go to a distributor, and how to stop rewriting a song that was done three weeks ago.
Get the full guides
A droplr account gets you the complete knowledge board and the printable templates, plus pre-save pages, a fan list and a promo plan for your releases.
Start free — 3 releases, no cardWhat’s happening right now
The guides above are the stuff that stays true. For the news that moves — streaming fraud, AI tools, what the platforms just changed — there’s News.
General information for independent artists, not legal, tax or financial advice. Rules, prices and deadlines change: check the official pages linked at the end, and get advice for your own situation.