Item: Amuse Terms of Service
Rating: 42
Author: Terms.Law Editorial Team

⚠ Key Concerns

Amuse's free tier restricts releases to 1 per month, limits stores to major platforms only, and delays royalty payments significantly. The company's business model relies on signing promising artists to their label - your streaming data is being analyzed for talent discovery. Paid tiers ($24.99-$59.99/year) unlock faster features.

Score Breakdown by Category

How Amuse's terms rate across my evaluation categories.

💰 Payment & Fee Transparency (30%) 42/100

Why this score: Free tier keeps 100% of royalties but pays quarterly (not monthly), with payments taking 3-4 months after streams. Minimum withdrawal is $10 (free) or $1 (paid). Paid tiers offer faster monthly payouts. The pricing structure isn't immediately clear.

Industry comparison: DistroKid: 48/100 (monthly payouts) | TuneCore: 42/100 (monthly, delays) | CD Baby: 50/100 (monthly, commission) | Category avg: 45/100

⚖ Dispute Resolution (20%) 35/100

Why this score: Support is minimal - primarily in-app chat and email with slow response times. No phone support available. Being a smaller company, resources for dispute resolution are limited. Swedish jurisdiction adds complexity for international artists.

Industry comparison: DistroKid: 42/100 (email only) | TuneCore: 38/100 (slow support) | CD Baby: 52/100 (phone available) | Category avg: 42/100

🔒 Contract & IP Rights (20%) 40/100

Why this score: Artists retain ownership, but Amuse's label discovery program means your data is analyzed for signing potential. If offered a deal, the terms shift significantly. The platform grants itself broad promotional rights including using your music in marketing materials.

Industry comparison: DistroKid: 50/100 (no label component) | TuneCore: 48/100 (standard terms) | CD Baby: 45/100 (sync licensing) | Category avg: 46/100

👁 Account & Termination Rights (15%) 40/100

Why this score: Music stays in stores on free tier (unlike DistroKid subscriptions), but account termination rights are standard. Free tier limitations may force upgrades or platform switching. Withdrawal of music can take 2-4 weeks to process.

Industry comparison: DistroKid: 38/100 (subscription required) | TuneCore: 35/100 (per-release renewal) | CD Baby: 55/100 (permanent) | Category avg: 42/100

👥 Non-Compete & Exclusivity (15%) 42/100

Why this score: Distribution is non-exclusive, but the label deal opportunity changes everything. If you sign with Amuse's label (different from distribution), exclusivity terms apply. This dual-purpose platform creates potential conflicts of interest.

Industry comparison: DistroKid: 48/100 (distribution only) | TuneCore: 45/100 (distribution only) | CD Baby: 48/100 (distribution only) | Category avg: 46/100

Compare With Other Platforms

⚠ Key Clauses to Watch

These provisions in Amuse's terms create the most risk for artists.

Free Tier Pays Quarterly Only

High Risk

Unlike competitors that pay monthly, Amuse's free tier pays quarterly. Combined with streaming service reporting delays, you may wait 4-6 months to see money from your streams. This severely impacts cash flow for working artists.

"Free users receive royalty payments quarterly. Pro and Plus users receive monthly payments." Amuse Payment Terms

Label Discovery / Data Mining

High Risk

Amuse analyzes your streaming data to identify signing opportunities. While this could be positive, it means the platform has incentive to encourage artists toward label deals rather than independent success. Your data informs their A&R decisions.

"Amuse may use your streaming data and performance metrics to identify potential signing opportunities for our label services." Amuse Terms of Service

Free Tier Store Limitations

High Risk

Free distribution only reaches major platforms (Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon, etc.). Smaller stores, specialty platforms, and some international services require paid tiers. This limits your potential audience and revenue streams.

"Free distribution includes major streaming platforms. Additional stores available on Pro and Plus plans." Amuse Plan Comparison

Minimal Customer Support

High Risk

Support is limited to in-app chat and email, with response times often exceeding a week. No phone support is available. For urgent issues like incorrect takedowns or payment problems, this delay can cause significant harm.

"Support is available through our in-app chat and email. Response times vary based on volume and plan level." Amuse Support Policy

1 Release Per Month Limit (Free)

Medium Risk

Free tier restricts you to one release per month. For artists with active release schedules, this forces either paid upgrades or using multiple distributors, fragmenting your catalog.

"Free users may release up to 1 single or album per month. Unlimited releases available on paid plans." Amuse Free Tier Limitations

Swedish Jurisdiction

Medium Risk

Amuse is a Swedish company, and disputes are governed by Swedish law. For international artists, this adds complexity and cost if legal issues arise. Arbitration may require dealing with Swedish legal processes.

"These Terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of Sweden." Amuse Terms of Service

Analysis

"Amuse's free tier is genuinely free, which is remarkable in this industry. But remember: if you're not paying for the product, you are the product. Amuse's business model relies on finding breakout artists to sign to their label. Your streaming data feeds their A&R operation.

This isn't necessarily bad - getting discovered by a legitimate label could be a dream scenario. But understand the dynamic: Amuse benefits most when your music succeeds enough to warrant a label deal. They have less incentive to help you succeed independently than a pure distributor would.

My recommendation: Amuse makes sense for testing the waters - releasing first singles, gauging audience response, and learning the distribution process. For serious catalog building, the quarterly payouts and store limitations become problematic. Consider upgrading to paid tiers or switching to a full-service distributor as your career develops."

Amuse Terms of Service Review

⚠ Key Concerns

Score Breakdown by Category

Compare With Other Platforms

⚠ Amuse Issues?

⚠ Key Clauses to Watch

Free Tier Pays Quarterly Only

Label Discovery / Data Mining

Free Tier Store Limitations

Minimal Customer Support

1 Release Per Month Limit (Free)

Swedish Jurisdiction

Analysis

Need Help With Amuse?

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Amuse Terms of Service Review

⚠ Key Concerns

Score Breakdown by Category

Compare With Other Platforms

⚠ Amuse Issues?

Related Resources

⚠ Key Clauses to Watch

Free Tier Pays Quarterly Only

Label Discovery / Data Mining

Free Tier Store Limitations

Minimal Customer Support

1 Release Per Month Limit (Free)

Swedish Jurisdiction

Analysis

Need Help With Amuse?

Schedule a Consultation