Artist Payouts

If you’re a label managing multiple artists, LabelGrid provides tools to track and manage royalty payments to your roster. This guide covers artist accounts, statements, and expense tracking.

Overview

The Artist Payouts system helps labels:

• Track earnings per artist across all releases
• Generate statements for each payment period
• Manage expenses that reduce artist payouts
• Record payments when artists are paid

Note: This feature is available for label accounts managing multiple artists. Individual artist accounts see their own royalties directly.

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Artist Accounts

Artist accounts represent the financial relationship between your label and each artist.

Viewing Artist Accounts

1. Navigate to Royalties in the main menu
2. Select Artist Accounts
3. View the list of all artists with earnings

Artist Account Information

Each artist account shows:

Field	Description
Artist name	The artist’s credited name
Balance	Current unpaid balance
Total earned	Lifetime earnings
Total paid	Lifetime payments made
Total expenses	Deductions applied

Setting Up Artist Accounts

Artist accounts are typically created automatically when:

• An artist is added to a release with royalty splits
• Earnings are attributed to an artist

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Artist Statements

Statements summarize an artist’s earnings and deductions for a specific period.

Viewing Statements

1. Navigate to Royalties → Artist Statements
2. Filter by artist, date range, or status
3. Click a statement to view details

Statement Contents

Each statement includes:

Section	Contents
Period	Statement date range (e.g., January 2026)
Gross earnings	Total revenue before deductions
Expenses	Any deductions (advances, marketing, etc.)
Net payable	Amount due to artist
Breakdown	Earnings by release, track, and platform

Statement Statuses

Status	Meaning
Draft	Being prepared, not yet finalized
Pending	Ready for review
Approved	Confirmed and ready for payment
Paid	Payment has been made

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Expenses

Expenses are costs deducted from an artist’s royalties. Common examples include advances, marketing costs, or recoupable fees.

Viewing Expenses

1. Navigate to Royalties → Artist Expenses
2. Filter by artist or date range
3. View expense history

Expense Types

Type	Description
Advance	Upfront payment recouped from royalties
Marketing	Promotional costs charged to artist
Production	Recording or production costs
Distribution	Distribution fees (if applicable)
Other	Miscellaneous recoupable costs

Adding an Expense

1. Navigate to Artist Expenses
2. Click Add Expense
3. Select the artist
4. Enter expense details:
   • Amount
   • Type/category
   • Description
   • Date
5. Save the expense

Note: Expenses reduce the artist’s balance until fully recouped.

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Transactions

Transactions record all financial activity for an artist—earnings, expenses, and payments.

Viewing Transactions

1. Navigate to Royalties → Artist Transactions
2. Filter by artist, type, or date
3. View the complete transaction history

Transaction Types

Type	Effect on Balance
Earning	Increases balance
Expense	Decreases balance
Payment	Decreases balance
Adjustment	Increases or decreases

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Payment Workflow

When it’s time to pay an artist:

1. Review the Statement

1. Open the artist’s current statement
2. Verify all earnings are accurate
3. Check that expenses are correctly applied
4. Confirm the net payable amount

2. Approve the Statement

1. Click Approve on the statement
2. This locks the statement from further changes
3. The artist can now be paid

3. Record the Payment

1. Make the actual payment through your payment system
2. Return to LabelGrid and mark as Paid
3. Enter payment details (date, method, reference)

4. Generate Payment Records

Keep records of all payments for accounting:

• Export statement PDFs
• Download transaction reports
• Maintain payment documentation

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Reports and Exports

Available Reports

Report	Contents
Artist Summary	Overview of all artist balances
Statement Export	Detailed statement as PDF
Transaction History	All transactions for accounting
Expense Report	Summary of all expenses

Exporting Data

1. Navigate to the relevant section
2. Apply any filters needed
3. Click Export or Download
4. Select format (PDF, CSV, Excel)

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Best Practices

Timely Statements

• Generate statements monthly or quarterly
• Send statements to artists promptly
• Address questions before payment

Clear Documentation

• Document all expenses with descriptions
• Keep records of advance agreements
• Maintain payment confirmation records

Regular Reconciliation

• Compare LabelGrid data with your accounting system
• Resolve discrepancies promptly
• Review statements before approval

Communication

• Share statements with artists regularly
• Explain any deductions clearly
• Provide access to transaction history

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Troubleshooting

Artist balance seems incorrect

1. Review all transactions for the artist
2. Check that all releases are correctly attributed
3. Verify expense entries are accurate
4. Contact support if discrepancies persist

Missing earnings

1. Confirm the release is distributed
2. Check that royalty reports have been processed
3. Verify artist splits are correctly set
4. Allow time for royalty processing (2-3 months typical)

Expense not deducting properly

1. Verify the expense is assigned to the correct artist
2. Check the expense status is active
3. Ensure the expense date is within the statement period

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Related Guides

• Payment Schedule - When royalties are paid
• Understanding Reports - Reading royalty reports
• Writers & Contributors - Setting up royalty splits

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Need Help?

If you have questions about artist payouts or need assistance with statements, contact our support team.