Kontor New Media

Kontor New Media is a German digital and physical music distributor founded in 2003, bringing over 20 years of experience to the market. The company uses a percentage distribution fee model with no upfront costs and no takedown fees, distributing to 300+ DSPs worldwide. Kontor New Media stands out for offering digital and physical distribution from a single source, including the manufacturing of sound carriers in cooperation with Edel and Optimal. The company provides genre-specialized label and product management, personal support, tailor-made release strategies, and a range of services including YouTube Content ID, neighboring rights accounting, and social media promotion. Kontor New Media works with all genres, from dance and electronic to pop, indie, rock, metal, schlager, hip hop, jazz, classical, and children's music.

Pricing and Plans

Kontor New Media operates on a percentage distribution fee model. There are no upfront costs and no takedown fees, which means you do not pay to join and you do not pay to remove your catalog if you leave. The exact percentage is negotiated per deal based on your catalog size, genre focus, and service requirements.

Key pricing characteristics:

• No upfront costs: You do not pay to join or per release upfront.
• No takedown fees: If you decide to leave, there is no charge for removing your catalog.
• Percentage-based fee: Kontor New Media takes a percentage of distribution revenue. The rate is negotiated individually.
• YouTube Content ID included: Content ID is part of the service, not a paid add-on.

This model contrasts with subscription distributors like DistroKid (flat annual fee, 100% royalties) and per-release distributors like CD Baby (one-time fee plus commission). The percentage model means Kontor New Media only earns when you earn, aligning their incentives with yours. Use our streaming royalty calculator to project your earnings and understand how a percentage fee affects your net income.

What Sets Kontor New Media Apart

1. Digital and physical from a single source: Kontor New Media handles both digital distribution and physical manufacturing of sound carriers (CDs, vinyl) in cooperation with Edel and Optimal. Most digital-only distributors cannot offer this.
2. 300+ DSPs worldwide: With 300+ DSPs, Kontor New Media has broader reach than many competitors. DistroKid covers 150+, iMusician covers 200+.
3. No upfront costs and no takedown fees: The percentage model with no joining fee and no removal fee reduces financial risk. You are not locked in by sunk costs.
4. Genre-specialized management: Kontor New Media assigns genre-specialized label and product managers, meaning your dance music is handled by someone who understands dance music, not a generalist.
5. Tailor-made release strategies: The company creates custom release strategies rather than treating every release the same. This is a service-oriented approach that self-service platforms do not offer.
6. Own tools and technologies: The Digital Media Base (DMB) platform is Kontor New Media's proprietary system for content and supply-chain management, promotion, analytics, and accounting.
7. Neighboring rights accounting: Kontor New Media transparently evaluates and accounts for neighboring rights, a revenue stream that many distributors ignore.
8. Social media and sales promotion: The company actively promotes releases on Meta and TikTok, and works on playlist placements and features through direct exchange with streaming partners.
9. 20+ years of experience: Founded in 2003, Kontor New Media is one of the more established digital distributors, with deep industry relationships.
10. All-genre coverage: From dance and electronic to schlager, jazz, classical, and children's music, Kontor New Media handles genres that some distributors overlook.

Submission and Upload Process

1. Visit kontornewmedia.com and contact the team about your catalog.
2. Kontor New Media reviews your submission and discusses your goals, genre focus, and service needs.
3. If accepted, you negotiate a percentage-based deal with no upfront costs.
4. Kontor New Media's genre-specialized label and product managers work with you to create a tailor-made release strategy.
5. Releases are delivered to 300+ DSPs worldwide through the DMB platform.
6. Physical manufacturing is coordinated through Edel and Optimal if needed.
7. YouTube Content ID is activated, neighboring rights are tracked, and social media promotion is managed.
8. Analytics, accounting, and promotion tools are accessible through the DMB platform.

The process is service-oriented and personal, not self-service. You work with a dedicated manager rather than uploading through an automated portal.

Drawbacks and Things to Consider

• No public pricing. The percentage fee is negotiated per deal. You cannot compare costs against competitors without contacting Kontor New Media first. If you want transparent pricing, self-service distributors publish their rates openly.
• Not open-signup. Kontor New Media is selective about clients. New artists with no track record may not be accepted.
• No publishing administration. Kontor New Media does not offer publishing admin as a standalone service. You need separate PRO and MLC registration. Read our guide to mechanical royalties to understand what you are missing.
• No sync licensing marketplace. Kontor New Media does not have a built-in sync licensing platform. Browse our sync licensing directory for options.
• Percentage model may cost more at scale. If your catalog generates significant revenue, a percentage fee can exceed the cost of a flat subscription. An artist earning $10,000/year on a 15% deal pays $1,500, compared to DistroKid's $24.99/year. The trade-off is the level of service provided.
• Limited public documentation. Delivery speed, exact royalty split terms, release protection, and AI music policy are not prominently documented.
• Germany-based. While this is an advantage for European artists, artists outside Europe should consider time zone differences and language preferences for communication.

Who Kontor New Media Is Best For

Kontor New Media is best for labels and artists who want a full-service European distributor with both digital and physical capabilities, genre-specialized management, and a percentage-based model with no upfront costs. The 300+ DSP reach and tailor-made release strategies make it particularly strong for established labels with diverse catalogs. Artists in genres like schlager, classical, jazz, and children's music benefit from Kontor New Media's willingness to handle genres that some competitors overlook. Labels that want physical manufacturing alongside digital distribution get a genuine single-source solution.

Kontor New Media is less ideal for new artists who want self-service distribution with transparent pricing, artists who release frequently and want the cheapest possible per-release cost, or artists who need publishing administration and sync licensing. If you want self-service distribution, look at DistroKid, CD Baby, or TuneCore. For a broader comparison, see our music distribution services comparison.

Related Resources

• Music Distribution Services Compared - Broader distributor comparison
• Streaming Royalty Calculator - Project your earnings across platforms
• Kontor New Media Official Website - Contact and inquiries