---
log: 002
title: "RouteNote on trial — is it moving or just milking?"
date: 2026-06-04
task: "#7 Settle distribution strategy"
tags: [distribution, research, soundcloud, bandcamp, cdbaby, spotify]
shareable: true
---

## Cap (what & why)
PLN suspected RouteNote takes a cut but doesn't actually move the music. Needed a 2026
verdict + a no-subscription alternative (refuses the DistroKid tax).

## Manœuvre (how)
Fanned out a research agent across distributor reviews, platform docs, and 2026 news;
cross-checked pricing, royalty cuts, and reputation.

## Prise (findings / artifacts)
- RouteNote: distributes & pays, but **3–4+ week moderation, Trustpilot 3.3/5 (23% 1★),
  account-freeze-without-appeal risk.** "Milking but not moving" = fair.
- Verdict stack: **CD Baby** (one-time/release, keep 91%, reaches JP) + **Bandcamp**
  (superfans/gigs) + **SoundCloud** (community/FPR) + **Spotify** (destination only).
- France levers most indies miss: **SACEM + ADAMI/SPEDIDAM + SCPP/SPPF**, **CNM**
  mobility aid. Full report in `manifeste/research-2026-distribution.md`.

## Sel (the shareable learning)
- **Distributor ≠ destination.** CD Baby is the *pipe*; Spotify is the *faucet*. You
  don't "choose between" them — you reach Spotify *through* a distributor.
- Indies earn **<10%** of income from streaming in 2026. The living is the **superfan
  economy** (Bandcamp-style direct), not the algorithm.
- Spotify's 2026 "Music Pro" superfan tier is **platform-controlled, US/major-first** —
  not a sell-direct channel for an indie.

## Hameçon (hook)
"I put my music distributor on trial. The verdict: guilty of doing nothing, slowly."

## Sillage (what it unlocks)
A concrete, gap-free migration off RouteNote (release-by-release, reusing ISRCs).
