At NRT Music, our heart is to serve and support independent Christian artists through transparent distribution, meaningful coaching, and strategic opportunities that help amplify your message.
We know the journey can be overwhelming—filled with complex contracts, confusing royalty splits, and scattered support. That’s why we’ve built a clear, artist-first model rooted in integrity, encouragement, and excellence.
Below, you’ll find answers to the most common questions artists ask when exploring a partnership with us, so you can make an informed decision about what’s best for your ministry and music. If you still have questions, we’d love to hear them. Please reach out to us here.
OWNERSHIP, RIGHTS, AND DISTRIBUTION
A: Yes. You own 100% of your masters and compositions before, during, and after working with NRT Music. This is a distribution-only partnership. We don’t license or claim ownership of anything.
Yes, this is an exclusive digital distribution agreement for future music. That means any new songs you release moving forward will be distributed solely through NRT Music and our distribution partner, Syntax Creative.When it comes to your existing catalog, we handle that on a case-by-case basis. In some situations, we may ask you to move your current catalog over to us so we can better support and promote it. In other cases, you're welcome to leave it with your existing distributor. If a transfer is needed, we’ll manage that process for you at no cost—and you won’t lose any streams, followers, or playlist placements.We do this because multiple digital distributors can create confusion, duplicate tracks, split royalties, and reporting delays. Keeping everything under one roof ensures clarity, consistency, and the best possible support for your music as we work to not just support your future music, but grow your entire brand and catalog.
A: Yes. We don’t handle publishing. You can remain with your current publisher or go direct through ASCAP, BMI, etc. Publishing is primarily about copyright protection and collecting royalties from uses beyond digital streaming (radio, events, etc.) which is not part of this agreement.
A: You’re free to leave at the end of your contract terms, though we’d want to have a conversation first. Your music remains yours. To fully exit, you’d simply upload your music elsewhere and request we take ours down (to avoid duplicates on DSPs). Streaming numbers, followers, and playlist adds are tied to the song with the unique ISDN. You take that with you. We aim for transparency and goodwill at every stage.
A. Yes. We’d love to help support and grow your existing music catalog. Whether or not that catalog needs to be moved to NRT Music depends on your situation—sometimes it’s required, other times it’s optional. That said, we do recommend it for consistency. Moving everything under one system simplifies royalty payments, reporting, and overall management. If you choose to keep your catalog with a previous distributor, we’ll primarily focus on promoting the releases we handle together going forward.
STREAMING, ROYALTIES & MICROSYNC
We collect on:(1) Streaming (Spotify, Apple Music, etc.)(2) Digital downloads (iTunes, Amazon)(3) MicroSync (YouTube, TikTok, social content).We do not collect mechanical royalties, live performance royalties, merch, physical sales, or ticketing.
A: We do not publish our splits publicly but you do get the majority of all streaming/download revenue. Syntax and NRT Music will each take a percentage. MicroSync and traditional sync is paid out at a modified rate. If you land your own sync deal, you keep 100%.
A: Syntax pays NRT, and we pay you on the 15th of each month. You get full transparency to your streaming reports. and an itemized royalty statement. DSPs typically take 4 months to process royalty payments. See https://www.nrtmusic.com/2025/02/20/understanding-your-monthly-statement
A: You're responsible for registering your compositions with a PRO (BMI, ASCAP, etc.) and collecting mechanicals, often through Songtrust. We don’t handle any of this side of your royalties.
DISTRIBUTION & DSP PITCHING
A: Syntax is our exclusive distribution partner (think DistroKid, but better). They will deliver your music to DSPs, collect royalties and handle payouts, pitch to editorial teams at Spotify, Apple Music, etc., manage artist accounts and platform issues, and assist with playlist pitching and revenue tracking.
A: Syntax pitches during the initial setup only (not ongoing). They pitch through the Spotify for Artists dashboard and have strong direct relationships with Spotify, Apple, and others. NRT is also one of the 8 Christian curators on Apple Music, and we’ve had success getting priority tracks placed on editorial playlists like New Christian Music. NRT Music is also actively forming direct relationships with key curators outside our sphere of influence.
A: Syntax will help set up Pandora, including Audio Messages for key releases. However, traction on Pandora and similar platforms is limited for many Christian acts, largely due to platform size or editorial coverage.
PROMOTION, PRESS & MARKETING
A: Yes. We write and send press releases for every project to our growing list of 140+ outlets. You’re encouraged to send them to your personal contacts as well. We also feature artist news on NewReleaseToday.com and NRTMusic.com.
A: NRT Music artists receive a 50% discount on all NewReleaseToday.com campaigns (optional). We've also got a great partnerships with platforms like PlayMPE to offer deeply discounted promotional opportunities for singles.
A: For every release, we create a digital EPK (Electronic Press Kit) that includes a professionally written press release, a “Bluesheet” with key project details, and organized folders containing your music files, artist images, and cover art. This package is designed to make it easy for media outlets, playlist curators, and partners to access and share your project, increasing your exposure and streamlining promotion.
A: We believe in honoring contracts. If you need to stay with your current partner, we can still support your music through NewReleaseToday.com, editorial exposure, and playlisting (where possible). We also offer artist coaching and marketing packages outside of distribution. Just ask for a custom quote.
COACHING & COMMUNITY
A: Coaching is offered free of charge to all of our artists through ChristianArtist.pro. It includes access to a full artist development curriculum (9 sessions), and 1-on-1 1-hour long strategy calls. We tailor the coaching based on where you’re at and what your goals are.
A: We host monthly Artist Gatherings on Zoom at 4:30 PM MTN on the first Tuesday of each month. These are community-focused sessions featuring industry guests, open Q&A, shared tips, and a time of group prayer. They’re a great opportunity to connect, learn, and grow alongside other artists in our network. Each session is recorded and made available for later viewing if you can’t attend live.
A: Beyond scheduled coaching sessions, our team is always available for one-on-one support. Whether you need help brainstorming ideas, refining a release schedule, exploring opportunities, or making tough decisions, we're here for it. Think of us as your strategic partner—we’re committed to helping you grow and succeed.
If you feel aligned with our model and want to move forward, the first step is reviewing your current contract (if applicable) and assessing whether a transition is possible. If you’re able to join NRT Music, we’ll walk with you step-by-step—from onboarding to your first release strategy and beyond.
If you’re not quite ready or contractually bound, we can still be a fan and resource for you until the time is right. That’s what we’ve done for over 25 years through NewReleaseToday.com.