Journal

Stories, playbooks,
and product updates.

The Rift team on royalties, splits, distribution, and building the music business layer India deserves.

RoyaltiesDec 12, 20258 min read

The four royalty blindspots costing Indian artists ₹40,000/year

We reviewed statements from 217 independent artists. Here's where the money quietly disappears — and how to claim it back.

Read the story

SplitsDec 4, 2025

We open-sourced our Split Sheet template

The exact template we use internally — PRO/IPI fields, dual master/publishing split, click-to-sign. MIT licence, use it anywhere.

4 min read

DistributionNov 28, 2025

Distributing to JioSaavn: what nobody tells you

First-party access, metadata quirks, and how to get onto editorial playlists as an independent artist.

6 min read

StoriesNov 20, 2025

Why we built Rift in India, for India

A note from the founders on infrastructure, dignity, and building the music business layer this country deserves.

5 min read

ProductNov 14, 2025

Introducing the Sync Marketplace

Music supervisors can now search your tagged catalog and license tracks directly. No middlemen, no commissions.

3 min read

ChangelogNov 6, 2025

Contract Checker v2: clause-level red flags

The upgraded AI reads label deals paragraph by paragraph and flags the four patterns that quietly cost you ownership.

5 min read

ProductOct 30, 2025

The 12-week release plan that actually ships

Copy our internal release checklist — every task from mastering to pitching, sequenced against your release date.

9 min read

RoyaltiesOct 22, 2025

State of Independent Royalties, Jan 2026

Aggregate anonymised data from 1,200 artists on Rift. Where the money came from, where it went, what changed.

12 min read

ChangelogOct 12, 2025

Band Workspace, now in beta

Setlists, rehearsal notes, splits, and payouts in one shared space. Built for bands, tested by bands.