Terms of Service

Intercontinental Music ("we", "us", "the platform") operates intercontinentalmusic.com, a curated, direct-to-fan music distribution, streaming, and synchronisation platform connecting independent artists with fans. We act as an active incubator for independent talent: every submission is subject to review and approval by our A&R team, led by Nick Tauber, before anything is published. By using this site, you agree to these Terms.

Artists listed on Intercontinental Music sell their own music, merchandise and tickets. For every sale, the artist is the seller of record — they set the price, they are responsible for delivering what was purchased, and they are responsible for any tax obligations arising from the sale in their own country. We provide the platform, payment infrastructure, and file delivery, and we take a commission on each sale as set out in Section 3.

We are not a party to the underlying sale between a buyer and an artist beyond facilitating it. Questions about a specific release, order, or refund should be directed to us and we will coordinate with the artist, but the artist remains responsible for fulfilment.

Intercontinental Music operates on a transparent, artist-first financial model designed to support creators and vital social causes.

The First 5 Sales: the Artist keeps 100% of the net profit (gross sale price minus standard third-party payment processing fees) for their first five (5) commercial transactions on the platform.

Standard Revenue Split: following the first five sales, net platform revenue generated from the Artist's digital streaming and direct downloads is split as follows: 75% to the Artist; 15% retained by Intercontinental Music to fund platform hosting, A&R curation, and operations; and 10% donated directly, at the point of sale, to Refuge, a registered charity supporting women and children escaping domestic violence.

Artist Charity Spotlight: an Artist may optionally feature a link to a registered charity of their own choice on their Intercontinental Music profile. We do not process or intermediate these donations — they are made directly between the fan and the charity via the charity's own website.

Upon our acceptance and subsequent publication of your track (a "Track") on the platform, you grant Intercontinental Music the exclusive, worldwide right to commercialise, license, and distribute the submitted master recording for a period of eighteen (18) months from the date of publication. This includes digital streaming on our platform, digital downloads, physical merchandise/media sales facilitated by us, and synchronisation rights (placements in film, television, video games, and commercial media).

During this 18-month exclusive window, you agree not to distribute the accepted Track to third-party Digital Service Providers or other commercial storefronts (for example, Spotify or Apple Music) without our explicit written consent.

Because we invest resources into breaking emerging talent, we require the opportunity to match outside offers during our partnership. If, during your 18-month exclusive term, you receive a bona fide offer for an exclusive recording or licensing agreement from a Third-Party Record Label, Music Publisher, or established Commercial Distributor, you must provide us with written notice of the material terms. We then have thirty (30) days to match those terms. If we match, you agree to enter into an agreement with us on those terms. If we decline, or fail to match within 30 days, you are free to accept the third-party offer, subject to Section 6.

To sustain our incubator model, you agree to the following financial interests, which apply as described below .

A. The 5-Year Override Royalty: if you secure an exclusive recording agreement with a Third-Party Record Label, Music Publisher, or established Commercial Distributor during your 18-month term with us, or within six (6) months following its expiration, you agree to pay Intercontinental Music ten percent (10%) of all gross recording advances and artist royalties payable to you under that agreement. This applies strictly to recording-derived income and remains in effect for five (5) years from that agreement's execution date.

B. Perpetual Master Royalty on Platform Tracks: following the expiration of the 18-month exclusive period, Intercontinental Music retains a perpetual royalty of ten percent (10%) of all gross revenues generated worldwide strictly from the specific master recordings approved and originally released on this platform. This applies to all future commercialisation of those specific Tracks, across any distributor or storefront, for as long as they continue to generate revenue.

C. Letters of Direction: if you sign an exclusive agreement covering Tracks released on this platform, or one that triggers the Override Royalty above, you agree to ensure Intercontinental Music's entitlement is written into that third-party contract as an irrevocable direct accounting (a "Letter of Direction"). We will not collect both A and B on the same revenue during any period where they would otherwise overlap.

Buyers do not need an account to make a purchase. Artists approved onto the platform receive a portal account to manage their releases and connect a payout account. You are responsible for keeping your login credentials confidential and for all activity under your account.

When you buy a digital track or album, you are granted a personal, non-transferable licence to download and listen to that music for your own private use. You may not resell, redistribute, publicly perform, broadcast, or use the music commercially without the artist's separate written permission.

Download links are limited in number and expire after a period of time. If you lose access to a purchased file and have downloads remaining, contact us for help.

Physical items (CDs, merchandise) are shipped by or on behalf of the artist to the address you provide at checkout. Estimated delivery times, stock availability and physical condition are the artist's responsibility. If an item arrives damaged, faulty, or does not arrive, contact us and we will help resolve it with the artist.

Digital downloads are generally non-refundable once delivered, except where the file is faulty, materially different from what was described, or you have a statutory right to a refund under the consumer law of your country. Physical goods may be returned in line with the artist's stated return policy, or standard consumer protection law where none is stated. Nothing in these Terms limits your statutory consumer rights.

By submitting music, artwork, photos, or other material for review, you represent and warrant that you are the sole and exclusive owner of the master recording and the underlying musical composition, or you have obtained all necessary licences, clearances, and permissions (including sample clearances and co-writer agreements); that the Track does not infringe the copyright, trademark, or privacy/publicity rights of any third party; and that you are not under any existing exclusive recording agreement that would conflict with the exclusivity granted under Section 4.

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless Intercontinental Music, its officers, directors, partners, and A&R representatives from any claim, loss, or cost (including reasonable legal fees) arising from a breach of these warranties — including a claim that your submission infringes someone else's rights or uses an uncleared sample.

All submissions are reviewed individually before anything is published. We may decline a submission, or remove a published release, at our discretion — including in response to a credible rights complaint.

Following the initial 18-month exclusive period, distribution rights convert automatically to a non-exclusive basis, allowing you to distribute the Track elsewhere while it remains on Intercontinental Music, subject to Section 6's perpetual royalty. After the 18-month period, you may request removal of your Track from the platform by giving us thirty (30) days' written notice at team@intercontinentalmusic.com.

If you believe content on this platform infringes your copyright, contact us with (a) identification of the work you claim is infringed, (b) identification of the material you claim is infringing and where it appears, (c) your contact details, and (d) a statement that you have a good-faith belief the use is unauthorised. We will investigate and, where appropriate, remove or disable access to the material and notify the artist who submitted it.

You agree not to misuse the platform — including attempting to circumvent download limits or payment processing, uploading malicious files, scraping the site at scale, impersonating another person or artist, or using the platform for any unlawful purpose.

The Intercontinental Music name, logo, and site design belong to us. Music, artwork, and other creative content belongs to the artists who submitted it, or their respective rights holders — publishing it on this platform does not transfer ownership to us, other than the specific rights and royalty interests described in Sections 4 to 6.

The platform is provided on an "as is" basis. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we are not liable for indirect or consequential losses, or for the acts or omissions of artists using the platform, though we will act reasonably to help resolve genuine problems with an order. Nothing in these Terms excludes liability that cannot lawfully be excluded, including for fraud or death or personal injury caused by negligence.

We may update these Terms from time to time. Each version is numbered (this is v2.1), and material changes will be reflected on this page with an updated date. A submission is governed by whichever version of these Terms was in effect at the time it was made, not by any later version. Continued use of the platform after a change means you accept the updated Terms.

These Terms are governed by the laws of England and Wales, and any dispute will be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales, without prejudice to any mandatory consumer protections available to you in your own country of residence.

Questions about these Terms can be sent to team@intercontinentalmusic.com.