Hitskope Distribution Reporting and Payment Schedule

3 min read

When will you receive your statement?

We issue statements monthly, within 45 days after each month ends:

  • January earnings → statement issued by mid-March
  • February earnings → statement issued by mid-April
  • March earnings → statement issued by mid-May
  • …and so on for every month after that

When will you receive your payment?

Payment runs on the same cadence as your statement — monthly, within 45 days of the month ending. There is no separate post-statement waiting period. Exact arrival date varies depending on your country and payment method defined in Tipalti. (Read: Payout Schedule & Supported Payment Methods by Country)

Payment is also subject to:

  • Onboarding completion (banking and tax information set up in Tipalti)
  • The $100 minimum payment threshold (see Why can't I receive payments?)
  • Any active holds (e.g., royalties withheld pending review)

How long does it take the DSPs to report after the music is streamed or downloaded?

It varies. Most DSPs have a lag of 60 to 90 days between when streams are played/sold and when they are reported and paid out to Hitskope.

In general:

  • Apple, YouTube: 2 months (Hitskope receives payment in March for January streams)
  • Amazon: varies between 2–3 months
  • All other DSPs: 3 months (smaller DSPs can take longer due to reporting issues)

Example timeline from stream to payout:

A stream happens in September. All DSPs report per month — it doesn't matter if your music was streamed at the start, middle, or end of the month. Many DSPs issue their September reports around mid-late October, but Hitskope won't actually receive the corresponding payment until mid-late November. Funds that arrive at Hitskope in November are then included in your November statement, issued by mid-January — payment goes out on that same cycle. Apple and YouTube are exceptions and tend to be only 2 months post facto, but the same logic applies: a stream lands on the statement for the month in which the funds reach Hitskope.

Important steps in the process one must understand:

  • Most DSPs send us the revenue report for September streams/downloads around mid-October.
  • The bigger DSPs (Spotify, Apple, YouTube, Deezer, Amazon) shouldn't experience delays, but all other DSPs are susceptible to delays.
    • Some DSPs report only once per quarter, and many DSPs can be delayed in their reporting or payment.
  • DSPs sometimes discover missed transactions months or years later. The DSP will then issue an adjustment report (and payment) for these transactions.
  • When Hitskope receives historical reports and funds, we include them in the next monthly statement after the funds arrive. You'll see this reflected in the Transaction Date column of the detailed transactions part of your statement.
  • After we receive a DSP's revenue report, we still need to receive their payment before we can include those funds in your statement.

Additional notes

  • A single monthly statement will include streams/downloads from many different prior months — that's the lag at work, not a mistake. The detail (raw data) page of your statement breaks it down by DSP and reporting month.
  • On your statement's detail page, the summary tab shows exactly which DSPs were included. The 'sales raw data' tab lets you filter on column B and C to see the reporting month and DSP transactions included in that statement.
  • We can only include in a given statement what has been paid out to Hitskope by the time we close that month.
  • Our general payout policy: Hitskope pays out funds in the monthly statement that closes after the funds are received from DSPs or Merlin. For example, funds received from a DSP in November land on your November statement, issued by mid-January.