Terms of Service

Effective Date: June 21, 2026

Welcome to Akhra Digital. These Terms of Service ("Agreement" or "Terms") govern the relationship between you ("User", "Artist", "Label", "Licensor", or "Creator") and Akhra Digital (referred to as "Company", "We", "Us", or "Our") regarding the use of our website, our Backstage client portal (backstage.akhradigital.com), and our global digital music distribution, marketing, and administration services (collectively, the "Services").

By registering an account on our Backstage portal, uploading audio or artwork files, submitting metadata, or utilizing any portion of our platform, you signify that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by this entire Agreement. If you are entering into this Agreement on behalf of a band, label, group, or legal entity, you represent and warrant that you possess the full legal authority to bind such entity to these Terms.

1. DEFINITIONS

For the purposes of this Agreement, the following terms shall have the meanings specified below:

  • "Digital Service Provider" (DSP): Any digital consumer music service, including but not limited to interactive and non-interactive streaming services, digital download stores, social media platforms, video sharing sites, ringtone providers, and telecom operators (e.g., Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, Amazon Music, Meta/Facebook/Instagram, TikTok/ByteDance, Deezer, Tidal, Tencent, NetEase, and others).
  • "Licensed Content" (or "Releases"): The sound recordings (master files), musical compositions, lyrics, cover art, track metadata, biographies, photographs, and other materials submitted by you to Akhra Digital for distribution.
  • "Territory": The universe, or specific geographical regions selected by you during the submission process on the Backstage portal.
  • "Royalties" (or "Net Earnings"): The monies actually received by Akhra Digital from DSPs directly attributable to the streaming, downloading, or other exploitation of your Licensed Content, minus transaction fees, mechanical royalties, withholding taxes, and platform-specific service deductions.

2. LICENSE GRANT

During the Term of this Agreement and within the designated Territory, you hereby grant to Akhra Digital a non-exclusive, sublicensable, worldwide right and license to:

  • Distribute, sell, stream, transmit, publicly perform, license, and exploit your Licensed Content to all selected DSPs in digital audio, video, and text formats.
  • Create, copy, and distribute digital clips, previews, and promotional segments of your tracks (typically up to 30 to 60 seconds) for promotional purposes on DSPs and marketing channels.
  • Collect and receive all Royalties and Net Earnings generated by your Licensed Content from DSPs on your behalf.
  • Use the name, approved likeness, biographical material, and logos of the artist, band, or label to market, publicize, and promote your releases on our website and third-party channels.

Except for the limited rights granted herein, all ownership, copyrights, and intellectual property rights in and to the Licensed Content remain solely and exclusively with you.

3. ACCOUNT REGISTRATION AND SECURITY

To access our distribution services, you must register a user account at backstage.akhradigital.com. You agree to:

  • Provide accurate, current, and complete information during the signup process.
  • Maintain the confidentiality of your username, password, and financial payout details.
  • Accept full responsibility for all activities, uploads, metadata changes, and withdraw requests initiated under your credentials.
  • Notify us immediately at support@akhradigital.com upon discovering any breach of security, hacking, or unauthorized access to your account.

4. PRICING MODEL AND ROYALTY PAYOUTS

Our distribution pricing is built on a 100% free model:

  • Zero Subscription Fees: We do not charge annual fees, sign-up fees, or maintenance fees to keep your catalog online.
  • 100% Royalty Share: We distribute your music at no cost, and you receive 100% of the Net Earnings received by us from DSPs for your music. We do not charge a commission.
  • Reporting Schedule: Royalties are credited to your backstage account balance as they are reported and paid by the DSPs. DSP reporting cycles typically operate on a 60-to-90-day delay (e.g., streaming activity in January is reported and paid by DSPs in late March or April).
  • Withdrawal Procedures: You may request a payout of your accumulated balance via bank transfer (NEFT/RTGS/IMPS) or PayPal, subject to a minimum withdrawal threshold of $10 USD (or equivalent in local currency). We reserves the right to charge nominal processing fees imposed by banks or transaction processors.
  • Withholding Taxes & Adjustments: Payouts may be subject to tax withholdings, adjustments, or clawbacks requested by DSPs due to refund issues, chargebacks, or fraudulent streaming penalties.

5. SUBMISSION GUIDELINES AND TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS

You agree to comply with all technical specifications and metadata guidelines provided on our Backstage portal. Releases that fail to meet these guidelines will be rejected by our Quality Assurance (QA) team or the DSPs:

  • Audio Quality: We allow these formats: Audio File (WAV, FLAC, AAC, max 100MB).
  • Cover Artwork: Must be a perfect square, minimum 3000 x 3000 pixels (JPEG or PNG format, RGB color mode). The artwork must be clear, unblurred, and must match the metadata text of the release. It must not contain pricing, contact info, release dates, barcodes, websites, social logos, or unauthorized third-party trademarked images.
  • Metadata Integrity: You must supply complete and correct metadata, including artist names, composers, lyricists, producers, and publishers. The use of generic artist names (e.g., "Chill Beats", "Sleep Music", "Yoga Sounds") or misleadingly naming popular artists is strictly prohibited.
  • Identifiers: We assign free ISRC (International Standard Recording Code) and UPC (Universal Product Code) numbers to your releases. You may also provide your own pre-existing codes.
  • Delivery Timeline: Although we deliver approved releases to DSPs within 24 to 48 hours, we recommend submitting your content at least 14 days prior to your target release date to ensure timely processing and to allow eligibility for Spotify Editorial pitching.

6. REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES

You represent, warrant, and guarantee to Akhra Digital that:

  • You are the sole owner or have cleared all necessary rights, licenses, and permissions for the master recordings, lyrics, musical compositions, beats, samples, and cover art included in your releases.
  • Your submission does not infringe upon the copyrights, trademarks, privacy rights, publicity rights, or any other intellectual property rights of any third party.
  • All samples, loops, synthesizer presets, or backing tracks used in your recordings have been legally licensed from their creators or copyright holders. Sound-alikes, unauthorized remixes, bootlegs, and public domain tracks without clear provenance are forbidden.
  • You are solely responsible for payment of all mechanical royalties, composer fees, publisher shares, union fees, or performance royalties due to co-writers, producers, or performance rights organizations (PROs).

7. ANTI-FRAUD, SPAM, AND ARTIFICIAL STREAMING POLICY

We maintain an absolute zero-tolerance policy against fraudulent streaming and metadata manipulation. Artificial streaming occurs when play counts are generated using methods other than natural consumer listening, including:

  • Utilizing automated scripts, bots, click farms, loop configurations, or server scripts to generate streams.
  • Paying for third-party promotional services that promise playlist placements, followers, listeners, or stream guarantees.
  • Participating in "stream-for-stream" circles, coordinate listening scams, or accounts created solely to loop tracks.

If we receive reports from DSPs (such as Spotify's or Apple Music's fraud detection units) that your releases are generating artificial streams, or if we identify suspicious patterns in your analytics:

  • We will immediately block and suspend your access to the Backstage portal.
  • We will request takedowns for all releases associated with your account from all DSPs worldwide.
  • All accumulated royalties, earnings, and balances in your account will be permanently forfeited and withheld to offset administrative charges, investigation costs, and penalties imposed on Akhra Digital by the DSPs.
  • We reserve the right to report your identity, contact information, and details of the fraudulent activity to industry databases, collection societies, and law enforcement agencies.

8. TAKEDOWN REQUESTS AND CONTRACT TERMINATION

You have the absolute right to cancel your distribution agreement with Akhra Digital at any time. To request the removal of your releases from stores:

  • Submit a formal takedown request for each release through your Backstage portal dashboard, or email support@akhradigital.com.
  • We will process your request and issue takedown notices to DSPs within 48 hours. Individual stores may take from 5 to 15 business days to remove the content from their systems.
  • Following the removal of your catalog, your account will remain open for royalty collection purposes to capture any delayed streaming revenues from prior months. You can close your account permanently once all remaining balances have been paid out.

9. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY CLAIMS & DMCA NOTICE

Akhra Digital respects the intellectual property rights of others. If you believe that any content hosted or distributed through our platform infringes upon your copyright, you may submit a formal DMCA Notice of Infringement to support@akhradigital.com. The notice must contain:

  • A physical or electronic signature of the copyright owner or authorized representative.
  • Identification of the copyrighted work claimed to have been infringed.
  • Identification of the infringing track or release distributed by us, with sufficient detail to locate it.
  • Your contact information (address, phone number, and email).
  • A statement that you have a good faith belief that use of the material is not authorized by the copyright owner.

Upon receipt of a valid notice, we will remove the contested release and notify the distributing user, who may file a Counter-Notice if they dispute the claim.

10. DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTIES AND LIMITATION OF LIABILITY

AKHRA DIGITAL PROVIDES ITS PLATFORM AND SERVICES "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE" WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, OR NON-INFRINGEMENT. WE DO NOT GUARANTEE THAT:

  • The Services will be uninterrupted, secure, or free from server outages, bugs, or technical errors.
  • DSPs will list, feature, or keep your music live on their platforms (DSPs reserve the right to reject or remove content at their sole discretion).
  • Analytics data, stream counts, and royalty calculations will be updated in real-time.

IN NO EVENT SHALL AKHRA DIGITAL, ITS DIRECTORS, OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES, OR PARTNERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, INCLUDING LOSS OF PROFITS, DATA, USE, OR GOODWILL, ARISING OUT OF YOUR USE OF THE SERVICES, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.

11. INDEMNIFICATION

You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless Akhra Digital, its parent companies, subsidiaries, affiliates, officers, directors, employees, and licensing partners from and against any and all claims, damages, obligations, losses, liabilities, costs, or debt, and expenses (including but not limited to reasonable attorney's fees) arising from:

  • Your violation of any term of this Agreement or our policies.
  • Any third-party claim that your Licensed Content infringes upon a copyright, trademark, moral right, privacy right, or other proprietary right of a third party.
  • Your failure to clear mechanical royalties, sample clearances, or performance licensing payments due to third-party collaborators.

12. GOVERNING LAW AND ARBITRATION

This Agreement and all disputes arising from it shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of India, without regard to conflict of law principles. Any legal suit, action, or proceeding arising out of or related to this Agreement shall be settled through binding arbitration in Ranchi, Jharkhand, India, under the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996. The language of arbitration shall be English.

13. MISCELLANEOUS

  • Severability: If any provision of this Agreement is held to be invalid or unenforceable by a court of competent jurisdiction, the remaining provisions of this Agreement will remain in full force and effect.
  • No Waiver: No waiver of any term of this Agreement shall be deemed a further or continuing waiver of such term or any other term, and Akhra Digital's failure to assert any right or provision under this Agreement shall not constitute a waiver of such right or provision.
  • Modifications: We reserve the right, at our sole discretion, to modify or replace these Terms at any time. We will notify you of any material changes by posting an update on our website or sending an email notification to backstage users.

14. CONTACT US

If you have any questions, clarifications, or support queries regarding these Terms of Service, please contact us at:

Email: support@akhradigital.com

Phone Support: +91 9661686687, +91 6201686687