Geo-blocking is a system that restricts a music recording from being played in specific countries or regions. This restriction is usually applied due to legal reasons such as the regional scope of a licensing agreement, cover song licenses, or sample usage rights.
Why Is Geo-Blocking Applied?
- License scope: A cover song's mechanical license may only cover certain countries
- Sample clearances: Rights for a sample used in the track may only have been secured for specific regions
- Contract restrictions: An agreement with a label may exclude certain countries
- Local regulations: Some countries' content policies may restrict certain music genres
Choosing Territories During Distribution
When creating a release, most distribution dashboards offer a "worldwide" or "selected countries" option. If your track uses a regionally restricted sample or cover license, you must select only the countries your license actually covers; otherwise the release could be taken down for copyright infringement.
Risks of an Incorrect Territory Selection
Releasing in a country outside your license's scope can lead to the entire release being taken down (often globally, not just in that one country) following a rights holder complaint, and can even result in an account warning.
Territory Settings on SOOLY Music
In the SOOLY Music upload form's "Release Territories" step, you can select or exclude specific countries. For releases containing a cover song or sample, entering the territories covered by your license document correctly is critical; if you're unsure, get help from the support team.
| Scenario | Recommended Territory Selection |
|---|---|
| Original composition, no rights issues | Worldwide |
| Cover song, limited mechanical license | Countries covered by the license |
| Production containing a sample | Regions authorized by the sample owner |
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I change my territory selection later? Yes, you can request an update through the dashboard; the change is re-delivered to platforms.