Artist Terms & Financial Rules

1. Scope

These Artist Terms and Financial Rules apply to all artists and producers who release music, sell products or generate streaming royalties on TunePlay ("you", "your"). They form part of the TunePlay Terms of Service and explain how revenue is earned, shared and paid. Capitalised terms not defined here have the meaning given in the TunePlay Terms of Service.

2. Eligible revenue sources

Royalty and earnings are generated from the following sources while the relevant content remains eligible (see the qualifying stream rules below):

• Advertising (Ad Studio). An agreed share of net advertising revenue from campaigns delivered across TunePlay (audio ads, display banners and related placements) is allocated to the artist royalty pool.
• Premium subscriptions. An agreed share of revenue from TunePlay Premium and Family subscriptions is allocated to the artist royalty pool.
• Paid track and download sales. Proceeds from paid downloads on the Premium Music store, net of the platform commission, are paid to the artist.
• Marketplace sales. Proceeds from beat marketplace and product sales, net of the platform commission, are paid to the seller.
• Tips. Listener tips and "show some love" payments, net of the platform commission, are paid to the recipient.
• Gigs and services. Payments for gig orders and services, net of the platform commission and any service fees, are paid to the seller.

3. Allowable deductions before revenue sharing

The following deductions are applied before any revenue is shared or paid out:

• Platform commission. TunePlay retains a platform commission on each revenue stream, currently set as follows (as updated from time to time in Admin → System Settings):

• Payment processing and settlement fees. Fees charged by payment providers (including mobile money processors such as PawaPay) are deducted before sharing.
• Service and listing fees. Buyer service fees, gig listing fees and similar charges described on the relevant page are applied and are not part of the seller's share.
• Refunds, chargebacks and reversals. Any refunded, charged back or otherwise reversed amount is removed from eligible revenue and from the corresponding royalty pool, and the artist share is adjusted accordingly.
• Adjustments and corrections. TunePlay may correct billing errors, duplicate payments or recording errors in the reconciliation for any period.

4. Royalty pool allocation

Revenue set aside for music royalties is pooled and distributed pro-rata to rights holders based on each artist's qualifying streams for the period. The pool is calculated as follows:

• The eligible royalty pool for a period equals the sum of the pooled shares from each eligible revenue source (currently 60% of net advertising revenue and 60% of net premium subscription revenue), less any deductions described in clause 3.
• Each artist's share equals their qualifying streams divided by all qualifying streams in the period, multiplied by the period pool.
• Royalties are credited to artists' wallets and appear on statements as "estimated", then "pending", "available" and "withdrawn" balances in the royalty management workflow.

5. Qualifying stream rules

A play only counts as a "qualifying stream" for royalty purposes if it satisfies all of the following:

• Genuine listener. The session is initiated and evidenced by a real listener account and player, not an automated script, bot or manipulated device.
• Minimum listening time. The listener played the track for at least 30 seconds of verified playback, submitted through verifiable heartbeat/session proofs.
• Correct session behaviour. Playback timestamps and durations are consistent with a real listening session (server-verified). Sessions showing implausible timestamps, inflated claimed durations, speed skips or other anomalies are excluded.
• Monetizable content. The track is monetizable on TunePlay (not disabled by the rights holder or by TunePlay for policy reasons) and is attached to an artist account.
• One count per session. Each track counts at most once per verified listening session; repeat plays within the same session do not multiply royalties.
• No self-deception loops. Streams generated by the rights holder or people acting on their behalf to inflate counts are excluded and may lead to enforcement under clause 7.

6. Fraud detection and stream exclusions

TunePlay continuously monitors streaming behaviour using server-side session verification, dwell-time analysis, device, network and playback consistency checks. A play may be flagged and reviewed if it shows signs of automation, scaling, ghost playback, account abuse or other manipulation. The verdicts applied are:

• Qualified — verified genuine listening that counts toward royalties.
• Suspicious — flagged for manual review by the platform integrity team; earnings are held until the review concludes.
• Rejected — excluded from royalties. Common reasons include: playback shorter than 30 seconds, implausible or inflated session data, headless/bot clients, blocked user agents, and evidence of automated activity.

Rejected streams do not count toward the pool, are not payable, and may result in deductions from current or future balances if amounts were already credited. TunePlay's decisions on detection and exclusion are final, subject to good-faith appeals submitted to support@tuneplayzm.com. Legacy data that predates stream verification is treated as unverified and does not qualify for royalties.

7. Royalty periods and statement timing

• Periods. Royalties are accounted for in calendar quarters (Q1–Q4). Advertising royalty contributions are also tracked monthly for reporting.
• Statements. Artist dashboards publish period statements showing qualifying streams, your share percentage, pool amounts and status at each stage (estimated → pending → available).
• Release timing. Once a quarter closes, TunePlay reconciles the pool and releases available earnings to artist wallets. Funds are released automatically on the 2nd of each month after the quarter closes. Interim monthly advertising pools are distributed separately.

8. Minimum payout threshold

• Royalty withdrawals: the minimum withdrawal amount is K100 (K100.00). Amounts below this threshold accumulate in your balance from period to period until the threshold is reached.
• Service / wallet payouts (including gig earnings and marketplace sales): the applicable minimum is K50 per payout.
• You may not split or structure withdrawals to circumvent a minimum threshold, and partial withdrawal of a single period's balance is limited as shown in your dashboard.

9. Payout methods and verification requirements

• Method. Payouts are made to your registered mobile money wallet (via PawaPay in Zambia, ZMW) or such other method TunePlay makes available from time to time. Certain wallet balances can be withdrawn instantly; royalty withdrawals are processed as requests reviewed by our finance team.
• Verification. Before any payout you must hold an active account in good standing, a verified email address, and complete identity / mobile money verification as required by TunePlay and applicable anti-money-laundering law. Payouts will not be processed to unverified or mismatched numbers or to third-party accounts.
• Timing. Approved payouts are scheduled and transmitted to the payment provider; TunePlay is not liable for delays caused by the payment provider, your mobile network, or incorrect details you provided.
• Rejected payouts. If a payout fails or is returned (wrong number, provider refusal), the amount is credited back to your TunePlay balance, and you may be asked to correct your details before retrying. Repeated failures may result in a payout hold pending re-verification.

10. Refunds, chargebacks, rights disputes and royalty adjustments

• Refunds and chargebacks. If a purchase, tip or campaign spend that generated your earnings is refunded or charged back, the corresponding earnings are reversed from your balance (current future earnings first, then other balances).
• Rights disputes. If a claim, takedown or rights dispute is brought against a track or product, royalties for the disputed content are held pending resolution. On resolution, disputed royalties are paid to the prevailing rights holder or returned to the pool as applicable.
• Adjustments. TunePlay may adjust balances to correct errors, suspicious or fraudulent activity, or retroactive changes in eligibility (for example where a track is reclassified as non-monetizable). Adjustments are reflected on your next statement.

11. Account suspension / termination and accumulated balances

• Termination for breach. If your account is suspended or terminated for violation of the Terms of Service, the Financial Rules or other policies, TunePlay may (without limiting any other remedy) terminate royalty entitlements, hold or forfeit accrued but unpaid balances, and revoke outstanding withdrawal requests, to the extent permitted by law.
• Closure in good standing. If you close your account in good standing, accrued available balances are paid out subject to verification requirements and the minimum payout threshold. Estimated or pending amounts are only payable if and when they become available after the period closes and reconciles.
• Dormant balances. Balances that remain unwithdrawable or unclaimed for an extended period may, to the extent permitted by law, be subject to escheatment or application of platform rules on dormant funds after notice.

12. Amendments

TunePlay may update or amend these Artist Terms and Financial Rules from time to time to reflect changes in the platform, economics, products or the law. TunePlay will notify you of material changes with reasonable advance notice (typically at least 30 days) by email or in-app notification. If a change materially reduces your earnings share, you may terminate your participation before it takes effect. Your continued use of TunePlay after the effective date constitutes acceptance of the amended terms.

13. Contact

Questions about royalties, statements or payouts should be sent to support@tuneplayzm.com. We aim to respond within 48 hours.