Catalog
Catalog was a Brooklyn-based direct-to-fan digital music platform that let independent artists and small labels sell downloads and stream releases while keeping 100% of revenue with no platform fees, supplemented by the Liner Notes editorial publication. The platform ceased operations in 2025.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2021
- HeadquartersBrooklyn, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Catalog does
Catalog Records Inc. was a Brooklyn-based private company founded in 2021 that operated catalog.works, a direct-to-fan digital music distribution and sales platform aimed at independent musicians and small independent record labels. The platform's core technology was a self-serve web application that enabled artists to upload music, sell digital downloads, and stream releases to supporters while retaining 100% of download revenue, with the company taking 0% commission — a structural break from incumbent marketplaces charging 15-30%. Platform features included automatic revenue splitting among collaborators at point of sale, fan email capture for direct artist-to-supporter communication, private demo sharing with scheduled and published release controls, and a referral rewards system that paid fans a percentage cut when their referrals generated sales. Distribution was exclusively direct through the catalog.works storefront with no intermediary resellers, and the company supplemented the marketplace with a companion editorial publication called Liner Notes (notes.catalog.works) that featured interviews and essays on independent music culture as a community and discovery layer.
Catalog's business model was freemium on both sides: artists signed up for free standard accounts, and select independent labels were onboarded with lifetime free accounts. The company took no transaction fees, meaning monetization depended on volume and community goodwill rather than per-sale economics. Go-to-market was product-led growth combined with community-led content marketing through Liner Notes, Instagram, X, and word-of-mouth referral mechanics. Customer segments were primarily solo independent artists and small boutique labels (including Simsara Music, pi pi pi, Motion Ward, Sure Thing, SLINK, Fast At Work, and several solo artists such as Low Leaf, denis biblioni, and Sandy Chamoun), with music collectors and fans as a secondary persona. The company raised a 2021 seed round from Acequia Capital and Inflection with no disclosed dollar amount and remained a 1-10 employee operation throughout its life. As of 2025, the platform has ceased operations and displays a shutdown announcement at fin.catalog.works.
Catalog firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Catalog
- Legal name
- Catalog Records Inc.
- Website
- https://catalog.works
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2021
- Operating status
- Closed
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Catalog was a Brooklyn-based direct-to-fan digital music platform that let independent artists and small labels sell downloads and stream releases while keeping 100% of revenue with no platform fees, supplemented by the Liner Notes editorial publication. The platform ceased operations in 2025.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Catalog industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Independent Music Distribution
- NAICS
- Sporting Goods, Hobby, Musical Instrument, Book, and Miscellaneous Retailers (459)
- SIC
- Retail-Record & Prerecorded Tape Stores (5735)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Recorded Music Retail & D2C Merch Bundles (MPAIAAAF)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Master Rights Ownership & Catalog Management (MPAIAAAB)
Keywords
Where Catalog is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Brooklyn
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Catalog business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Digital Download Sales: Platform takes 0% commission on digital download sales, allowing artists to keep 100% of revenue. This commission-free model differentiates Catalog from traditional marketplaces.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Standard Artist Account - Free |
| Freemium | Multi-year contract | Label Account - Free (Select Onboarding) |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
Catalog product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Catalog is a web-based direct-to-fan music distribution and sales platform where independent artists and labels upload, stream, and sell digital music downloads while retaining 100% of revenue with no marketplace fees. The platform provides automatic revenue splitting with collaborators, fan email collection, referral rewards, and flexible release controls (private, scheduled, published). Companion editorial publication Liner Notes covers independent music and artists.
Product overview
Catalog operates as a unified direct-to-fan music platform with two primary offerings: the core Catalog platform for music sharing, sales, and distribution (enabling artists to keep 100% of earnings with no fees, share releases privately or publicly, and split revenue with collaborators), and Liner Notes, an editorial music blogging companion. The platform also runs a label onboarding program offering lifetime free accounts for select labels. There are no modular add-ons or separate tiers—the platform's features (referral rewards, supporter email collection, streaming for supporters) are built into the single product.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Liner Notes: Music journalism editorial arm of Catalog, featuring interviews and essays about independent music artists and labels.
Products and services
- Catalog
Companies that use Catalog
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Catalog technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Catalog partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Catalog competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- TuneCore: TuneCore distributes independent music to Spotify, Apple Music, and other DSPs for a per-release or subscription fee. It addresses the same pain point of artist-owned distribution and revenue retention that Catalog targeted.
- DistroKid: DistroKid is a self-serve music distribution service enabling independent artists to upload and distribute to major streaming platforms. It competes for the same independent musician customer base with a low flat-fee subscription model.
- AWAL: AWAL offers independent artists distribution, marketing, and royalty collection services to major streaming platforms. It serves the same indie-label and artist customer base seeking alternatives to traditional label deals.
- CD Baby: CD Baby is one of the original independent music distribution services, enabling artists to sell downloads and stream on major platforms. It competes for the same DIY indie musician segment.
- Bandcamp: Bandcamp is the dominant direct-to-fan music platform for independent artists, allowing downloads, streaming, and merchandise sales. It is the closest analogue to Catalog's D2C music marketplace model with a similar indie-first ethos and fan-ownership philosophy.
Emerging players
- Audius: Audius is a decentralized music streaming platform that similarly emerged from the Web3 music cycle. It targets independent artists with artist-controlled distribution and token-based incentives, making it a close category peer that survived the same market shakeout.
- Amuse: Amuse is a mobile-first distribution platform for independent artists offering free and paid tiers. It targets the same product-led, self-serve onboarding approach that Catalog used for artist acquisition.
- UnitedMasters: UnitedMasters provides independent artists distribution to streaming platforms plus brand partnership and monetization opportunities. It targets a similar indie artist segment with a more developed revenue-sharing and services model.
- Stem: Stem provides distribution and transparent royalty splitting for independent artists and labels. Its automatic revenue split functionality directly parallels Catalog's collaboration payment feature.
Broad incumbents
- SoundCloud: SoundCloud is a broad audio platform widely used by independent musicians for hosting, streaming, and fan engagement. It overlaps with Catalog's discovery and direct-upload model but operates at significantly larger scale with a freemium/Pro tier revenue model.
Market position
Strengths3 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
Catalog social profiles
Digital presenceCatalog financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Catalog leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Catalog funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors3 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Catalog M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Catalog
What does Catalog do?
Catalog is a web-based direct-to-fan music distribution and sales platform where independent artists and labels upload, stream, and sell digital music downloads while retaining 100% of revenue with no marketplace fees. The platform provides automatic revenue splitting with collaborators, fan email collection, referral rewards, and flexible release controls (private, scheduled, published). Companion editorial publication Liner Notes covers independent music and artists.
Is Catalog a public or private company?
Catalog is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently closed.
When was Catalog founded?
Catalog was founded in 2021. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Catalog based?
Catalog is headquartered in Brooklyn, United States, in the North America region.
How does Catalog make money?
One revenue line is on record: digital Download Sales.
Who are Catalog's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are TuneCore, DistroKid, AWAL, CD Baby and Bandcamp. Emerging players are Audius, Amuse, UnitedMasters and Stem. SoundCloud is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Catalog have an API?
No public API is recorded for Catalog.
What industry is Catalog in?
Catalog's product category is Independent Music Distribution. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAIAAAF, Recorded Music Retail & D2C Merch Bundles, with a secondary code of MPAIAAAB, Master Rights Ownership & Catalog Management. Its NAICS code is 459 and its SIC code is 5735.