ZR Records
ZR Records is a Kolkata-based independent record label offering free music distribution to 150+ global streaming platforms for independent artists, monetizing via 20-30% royalty splits and artist-retention of full ownership rights.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2022
- HeadquartersKolkata, India
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What ZR Records does
ZR Records is a Kolkata, India-based independent record label and music distribution service founded in 2022 by Zesan Rahaman and operated as a sole proprietorship. The company's core offering is free digital music distribution for independent artists, delivering submitted tracks to 150+ global streaming and social platforms including Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, Amazon Music, JioSaavn, YouTube Music and Wynk, with a typical 5-10 business day release turnaround. Underlying technology is not proprietary; ZR Records sits on third-party digital distribution infrastructure rather than operating its own delivery stack. Supporting free services include Official Artist Channel (OAC) setup on YouTube, Spotify artist verification, royalty tracking, and YouTube Content ID monetization.
The business model is a freemium distributor with no upfront fees to artists, monetizing exclusively through royalty splits: 20% retained by ZR Records on streaming platforms (80% to artist) and 30% retained on YouTube Content ID (70% to artist), with payouts issued within 60 days of platform receipt. Artists retain full ownership of their masters and rights, with no exclusive contracts required. Distribution is sold via a self-serve model — artists submit through the website contact form or email ([email protected]) — supplemented by community/word-of-mouth and organic social channels (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Telegram). The target customer is the long tail of independent, primarily India-based emerging musicians releasing lofi, remixes, slowed-reverb and mashup content, with a secondary segment of multi-project artists operating under multiple aliases. The operation is founder-led and bootstrapped, with two identified team members (Owner Zesan Rahaman and Manager Akshat Sharma) and no disclosed external funding, institutional investors, or revenue figures.
ZR Records firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- ZR Records
- Legal name
- ZR Records (owned by Zesan Rahaman)
- Website
- https://zrrecords.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2022
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- ZR Records is a Kolkata-based independent record label offering free music distribution to 150+ global streaming platforms for independent artists, monetizing via 20-30% royalty splits and artist-retention of full ownership rights.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
ZR Records industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Music Distribution Services
- NAICS
- Record Production and Distribution (51225)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Record Labels (Major & Independent) (MPAIAAAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Creator Licensing & Rights Monetization (UGC Licensing, Music/Video Rights) (MPACAFAK)
Keywords
Where ZR Records is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Kolkata
- HQ country
- India
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices1 record
Markets served
ZR Records business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Royalty Splits - Streaming Platforms: ZR Records generates revenue by taking a percentage of streaming royalties. For Spotify, Apple Music, and similar platforms, the split is 80% to the Artist and 20% to ZR Records. Payments are made within 60 days of ZR Records receiving funds from platforms.
- YouTube Content ID Monetization: For YouTube Content ID monetization, the revenue split favors the artist less at 70% to the Artist and 30% to ZR Records, reflecting the additional Content ID management services provided.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Free Distribution - No cost to artists |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels6 records
ZR Records product offering
Product offeringCore offering
ZR Records is an independent record label offering free music distribution services to independent artists, delivering their tracks to 150+ digital streaming platforms worldwide (Spotify, Apple Music, JioSaavn, Amazon Music, etc.). The label monetizes via royalty revenue-share splits — 80/20 for streaming royalties and 70/30 for YouTube Content ID claims — while artists retain full ownership of their masters and publishing.
Product overview
ZR Records operates as a music distribution platform for independent artists, offering a single unified service built around free global music distribution. The core product is the Music Distribution Service, which distributes artists' music to 150+ digital platforms worldwide at no cost. This core service is supported by complementary features including Royalty Tracking (for transparent earnings monitoring), YouTube Content ID Monetization (for YouTube revenue), Official Artist Channel (OAC) Setup, and Spotify Verification—each offered free to distributed artists. The platform does not require artists to give up rights, instead taking a standard royalty split (20% for streaming platforms, 30% for YouTube Content ID).
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Music Distribution Service Free music distribution for independent artists, delivering tracks to 150+ DSPs including Spotify, Apple Music, JioSaavn, Amazon Music, and others, with artists retaining full ownership and earning 80% of streaming royalties.
- YouTube Content ID Monetization YouTube copyright registration and Content ID monetization for distributed tracks, allowing independent artists to claim revenue on third-party uploads of their music under a 70/30 artist-favorable royalty split.
Quantifiable outcome
- Distribution to 150+ platforms worldwide
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use ZR Records
Customer profileNamed customers15 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
ZR Records technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
ZR Records partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators3 records
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights4 records
ZR Records competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- TuneCore: Long-established music distribution service that delivers artist content to major streaming platforms globally. Comparable to ZR Records in core distribution function and artist target segment, but monetizes via per-release or subscription fees rather than royalty splits.
- Amuse: Mobile-first music distribution platform offering free distribution to major streaming services with optional premium tiers. Direct peer to ZR Records in freemium distribution model and indie artist target market.
- DistroKid: Leading digital music distributor offering indie artists delivery to 150+ streaming platforms with annual subscription fees. Direct competitor to ZR Records in the indie distribution space, though DistroKid monetizes via subscriptions rather than royalty splits.
- AWAL: Artist-focused distribution and label services company delivering music to Spotify, Apple Music, and other major platforms, taking a revenue share rather than upfront fees. Closely mirrors ZR Records' royalty-split monetization model and indie artist focus.
- RouteNote: Digital music distribution service offering free and premium distribution plans to 150+ platforms worldwide. Comparable in distribution scale, platform breadth, and indie-artist focus to ZR Records.
- CD Baby: Pioneer indie music distributor offering global digital distribution and royalty collection to independent musicians. Direct peer in product category (digital distribution to streaming platforms) and target customer (indie artists), though with a much larger catalog and longer operating history.
- UnitedMasters: Independent music distribution platform that gives artists ownership of their masters and distributes to major streaming platforms with a revenue-share model. Direct peer in non-exclusive ownership retention and streaming-platform delivery for indie artists.
Emerging players
- LANDR: Music technology platform offering mastering, distribution, and release services to independent artists. Adjacent peer serving the same indie artist segment with overlapping distribution functionality and additional production tools.
- SoundOn: TikTok-parent ByteDance's music distribution and artist services platform offering distribution to major streaming services. Emerging competitor with strong social-discovery integration that could disrupt indie distribution models like ZR Records'.
Broad incumbents
- Believe: Global digital music company providing distribution and label services to independent artists and labels at scale. Overlaps with ZR Records' core distribution function but operates as a much larger incumbent serving labels as well as individual artists.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
ZR Records social profiles
Digital presenceZR Records financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
ZR Records leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
ZR Records funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
ZR Records 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 ZR Records
What does ZR Records do?
ZR Records is an independent record label offering free music distribution services to independent artists, delivering their tracks to 150+ digital streaming platforms worldwide (Spotify, Apple Music, JioSaavn, Amazon Music, etc.). The label monetizes via royalty revenue-share splits — 80/20 for streaming royalties and 70/30 for YouTube Content ID claims — while artists retain full ownership of their masters and publishing.
Is ZR Records a public or private company?
ZR Records is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was ZR Records founded?
ZR Records was founded in 2022. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is ZR Records based?
ZR Records is headquartered in Kolkata, India, in the Asia region.
How does ZR Records make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Royalty Splits - Streaming Platforms are the primary driver. The others are youTube Content ID Monetization.
Who are ZR Records's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are TuneCore, Amuse, DistroKid, AWAL, RouteNote, CD Baby and UnitedMasters. Emerging players are LANDR and SoundOn. Believe is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does ZR Records have an API?
No public API is recorded for ZR Records.
What industry is ZR Records in?
ZR Records's product category is Music Distribution Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAIAAAA, Record Labels (Major & Independent), with a secondary code of MPACAFAK, Creator Licensing & Rights Monetization (UGC Licensing, Music/Video Rights). Its NAICS code is 51225.