Paid or Played?
a simple recoupment calculator for music artists
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What is Paid or Played??
Paid or Played? is a free recoupment calculator designed specifically for music artists to understand when they will start earning master royalties from their record label. The tool shows how much money the label needs to make before the artist starts seeing new master royalties on their side, breaking down the classic label math where costs eat first before royalties can hit the artist.
The calculator features a simple interface where users pick their deal type (classic label math), enter money charged to their royalty account, view their total recoupable balance, input their royalty share percentage, and enter their effective rate. The tool then calculates exactly how much the label needs to make before the artist gets paid, displaying a scenario meter showing covered amounts, still to pay back, and the artist's potential payout.
This tool is specifically for signed music artists, independent musicians considering label deals, producers, and anyone in the music industry who needs to understand recoupment mechanics. It helps artists evaluate record deal terms, understand when they'll actually get paid from streaming revenue, and make informed decisions about label contracts before signing.
The calculator is completely free, runs in the browser as a Vercel-hosted web app, requires no account or signup, and provides instant calculations as users input their deal terms. It focuses exclusively on master royalties and recoupment rather than streaming rate calculations or publishing royalties.
Paid or Played? pricing
Pricing model: Freemium
Free - The tool is completely free to use with no paid plans, subscriptions, or premium tiers. It is a free music deal calculator hosted on Vercel with no account required and no costo for any features.
Paid or Played? pros
- Completely free to use with no paid tiers or subscriptions
- No account creation or signup required
- Instant calculations as you input deal terms
- Specifically designed for music artist recoupment
- Clear visualization of when artist starts getting paid
- Simple interface with intuitive input fields
- Shows total recoupable balance clearly
- Calculates exact revenue needed before artist payout
- Scenario meter shows covered vs remaining balance
- Mobile-friendly browser-based tool
- No ads or data collection mentioned
- Focuses on master royalties specifically
- Helps evaluate record deal terms before signing
- Classic label math calculation built in
- Shows artist payout amount directly
- Open-source Vercel deployment
- Quick understanding of complex recoupment math
Paid or Played? cons
- Only handles classic label deal structure
- Does not calculate streaming per-play rates
- No publishing or songwriter royalty calculations
- Limited to master royalties only
- No ability to save or compare multiple deals
- No export or PDF report functionality
- Single deal type supported (no 360 deals)
- No cross-collateralization calculation options
- Does not account for non-recoupable expenses separately
- No collaboration or multiple artist split features
Frequently asked questions about Paid or Played?
What does Paid or Played? calculate?
Paid or Played? calculates how much money a record label needs to make before an artist starts seeing new master royalties. It shows the recoupment threshold - the point where costs are covered and royalties start hitting the artist's side.
Is this tool free to use?
Yes, Paid or Played? is completely free. There are no paid plans, subscriptions, or premium features. It's a free music deal calculator with no account required.
What deal types does it support?
The tool currently supports classic label math, where costs eat first before new master royalties can hit the artist's side. This is the traditional recoupment model used by most record labels.
What inputs do I need to use the calculator?
You need to enter: money charged to your royalty account, total recoupable balance, your royalty share percentage, and your effective rate. The tool then calculates how much the label needs to make before you get paid.
Does it calculate streaming royalties per play?
No, Paid or Played? does not calculate per-stream payouts like Spotify or Apple Music rates. It focuses on recoupment - when you start getting paid after the label recoups their costs, not how much each stream pays.
Can I save or compare multiple deals?
The tool does not currently have a feature to save deals or compare multiple contract terms side-by-side. You can test different scenarios by entering different values, but results are not saved.
What is the scenario meter?
The scenario meter displays three key metrics: Covered (amount recouped), Still to pay back (remaining recoupable balance), and My payout (what the artist receives at that revenue level).
Does it include publishing royalties?
No, Paid or Played? focuses exclusively on master royalties from recorded music. Publishing and songwriter royalties are separate revenue streams not calculated by this tool.
Who should use this calculator?
This tool is for signed music artists, independent musicians considering label deals, producers, and anyone who needs to understand when they'll start earning from a record deal after recoupment.
How accurate is the calculation?
The calculator uses standard classic label math where the label recoups from the artist's royalty share. The actual amount you need depends on your specific royalty percentage and total recoupable balance entered.