When you look for help recovering royalties, several well-known platforms show up. Many of them do real work. But choosing a tool for your money is not like choosing a photo app: here it is worth reading the fine print before you go in. Let us look, fairly, at the questions worth asking before you decide.
🔑 Golden rule: read how they touch your money and your data
Before looking at how pretty a platform is, ask yourself three simple questions:
- Do they keep a piece of the money they recover?
- Do they ask for access to my account passwords?
- How much does it cost and in what language am I served?
These three things matter more than any marketing promise. Let us take them one by one.
💸 1. The commission: how much stays behind on the way?
Many recovery platforms charge an administration fee on the money they recover. In the market it is common to see between 15% and 20%. It sounds small until you put it in dollars: on a $10,000 recovery, 15% is $1,500 that does not reach you.
It is not that charging commission is “bad”: it is a legitimate business decision. But it is the first thing YOU should know, because it comes straight out of your pocket. Always ask: what percentage do they keep, and on exactly what?
🔒 2. Your accounts: do they ask for access or passwords?
Some platforms, in order to work, ask to connect to your accounts (your distributor, your PRO, and so on). Before granting access, check their terms for exactly what they ask for and how they handle your credentials. Fewer hands on your keys, less risk.
This is where a key word comes in: non-custodial. It sounds technical, but it is very simple.
Non-custodial means your money never passes through anybody else’s hands. It goes straight from the source to your bank. And since nobody handles your money, nobody needs your passwords either: they show you where the money is and how to claim it, and you do it with your own keys.
🌎 3. Price and language: can you start with no commitment?
Two practical details that get overlooked:
- Is there a free way to look? Some platforms charge from the start, or work by application (you have to apply and can be rejected). Being able to scan and see your own case without paying and without a login lets you decide with information in hand.
- In what language are you served? Understanding every step of what happens with your money is not a luxury: it is your right. Many tools in the market are English-only; if your language is Spanish, Portuguese or French, check that you are covered.
📊 Table: compare before you choose
| What to check | Typical custodial platform | Non-custodial approach (Solnota) |
|---|---|---|
| Commission on your money | Usually 15–20% | 0% — your money goes straight to your bank |
| Does it ask for access to your accounts? | Sometimes yes (check their terms) | No — it never asks for credentials |
| Free plan? | Usually paid or by application | Yes — scanning is free, no login |
| Language | Usually English only | Spanish, English, Portuguese and French |
🧭 How to decide without regretting it
There is no perfect tool for everybody. There is the right tool for YOUR situation. So instead of being carried along by the most famous name, decide with a cool head:
- If keeping 100% of what you recover matters to you, look at the commission first. 15% or 20% of a good recovery is a lot of real money.
- If the security of your accounts matters to you, ask whether they want access to your passwords. Fewer hands on your keys, less risk.
- If English is not your first language, do not underestimate that. Understanding every step of what happens with your money is your right.
The honest position is simple: almost every platform in the market has real strengths. We are only giving you the list of things to check — and to verify yourself — so the decision is yours and nothing surprises you later.
🔎 Start by looking, with no commitment
The best way to compare is not reading opinions, it is seeing your own case. Scan your music for free, without giving a password, and decide afterwards with information in hand.