Licensing

This page is Owdio’s Content Upload & Licensing Agreement. It applies when you create an artist account, publish a track, or otherwise upload audio, artwork, or metadata to the service. By uploading, or by agreeing to this agreement during artist-account setup, you confirm that you have read it and accept it for that content and for future uploads on that artist profile.

Picking a licence on each track tells listeners how they may use the work. This agreement is separate: it is the licence you grant Owdio so the platform can host and stream your content under Belgian and EU law (including rules for online content-sharing service providers under the EU DSM Directive and the Belgian Code of Economic Law).

1. Grant of licence

By uploading any audio recording, composition, visual asset, or associated metadata (collectively, the “Content”) to Owdio (the “Service”), you grant Owdio a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free (subject to any separate monetisation agreements), sublicensable licence to:

• Host, store, transcode, and reproduce the Content on our servers;
• Make available, stream, and communicate the Content to the public on demand across web, mobile, and connected devices;
• Display associated album artwork, artist names, track titles, and metadata in connection with the promotion and operation of the Service, including thumbnails and waveforms.

You retain full copyright and ownership of your original works. You may delete your Content at any time, which terminates this licence within a reasonable technical propagation period (excluding backup caches and logs required for statutory reporting).

2. Warranties and ownership

You represent and warrant that:

• Originality and clearances. You are the sole creator and rights holder of the sound recording (the master) and the underlying musical work (composition and lyrics), or you have secured all necessary written licences, clearances, and authorisations from all co-creators, vocalists, musicians, and label entities.
• Third-party rights and samples. The Content does not infringe the intellectual property, privacy, or publicity rights of any third party. Any sampled material, beats, or interpolations have been fully cleared for commercial and non-commercial streaming.
• Collective management societies. If you or any co-writer or producer are registered with Sabam, PlayRight, SIMIM, or any foreign collective management organisation (for example SACEM, GEMA, PRS, ASCAP, or BMI), you acknowledge that statutory reporting requirements may apply and that Owdio will account for plays according to applicable statutory frameworks.

Selecting a licence on Owdio does not replace obtaining rights from collaborators, labels, or collecting societies where those rights are required.

3. Licence types on Owdio

For each track you publish, you choose how others may use it. Owdio groups licences into broad categories:

• Copyleft / Creative Commons — share-friendly licences that allow reuse under stated conditions (attribution, non-commercial use, share-alike, etc.).
• Copyright / all rights reserved — streaming and discovery on Owdio only; no reuse without your explicit permission.
• Collecting society — works registered with or managed by collective rights organisations (for example neighbouring-rights bodies).
• Public domain — no rights reserved; the work is free for anyone to use.

4. What listeners can do

Unless your chosen licence says otherwise, listeners may stream your music on Owdio but may not download, redistribute, or use it in their own works without your permission. Always check the licence badge shown on each track.

If you publish a remix or collaboration, ensure all contributors agree to the licence you select. Mislabelled licences may be corrected or content removed after review.

5. Takedown and notice

Under Belgian and EU law governing online content-sharing service providers (OCSSPs):

• Owdio may remove, disable access to, or permanently delete any Content immediately upon receiving a valid copyright infringement notice, or if we have reason to believe the Content infringes third-party rights.
• Repeat infringers will have their accounts suspended or terminated.

If you believe a track on Owdio infringes your rights, please contact us with the URL, your relationship to the work, and supporting information.

6. Indemnification

You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless Owdio, its founders, directors, employees, and affiliates from and against any and all claims, damages, liabilities, losses, and legal expenses (including reasonable attorney fees) arising out of or related to:

• Any breach of your warranties regarding content ownership or unauthorised samples;
• Any third-party copyright, neighbouring rights, or trademark infringement claim relating to your uploaded Content.

7. Governing law and jurisdiction

These terms of upload are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of Belgium. Owdio’s offices are based in Hoeilaart, Belgium. Any dispute arising out of or in connection with this agreement shall be submitted to the exclusive jurisdiction of the competent courts of Brussels (Halle-Vilvoorde), Belgium.

Questions about licensing? See our Contact page or the Terms and Conditions.