VSCOUT
Artist data you can prove.
VSCOUT is building an artist database where every fact comes with its proof and stays up to date. It starts with the fact A&R needs first: is this artist independent?
For label A&R, brokers, catalog buyers and licensing teams. More than 200,000 artists checked so far.
Why every answer comes with its proof
Label fields in music databases are often copied from somewhere else and rarely updated, and a follower count can't tell you whether an artist has signed. VSCOUT answers from the release itself. Every commercial release carries a ℗ notice naming whoever controls the recording, so that's what gets read.
You see the lines behind every answer. If something isn't on the release, VSCOUT says so instead of filling the gap.
| Year | ℗ line1 | Owner is2 |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | ℗ 2025 Juniper Ash | Artist |
| 2024 | ℗ 2024 Halden Park Music Ltd | Third party |
| 2023 | ℗ 2023 Juniper Ash Music | Own imprint |
| 2022 | ℗ 2022 8812044 Records DK | Distributor |
| 2021 | ℗ 2021 Juniper Ash | Artist |
Four releases are the artist's own. The 2024 EP names Halden Park Music Ltd, so independence isn't confirmed until someone looks at that deal.
- ReadUp to 15 releases per artist from the digital stores, newest first. The ℗ notice on each one is read directly, and results are never more than two weeks old.
- ClassifyEach owner is matched against the artist's own name, known distributors, the major-label families and their imprints, and licensing wording in more than 20 languages.
- DecideRules run strictest first. One unknown owner among the artist's own releases means review, not independent.
What you can use today
Independence check
Upload a CSV or TSV with an Artist column, from Chartmetric, another database or your own list. You get it back with the result, the reason, the ℗ lines found and the earliest release year for every artist. Artists you've already checked aren't pulled again.
Contact finder
For the artists who come back independent, it finds the ways to reach them and marks each match as exact or uncertain.
- X
- Website
Leads
Keep the artists you're working in one place, from first check to first reply. Import and export lists, remove duplicates by Spotify ID and name, and filter by status, momentum, region and listeners.
Six possible results
| Result | Meaning | Usual next step |
|---|---|---|
| Independent KEEP | Every owner found is the artist, an imprint of theirs, or a distributor's placeholder label. | Find their email and reach out. |
| Needs a look REVIEW | The artist's own releases sit next to one owned by someone else, or licensing wording needs a person to read it. | Read the proof column. |
| Signed to a major DROP_MAJOR | A release names a major-label family or one of its imprints. | Move on, unless you deal with the label. |
| Licensed out DROP_LICENSED | A release is under an exclusive licence to someone else. | Check back later. Licences end. |
| Owned by another company DROP_THIRDPARTY | The owners are companies other than the artist, a distributor or a major. | If it's the artist's own company, mark it clean once and it's remembered. |
| No proof found NO_EVIDENCE | No matching releases could be read. Never counted as independent or not. | Check the name or Spotify link and run it again. |
Close calls go one way. Calling an artist independent when they aren't sends you after a deal that can't happen, so anything uncertain lands in review. When nothing can be read, the result says so instead of guessing.
The database: filter artists by facts you can check
The independence check is the first feed in a larger artist database. You'll be able to filter by whether an artist is independent or signed, where they're from and what they make, and every fact will show its source and the date it was last checked.
- Preview, then subscribe. Search part of the database before choosing a plan. The full database comes with one.
- Import a list, get it filled in. Upload a CSV and get every artist's details back. Anyone not yet in the database is checked and added, so it grows with every list.
- For teams under agreement. Access is by signed agreement, not open sign-up, so the data stays with people who'll use it properly.
What a result doesn't tell you
- It isn't a contract review. The ℗ line is what a release claims. Side agreements, reversions and unreleased deals don't appear in store data, so confirm with the artist before an offer.
- It covers recordings only. Songwriting and publishing are separate rights.
- It can only read what's released. Artists with nothing in the stores come back as no proof found.
- It isn't legal advice. Use it to decide who to call first, then have the deal reviewed.
Every A&R tool I used could tell me how fast an artist was growing. None of them could prove whether that artist was free to sign.
I built VSCOUT to answer that with evidence, and I'm building the database the same way: artist data you can check for yourself, kept current. It's strict on purpose. I'd rather it hand me an artist to look at than tell me one is clear when they aren't.
Priced on how many artists you check
| PilotOne list, checked with you | SourcingA team checking artists weekly | DeskSeveral scouts, one pipeline | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Independence check with proof | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Walkthrough call on your results | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Contact finder: email, website, socials | No | Yes | Yes |
| Leads: import, export, de-duplication, filters | No | Yes | Yes |
| Database access | No | No | Early access |
| Billing | One-off | Monthly | Annual |
| Request pricing | Request pricing | Request pricing |
Pilot
One list, checked with you
- Independence check with proof
- Walkthrough call on your results
One-off
Request pricingSourcing
A team checking artists weekly
- Everything in Pilot
- Contact finder: email, website, socials
- Leads: import, export, de-duplication, filters
Monthly
Request pricingDesk
Several scouts, one pipeline
- Everything in Sourcing
- Early access to the database
Annual
Request pricingPrices are quoted per team, and every plan starts with a signed agreement. The first few teams get a lower founding price in exchange for regular feedback.
See it on your own artists
Send a note and I'll reply by email to set up a 30-minute call. On the call we check a sample of your own list, so you can judge the results on artists you already know.
Or email directly:
gavin@vscout.caRequest received.
I'll reply by email.
Preview only: this page isn't connected to email yet, so nothing was sent.
Common questions
Is VSCOUT a database like Chartmetric or Viberate?
That's where it's going. Those tools are built around growth and audience data. VSCOUT is built around facts you can verify, starting with independence. The database is in development; the independence check, contact finder and leads work today.
Does "independent" mean the artist can definitely sign or sell?
It means every ℗ line that could be read names the artist, their own imprint or a distributor. That's strong grounds to reach out. Confirm the details with the artist before any offer.
How current are the results?
Each check reads the stores when you run it. Results are kept for up to two weeks so the same artist isn't pulled twice, and are never older than that.
What happens to the lists I upload?
Your lists, lead statuses and notes are private to your account and aren't shared or sold. When the database launches, the independence facts about artists you check will be added to it. Your list, and the fact that you checked them, won't be.
Does it send messages for me?
No. It finds the contact details and tracks where each conversation stands. Outreach goes from your own accounts.