As we expanded from analytics into full catalog distribution, we began testing the service manually. We uploaded client assets ourselves to gauge demand and identify gaps in existing platforms. Early feedback was promising: users were excited to centralize their distribution and felt underserved by other providers.

But as we moved toward building out the full self-serve experience, we hit a wall. Copyright enforcement complexities — especially around territorial rights and conflicting ownership claims — made it difficult to scale responsibly. Even with correct metadata, we encountered platform takedowns and legal ambiguity that made automated distribution risky without dedicated rights infrastructure.

In short: the demand was there, but the technical and legal frameworks weren’t. Despite strong user appetite, we ultimately had to shelve the distribution feature.