Royalty Agreement

"Artist" means any individual or entity that uploads, distributes, or monetizes music or video content through PesaBass.

"Content" means any audio recordings, music videos, artwork, metadata, or other materials provided by the Artist to PesaBass.

"Net Revenue" means gross revenue generated from Content, less applicable taxes, payment processing fees, and chargebacks.

"Stream" means a qualifying play of Content lasting at least 30 seconds for audio or 10 seconds for video, as measured by PesaBass analytics.

"Pay-Per-View (PPV)" means a one-time purchase granting access to a specific piece of premium or exclusive content.

Artists can earn revenue from multiple sources on PesaBass. The table below lists the current default shares as at the effective date of this Agreement. The authoritative rate for any transaction is the rate displayed in the app at the time of that transaction or withdrawal — rates are configurable and may differ per feature, per promotion, or per verified tier.

Note: Shares are calculated on Net Revenue. Where a platform share is applied at withdrawal time rather than at the moment of earning, the in-app withdrawal screen shows the exact deduction before you confirm. PesaBass may adjust rates prospectively; material reductions will be announced with reasonable advance notice and never apply retroactively to amounts already earned.

2.4 Revenue Model & Nature of Payments. All monies generated through the Platform — including subscription, advertising, pay-per-view, tip, gift, merchandise, sponsorship, booking, and ticketing revenue — are collected and earned by CashBass Africa Limited (trading as "PesaBass") as principal. The "Artist Share" shown above is a contractual reward that PesaBass pays to the Creator out of PesaBass's own revenue as consideration under this Agreement; it is not a sum withheld or deducted from money belonging to the Creator, and the Creator holds no proprietary interest in Platform revenue prior to PesaBass making a payment. The "Platform Share" is revenue PesaBass retains for itself. Payments become due only after funds are actually received and cleared by PesaBass (net of payment-processor fees, refunds, chargebacks, and any taxes required to be withheld), and PesaBass is not obliged to pay any share in respect of revenue it has not received. Nothing in this Agreement creates a partnership, joint venture, agency, trust, or employment relationship between PesaBass and any Creator.

2.5 Discretionary Perks. Any reduced platform share, promotional bonus, or enhanced payout offered to verified tiers or promotions is a discretionary benefit funded by PesaBass and may be varied or withdrawn on a prospective basis; it never entitles a Creator to recover past Platform Share amounts.

3.1 Transaction-Based Model: Earnings on PesaBass are transaction-based, not pooled: each qualifying paid event (a paid view or unlock, an episode/season purchase, a gift, a paid download, a ticket, a battle-pool share) generates a specific Artist Share per Section 2 once the underlying payment has been received and verified by PesaBass. There is no pro-rata subscriber or advertising revenue pool, and unpaid (free) plays do not generate royalties, although they build your audience and analytics.

3.2 Verification: A paid event counts toward earnings only when PesaBass can verify the underlying payment against its payment ledgers (e.g. the payment processor's confirmation or a wallet debit record). Unverifiable events accrue no payable amount.

3.3 View Counting: Repeated plays from the same user within a short period may be consolidated for counting purposes, as measured by PesaBass analytics, which are authoritative.

3.4 Fraud Prevention: Artificial activity (bots, click farms, stream or vote manipulation, self-dealing, collusive purchases) will result in disqualification of the affected transactions, forfeiture of associated earnings, recovery of amounts already paid (including by set-off against future earnings), and potential account termination.

4.1 Withdrawal-Request Model: Payouts are initiated by you: earnings accrue to your in-app balance, and you submit a withdrawal request from your Hub. Requests are reviewed and processed in batches on the platform's scheduled payout days (currently the 15th and 30th of each month, or the next business day). PesaBass does not run automatic monthly payments — an unrequested balance simply remains available.

4.2 Minimum Payout: The minimum payout threshold is KES 500 (or the equivalent). Earnings below this amount remain in your balance until they cross the threshold.

4.3 Payment Methods: Payouts are made via M-Pesa, bank transfer, or other supported services as configured in your Artist Hub settings and verified through KYC.

4.4 Currency & Foreign Payments: All earnings are calculated and held in Kenyan Shillings (KES). Where a fan pays in another currency (e.g. USD card payments), the KES value credited is derived from the displayed conversion at charge time, which may include a small buffer for exchange-rate movement and rounding; the KES amount shown in your dashboard is authoritative. Payouts in currencies other than KES, where offered, are processed manually and may take longer.

4.5 Taxes & Deductions: Artists are responsible for all applicable taxes on their earnings. PesaBass withholds amounts required or prudent under applicable law — the current default withholding is shown on the withdrawal screen before you confirm (currently 16% unless configured otherwise) — and any platform fee and withdrawal fee applicable to your account are likewise itemised on that screen before you confirm. What you see on the confirmation screen is the binding statement of deductions for that withdrawal.

4.6 Holds & Compliance: To protect against fraud and money-laundering: (a) newly created accounts are subject to a holding period (currently 90 days) before their first withdrawal; (b) withdrawals require completed identity verification (KYC), including national ID and tax PIN where requested; (c) large withdrawals (currently KES 50,000 and above) undergo enhanced due diligence and may require additional documentation; and (d) PesaBass may pause or decline a payout while it investigates suspected fraud, chargebacks, or policy violations, and may set off amounts you owe the platform (e.g. clawbacks, platform dues) against your balance.

4.7 Disputed Payments: If you believe a payment is incorrect, you must raise a dispute within 90 days of the payment date. Disputes submitted after this period may not be honored.

5.1 Ownership: You retain full ownership of your Content. Nothing in this Agreement transfers copyright or ownership to PesaBass.

5.2 License Grant: By uploading Content, you grant PesaBass a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free (subject to the royalty payments herein) license to reproduce, distribute, publicly perform, display, and make available your Content on the platform and in promotional materials.

5.3 Promotional Use: PesaBass may use brief excerpts (up to 30 seconds of audio, 15 seconds of video) and artwork in platform promotions, playlists, social media, and advertising without additional compensation.

5.4 Takedown Rights: You may request removal of your Content at any time through the Artist Hub. Content will be removed within 5 business days, though cached copies may persist for a reasonable period.

5.5 Original Work Warranty: You represent and warrant that your Content is original, that you have all necessary rights to distribute it, and that it does not infringe any third-party intellectual property rights.

6.1 Analytics Dashboard: PesaBass provides a real-time analytics dashboard in the Artist Hub showing streams, revenue, audience demographics, and content performance.

6.2 Earnings Records: Your Artist Hub dashboard is the running record of your earnings, broken down by revenue source. You can export your data from your account settings at any time; the dashboard and the underlying transaction ledgers are the authoritative record.

6.3 Records Review: You may request a review of your earnings calculations once per calendar year by written request to legal@pesabass.music, and PesaBass will provide the relevant transaction records for your account within a reasonable period. If a material discrepancy (greater than 5%) in PesaBass's favour is confirmed, PesaBass will correct it and credit the difference.

7.1 Termination by Artist: You may terminate this Agreement at any time by removing all your Content and closing your Artist account. Earned, verified balances remain withdrawable through the normal withdrawal process in Section 4 (including its thresholds, holds, and compliance checks) for 12 months after termination, after which unclaimed balances may be treated as dormant per the Service Agreement.

7.2 Termination by PesaBass: PesaBass may terminate this Agreement if you breach any terms, engage in fraudulent activity, or violate community guidelines. We will provide notice and an opportunity to cure non-material breaches within 14 days.

7.3 Effect of Termination: Upon termination, PesaBass will cease distribution of your Content within 5 business days. Any earned but unpaid royalties will be paid according to the normal payment schedule, subject to the minimum payout threshold.

7.4 Survival: Sections regarding payment of accrued royalties, dispute resolution, and limitation of liability survive termination.

8.1 PesaBass's total liability under this Agreement shall not exceed the total royalties paid to you in the 12 months preceding the claim.

8.2 PesaBass is not liable for revenue losses due to platform downtime, changes in audience behavior, content removal for policy violations, or third-party payment processor failures.

8.3 No Guarantee of Earnings: PesaBass makes no warranty or representation of any level of earnings, streams, sales, votes, gifts, or audience. All figures shown in marketing material, dashboards, calculators, or projections are illustrative only. Your earnings depend on audience behaviour that neither party controls, and may be zero.

8.4 This Agreement is governed by the laws of Kenya. Disputes shall be resolved through arbitration in Nairobi, Kenya, under the Nairobi Centre for International Arbitration rules.