Digital distribution moves fast, and so does Catapult Distribution. For years, the distributor has helped independent artists and labels get their music onto the world’s biggest platforms, including Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, and Amazon Music. As their catalog expanded, so did the pressure to deliver payouts and tax reporting that matched the PayoutOps expectations of a modern, global music business.
Now, through a new partnership with Trolley, Catapult is scaling its payout infrastructure with faster payments, more reliable tax compliance, and a smoother experience for the tens of thousands of creators it supports worldwide.
Building a stronger foundation for global growth
Catapult has grown into a distribution platform serving artists across the US, Europe, Latin America, and beyond. Since its inception in 2006, Catapult has issued millions of individual payments to artists and labels around the world. But growth brings operational complexity: tens of thousands of payees, payments across dozens of countries, and increasing tax obligations that can quickly overwhelm manual workflows.
The challenge wasn’t simply sending payments—it was doing so with the precision, consistency, and compliance required to support a global artist base.
By partnering with Trolley, Catapult is modernizing its payout operations with infrastructure designed for scale.
“A smoother, more predictable experience for the artists who rely on us”
For Catapult, the first priority was improving the payout experience for artists. With Trolley, creators can now get paid through ACH, global bank transfers, or PayPal (whichever works best for them) without additional work for Catapult’s team.
“Everything on the payment side has been working really well,” said Caleb Carruth, President of Catapult Distribution. “For the artists who rely on consistent payouts, the experience through Trolley has been smooth, predictable, and easy to follow. As we grow, having a system our creators can trust is critical.”
By consolidating multiple payout methods into a single system, Catapult has unlocked a faster, more transparent payment experience that better aligns with the expectations of modern artists.
A manageable, compliant tax workflow
Payouts are only half the story; it’s tax season where many distributors feel the strain. Catapult needed a way to automate tax information collection and validation, reduce manual work, and support both US and international requirements.
With Trolley, Catapult can now onboard recipients with the right W-9 or W-8 forms, validate TINs automatically, and track payout totals for both 1099-NEC and 1042-S filings.
“Taxes are huge for us, honestly, the biggest success outside of adding more payment options,” said Caleb. “Before Trolley, managing tax documents was a major burden. Now the validation, TIN checks, and tracking all flow automatically. It’s night and day.”
This shift means fewer errors, fewer unanswered emails in January, and a tax workflow the team can actually manage during peak season.
Less operational overhead and fewer support tickets
“In six months, we’ve had one support ticket, and the artist solved it themselves,” Caleb shared. “That’s exactly what we wanted. The less our team has to troubleshoot payouts, the more we can focus on building the platform.”
When something did require help, it was resolved quickly:
“We had a wire issue that got fixed in about five minutes. The money showed up right away. Having that level of response when we need it gives us peace of mind.”
Catapult’s team can now devote more time to product development, store requirements, and improving the creator experience, not digging through payment logs.
A platform trusted and recommended by industry peers
For Catapult, one of the clearest signals of value came when they recommended Trolley without even being asked.
“I have a buddy who just started a label,” Caleb explained. “They’re doing well, but they’re brand new to taxes and payouts. I told him, ‘You should look at Trolley. You’re going to need proper tax handling for your artists, and Trolley makes that straightforward and simple.’ If I’m recommending a product we rely on, that says everything.”
That kind of referral reflects not only satisfaction, but confidence.
Scaling without compromise
By consolidating payout vendors, simplifying tax workflows, and giving artists a more transparent, predictable experience, Catapult is building the operational foundation needed for continued growth.
For a company serving creators worldwide, this isn’t about becoming more corporate—it’s about equipping artists with the infrastructure they deserve.
“Catapult is proving that global distributors can scale efficiently without compromising the experience that keeps artists with them,” said Barnett Klane, Trolley’s VP of Product. “We’re proud to help them deliver a more modern, compliant, and creator-friendly payout experience.”
As Catapult onboards more artists and expands its reach across new countries and catalogs, Trolley ensures its payout operations keep pace, freeing the team to focus on what matters most: helping artists succeed.
👉 Want to see how Trolley can streamline payouts and tax compliance for your label? Book a demo & see it in action.
