Who writes for us
Our guides are written by people who actually do this work. The primary author is Dwi Sumantri, founder of DWS Record and a producer, composer, arranger and audio engineer with roughly two decades of hands-on experience in recording, mixing, mastering, artist development and running an independent label. Every article carries a visible byline and a publication date so readers always know who wrote a piece and when.
How our content is created
Each article starts from a real problem we have encountered while running the label — a question an artist asked, a mistake we watched cost someone money, or a concept the industry rarely explains in plain language. We draft from direct experience first, then structure the piece so a beginner can follow it end to end. We prioritise practical usefulness over word count: a guide exists to help a musician make a better decision, not to fill a page.
Review before publishing
Before a piece goes live it is reviewed for factual accuracy, clarity and completeness. Technical claims — for example how royalties are split, how distribution works, or how a mastering chain is ordered — are checked against our own working knowledge and current industry practice. If we are not confident a statement is correct and current, we either verify it or remove it. We do not publish speculation as fact.
Sourcing philosophy
The core value of our content is first-hand practitioner experience. Where we reference external facts, figures or third-party platforms (such as streaming services or distributors), we describe them accurately and, where helpful, point readers to the original source so they can verify details themselves. We avoid repackaging other publishers' articles; if a topic has been covered well elsewhere, we only publish our own take when we can add something from real experience.
Corrections policy
We want to be right, and when we are not, we fix it openly. If you spot an error — factual, technical or otherwise — email [email protected] with the page URL and the issue. Verified errors are corrected promptly, and where a correction materially changes the meaning of a published piece we update the article and its "last updated" date. We do not silently delete content to hide mistakes.
Editorial independence
Our guides reflect our honest views. Recommendations are based on merit and real experience, not on payment. We do not accept money to write positively about a product, service or platform, and our editorial opinions are not for sale. If we ever publish sponsored content or affiliate links in the future, such content will be clearly and prominently labelled as such so readers can judge it accordingly.
Use of artificial intelligence
Our content is grounded in human expertise and lived industry experience. We may use software tools, including AI-assisted tools, to help with drafting support, grammar, or formatting — but every published article is directed, reviewed, fact-checked and approved by a real, named human author before it goes live. We do not publish unreviewed machine-generated text, and responsibility for everything we publish rests with DWS Record and its named authors.
Advertising & content separation
This site does not currently display advertising. If advertising is introduced in the future, ads will be clearly distinguishable from editorial content and will never influence what we write or the conclusions we reach. Editorial decisions are made independently of any commercial or advertising consideration.
Questions
For anything relating to our editorial standards, contact [email protected]. See also our About page, Copyright & DMCA Policy and Privacy Policy.