Our Font Distribution Agreement, Clearly Explained.
Over the years, Monotype has worked with hundreds of foundries across different channels, MyFonts, FontShop, offline sales, and more. Historically, this meant that many of you were juggling multiple contracts, each with different royalty rates, rights, and obligations. It was complicated, confusing, inconsistent, and hard to scale.
In 2021, we introduced a new singular agreement across the platforms, to simplify things for both us and you and create more ease. This was an important first step, but as the industry has evolved, and our subscription model Monotype Fonts has grown, we realized we needed a fresh approach.
That’s where our latest agreement (launched in 2023) comes in.
What’s Different?
The newest version keeps the simplicity of the previous iteration, but adds a few critical updates that benefit both you and your customers:
- Simplified royalties: Instead of different rates for every license type, the current distribution agreement sets one clear standard: 50% for named fonts sold online, and 25% for everything else. This eliminates ambiguity and creates an opportunity for ongoing revenue since users’ licenses can be renewed, while previously they’d make a one-time payment.
- Expanded library of fonts: By committing to offering your full catalog with Monotype, not just select fonts, customers always know they’re accessing the most expansive font library possible, a critical tool for their creative work.
- More protection and transparency: New guardrails, such as a non-solicitation clause, protect shared business information. It also comes with a Mutual NDA (so we can share more insights during quarterly business reviews!) and an Authorization Letter (a customer-facing document sharing that Monotype is authorized to sell your fonts). This underlines our partnership and shows both parties as well as customers that we’re committed to collaborating.
- Enrollment in the Foundry Program: When you sign the latest agreement, you’re officially part of the Foundry Program! Founded in 2023, this program gives you access to enhanced foundry tools through a dashboard, business insights and learning opportunities, and a global community of fellow foundry partners.
- Roadmap to deeper partnerships: This agreement is also the base agreement for our Premier Partnerships, which can include improved visibility (through PR, events, and our extensive network of creative partners) and exclusivity arrangements for foundries that want to align more closely with Monotype’s business.
How You Benefit:
The latest agreement is more than just a contract, it’s a growth tool. It gives your work broader reach by making fonts available in Monotype Fonts (our enterprise-focused platform) and MyFonts (the world’s largest font marketplace). It provides better tools and insights through the Foundry Program. And it offers a sense of community and visibility that wasn’t possible in the past. It’s the sole option for foundries as they sign up today, and we’re thrilled to see so many of you already on board.
For customers, the benefit is just as clear: less confusion, more consistent access, and the confidence that every font offered through Monotype is backed by the same rights and protections.
We truly believe this is the way forward: a standardized, scalable system that helps everyone achieve success in their business. By working with us under the most current agreement, you’re positioning yourself for greater visibility, stronger sales, and long-term growth alongside us.