DistroKid
Artists releasing several singles a year
Cheapest way to release often. Several things artists assume are included — YouTube Content ID, custom release dates on the entry tier, publishing admin — are paid add-ons.
Comparison · Verified August 2026
Music distribution compared
Seven distributors, three pricing models, and the two questions that actually decide it: what they keep, and what happens to your releases if you stop paying. We don't sell distribution and we don't take affiliate money for these links.
The three pricing models
- Annual subscription — flat yearly fee, you keep 100% of royalties, but releases can come down if you stop paying. DistroKid, TuneCore, Ditto.
- One-time per release — pay once, the release stays live forever, and they keep a permanent percentage. CD Baby.
- Revenue share — nothing upfront, an ongoing cut of everything you earn. UnitedMasters' free tier, AWAL.
Rule of thumb: a flat fee around $25 beats a 9% cut once you earn more than roughly $280 a year in royalties, and the gap widens from there.
What each one costs you in a year
Enter what you expect to earn in royalties over twelve months. Fixed fee plus the distributor's cut, using entry-tier list prices — nothing is sent anywhere.
- 1AmuseSubscription + revenue share$0
- 2Ditto MusicAnnual subscription$19
- 3DistroKidAnnual subscription$23
- 4TuneCoreAnnual subscription$25
- 5CD BabyOne-time per release$27
- 6UnitedMastersSubscription + revenue share$30
- 7AWALRevenue share$45
An estimate for one year at entry-tier pricing. Add-ons, extra artists, per-release fees on multiple releases, and higher tiers all move these numbers.
Side by side
List prices as published by each company, checked August 2026. Pricing and tiers change often — confirm on the company's own page before you pay.
| Distributor | Model | Entry price | Their cut | Stays live if you stop paying | Delivery |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DistroKid | Annual subscription | From about $22.99/year, unlimited releases | 0% — you keep 100% | No — releases can come down if the subscription lapses | Usually 24–72 hours |
| TuneCore | Annual subscription | Tiered annual plans, roughly $15–$50/year | 0% on streaming; a cut on social monetisation | No — the plan has to stay active | Usually 24–72 hours |
| CD Baby | One-time per release | About $10 per single, more per album, paid once | 9% of royalties, permanently | Yes — no renewal to forget | Usually a few business days |
| Ditto Music | Annual subscription | From about $19/year, unlimited releases | 0% — you keep 100% | No — subscription based | Usually a few days |
| Amuse | Subscription + revenue share | Free tier, plus paid tiers around $25–$60/year | 0% on the paid tiers; free tier is limited | No — depends on the tier you stay on | Slower on the free tier |
| UnitedMasters | Subscription + revenue share | Free tier; paid tiers roughly $5–$60/year | About 10% on the free and lower tiers | Varies by tier | Usually a few days |
| AWAL | Revenue share | No upfront fee — application only | Around 15% of royalties | Contractual — read the term | Managed, not self-serve |
Who each one suits
TuneCore
Artists who want publishing collection and detailed royalty data
Strong reporting and publishing administration, sold as a separate service. Entry tiers limit artists and features, so read which tier you actually need.
CD Baby
Occasional releases you want live forever
The pay-once option. The 9% never stops, so it is cheap while earnings are small and expensive once a catalogue starts earning.
Ditto Music
Budget-first artists who release regularly
Typically the lowest flat annual fee. Higher tiers add label features and extra artists.
Amuse
A first release with no budget
The genuinely free route to Spotify, with real limits: slower delivery, fewer features, and rules about what happens if you leave. Read the terms before using it for a release that matters.
UnitedMasters
Artists chasing brand and sync placements
Built around brand, sync, and sports placements rather than pure distribution. Worth it if you will actually use the opportunities side.
AWAL
Artists with traction who want label support without a label deal
Label-style services — marketing, playlisting, funding — in exchange for a share. You have to be accepted, so it is not a like-for-like alternative to the others.
Whichever you pick, the delivery date is the deadline
Every distributor here needs the finished master, artwork, and metadata weeks before release day, and editorial pitching happens after delivery but before the release is public. Choosing the service is the small decision; the schedule around it is what decides how the release goes.
Plan your release dates
Free, no sign-up — enter your release date and get every step dated backwards from it, including distributor delivery.
Common questions
- Which music distributor is best for independent artists?
- There is no single best one — the answer follows your release volume and earnings. If you put out music several times a year, a flat annual subscription like DistroKid, Ditto, or TuneCore is almost always cheapest. If you release rarely and want the music to stay up without renewals, a one-time fee with a permanent commission like CD Baby fits better.
- Is a percentage cut worse than an annual fee?
- Only above a certain earnings level. A 9% cut costs less than a $25 subscription until you earn roughly $280 a year in royalties; above that the flat fee wins and keeps winning as you grow. The estimator on this page does that maths for your own numbers.
- What happens to my music if I stop paying?
- With subscription distributors, releases can be taken down once the plan lapses, and your stream counts and playlist placements go with them. One-time-fee services keep the release live instead and take their cut from royalties forever. This is the difference that catches most artists out, not the headline price.
- Do distributors collect all of my royalties?
- No. Distributors collect the recording-side royalties from streaming services. Publishing royalties — the songwriting side, including mechanicals and performance income — are collected separately through a publishing administrator or a PRO. Several distributors sell publishing admin as an add-on.
- Can I switch distributors without losing my streams?
- Usually yes, if you move carefully: set up the new distributor, deliver the same recordings with the same ISRCs, then take the old release down after the new one is live. Same ISRC is what preserves the history — a new code creates a new, empty track.