Which music distributor should I use?
It depends on how often you release. Releasing several songs a year: a yearly plan with unlimited releases is cheapest, from $19 (Ditto Starter) to $24.99 (DistroKid, TuneCore) and you keep 100%. One release: CD Baby charges $9.99 once but keeps 9%. No money at all: RouteNote Free keeps 15%.
SOURCE: Ditto Music pricing · CHECKED 16 October 2026Music Distributor Picker runs in your browser. Nothing you type is uploaded.
A distributor puts your music on Spotify, Apple Music, TikTok and the other stores, collects the money and pays you. You cannot upload a song to Spotify yourself, so every independent artist needs one. They mostly do the same job. What differs is how you pay (a yearly plan, a fee per release, or a share of your money), which extras cost more, and the rules on AI music and cover songs.
How to choose in three steps
- Count your releases for the next 12 months. Yearly plans include unlimited releases, so they win as soon as you release more than about two singles. Paying per release wins for one song.
- Decide if keeping 100% matters. Free plans are paid for with a cut: 15% at RouteNote Free and AWAL. CD Baby keeps 9% after its one-off fee. Most yearly plans keep 0% of streaming money.
- Check the extras you need. YouTube Content ID, automatic splits and cover licences are included on some plans and cost extra on others. The picker above adds them to the price.
All 12 distributors at a glance
| Distributor | Cheapest way in | You keep | Content ID | Splits | Cover licences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DistroKid | $24.99 a year | You keep 100% of streaming royalties. Money from YouTube and TikTok videos goes through a paid add-on that keeps 20%. | Extra cost. | Yes. | $12 per song |
| TuneCore | $24.99 a year | No commission on store and streaming money. A 20% fee applies to money from TikTok, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. | Yes. | Yes. | $17 per song |
| CD Baby | $9.99 per release | You keep 91% of digital distribution money; CD Baby keeps 9%. | Yes. | Not stated. | No. |
| Amuse | $23.99 a year | You keep 100% of royalties, except YouTube Content ID on the Artist plan. | Yes. | Yes. | $14.99 per song |
| Ditto Music | $19 a year | 100% of streaming income on every plan. Publishing and sync money (Pro and Labels) has a 15% commission. | Yes. | Yes. | No. |
| RouteNote | Free, keeps 15% | Free: you keep 85%. Premium: you keep 100% of streaming and download money. | Yes. | Yes. | No. |
| UnitedMasters | $19.99 a year | You keep 100% of streaming royalties on DEBUT+ and SELECT. | Extra cost. | Yes. | Not stated. |
| LANDR | $24 a year | You keep 100% of streaming money. Content ID has its own 20% commission. | Yes. | Yes. | $15 per song |
| Symphonic | $29.99 a year | Starter: 100% of royalties from stores like Spotify and Apple. Symphonic takes a percentage of YouTube, Meta and TikTok money. | Yes. | Yes. | $19.99 per song |
| ONErpm | Free, keeps a share | Its FAQ says 85% for download stores and 70% for YouTube but gives no streaming figure. An older agreement on its site says 80% of digital distribution. | Yes. | Yes. | No. |
| AWAL (by application) | Free, keeps 15% | You keep 85% on the standard deal. | Yes. | Yes. | No. |
| Too Lost | $19.99 a year | You keep 100% of master recording money, minus taxes and payment fees. | Yes. | Yes. | $14.99 per song |
Every cell comes from the distributor's own site, read on 16 October 2026. Where a help centre blocks automated reading we used a search snippet of that exact page, marked in the sources. If we could not confirm something, the table says "Not stated" instead of guessing.
What the first year costs
| Singles in 12 months | Ditto Music | UnitedMasters | DistroKid | TuneCore | Amuse | CD Baby |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $19 on Starter | $19.99 on DEBUT+ | $24.99 on Musician | $24.99 on Rising Artist | $23.99 on Artist | $9.99 on Pay per release, keeps 9% |
| 4 | $19 on Starter | $19.99 on DEBUT+ | $24.99 on Musician | $24.99 on Rising Artist | $23.99 on Artist | $39.96 on Pay per release, keeps 9% |
| 12 | $19 on Starter | $19.99 on DEBUT+ | $24.99 on Musician | $24.99 on Rising Artist | $23.99 on Artist | $119.88 on Pay per release, keeps 9% |
Costs are for the first 12 months on the cheapest plan, from the prices on each distributor's page, in US dollars before tax, with no add-ons. Yearly plans renew every year; one-off fees do not. The picker above adds Content ID, splits and a cover licence when you need them.
Side by side
- DistroKid vs TuneCore: same $24.99 entry price, different extras.
- DistroKid vs CD Baby: yearly plan or pay once.
- TuneCore vs CD Baby: Content ID included either way.
- DistroKid vs Amuse, DistroKid vs Ditto, TuneCore vs Ditto.
- DistroKid vs RouteNote and DistroKid vs UnitedMasters.
- By need: free music distribution, the cheapest distributor, a distributor for AI music.
After you pick
Upload about four weeks before release day: DistroKid, TuneCore and CD Baby all say so on their help pages. That leaves time to pitch the song to Spotify's editors at least 7 days before release. The release planner turns your date into a deadline list for your distributor.
Stage is not paid by any distributor and none of the links on this page are affiliate links. We read each distributor's own pricing and help pages on the date shown and link every fact to the page it came from. Prices change, so open the source before you pay.
Questions artists ask
Which music distributor should I use?
If you release several songs a year, a yearly plan with unlimited releases is cheapest: Ditto Starter ($19), UnitedMasters DEBUT+ ($19.99), Too Lost ($19.99), Amuse ($23.99), DistroKid or TuneCore ($24.99). For one release, CD Baby ($9.99 once, keeps 9%) or RouteNote Premium ($10 per single) cost less.
Which music distributor is free?
RouteNote Free (keeps 15%) and ONErpm (keeps a share) charge nothing up front. AWAL has no fees but only takes artists it accepts and keeps 15%. Amuse says it no longer offers free distribution.
Which distributor lets me keep 100% of my royalties?
DistroKid, TuneCore, Amuse, Ditto, UnitedMasters, LANDR, Symphonic Starter, Too Lost and RouteNote Premium all say you keep 100% of streaming royalties. Several still take a share of YouTube or social video money.
Which distributor includes YouTube Content ID?
TuneCore (from Rising Artist), CD Baby, Amuse, RouteNote, LANDR, Too Lost, ONErpm and AWAL include it, usually with a fee on that money. Symphonic offers it as an opt-in with a 30% fee. Ditto has it on Pro. DistroKid and UnitedMasters sell it as a paid add-on per release.
Can I switch distributors later?
Yes. Most artists upload the release to the new distributor, wait until it is live, then take it down at the old one. Ask the new distributor how to keep your existing ISRC codes before you start.
Is this list sponsored?
No. Stage is not paid by any distributor and uses no affiliate links. The ranking comes only from your answers and each distributor's published prices and rules.
Related
- Free music distribution: who is free and what they keep
Free music distributors charge nothing up front and keep a share instead: RouteNote Free keeps 15%. Who is free, what they keep, when paying costs less. - The cheapest music distributor for how often you release
The cheapest music distributor depends on how often you release. First-year costs for 1, 4 and 12 singles at 12 distributors, from their own price pages. - Which music distributor accepts AI music?
Which music distributors accept AI music? 12 distributors' own AI rules, dated: DistroKid and ONErpm allow it with disclosure; CD Baby and AWAL do not. - DistroKid vs TuneCore: which one fits you?
DistroKid vs TuneCore: both start at $24.99 a year and keep 0% of streaming money. Content ID, pre-saves, covers and AI rules compared, with sources. - DistroKid vs CD Baby: yearly plan or pay once?
DistroKid charges $24.99 a year and keeps 0%. CD Baby charges $9.99 per single once and keeps 9%. Which fits you depends on how often you release. - TuneCore vs CD Baby: which one fits you?
TuneCore is $24.99 a year and keeps 0% of streaming money. CD Baby is $9.99 per single once and keeps 9%. Both include YouTube Content ID. Sources linked. - Music release planner: every deadline from upload to release day
Free release planner: pick a date and distributor and get every deadline (upload, Spotify pitch, pre-save, release day), each with its dated source. - Can you upload AI music? Rules for 24 platforms and distributors
Spotify: yes. Bandcamp and CD Baby: no. Most distributors: yes, with limits. AI music rules for 24 platforms in each company's own words, dated. - Streams to money calculator: what every platform pays per stream
What Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube and 7 more pay per stream in 2026, after your distributor's cut and splits. Sourced, dated ranges. Free. - Artificial streaming checker: your Spotify numbers, notice and fee
Got an artificial streaming notice? Check your Spotify for Artists numbers, estimate the €10 per track fee, and see what your distributor says to do.
Sources
- DistroKid pricing · checked 16 October 2026
- DistroKid plans and pricing · checked 16 October 2026
- DistroKid help: What Are Album Extras? · checked 16 October 2026
- DistroKid: Spotify · checked 16 October 2026
- DistroKid cover song licensing · checked 16 October 2026
- DistroKid Help: Can I Upload Music Made With AI Tools to DistroKid? · checked 15 October 2026
- DistroKid help: How to Release Music on DistroKid · checked 16 October 2026
- DistroKid Help: I Received an "Artificial Streaming" Notice from Spotify. What Should I Do? · checked 16 October 2026
- TuneCore pricing · checked 16 October 2026
- TuneCore home page · checked 16 October 2026
- TuneCore help: Artist Pitch Forms · checked 16 October 2026
- TuneCore cover song licensing · checked 16 October 2026
- TuneCore Help: TuneCore's GenAI Music Content Framework · checked 15 October 2026
- TuneCore help: How long does it take for my music to go live in stores? · checked 16 October 2026
- TuneCore Help: Fees & Penalties for Artificial Streaming (updated 15 Oct 2026) · checked 16 October 2026
- CD Baby: How much does CD Baby cost · checked 16 October 2026
- CD Baby help: How much does CD Baby cost? · checked 16 October 2026
- CD Baby cover song licensing · checked 16 October 2026
- CD Baby Help: Understanding Production Sounds · checked 15 October 2026
- CD Baby help: When should I set my release date and how long does distribution take? · checked 16 October 2026
- CD Baby Help: Why have I been charged an artificial streaming fee? · checked 16 October 2026
- Amuse pricing · checked 16 October 2026
- Amuse help: FAQ · checked 16 October 2026
- Amuse: Selected by Amuse · checked 16 October 2026
- Amuse help: Cover Song Licenses · checked 16 October 2026
- Amuse Help: Content not approved on Amuse · checked 15 October 2026
- Amuse help: Release Times & Scheduling · checked 16 October 2026
- Amuse Help: What are the consequences of Artificial Streaming? · checked 16 October 2026
- Ditto Music pricing · checked 16 October 2026
- Ditto support: covers, remixes and samples · checked 16 October 2026
- Ditto Help: Can I release AI-generated music with Ditto Music? · checked 15 October 2026
- Ditto Help: Why do I have negative Spotify royalties? · checked 15 October 2026
- RouteNote: Which pricing model should I choose? · checked 16 October 2026
- RouteNote: How much does Premium cost? · checked 16 October 2026
- RouteNote: How can I monetise with YouTube? · checked 16 October 2026
- RouteNote blog: Revenue Sharing · checked 16 October 2026
- RouteNote: How do I get my Pre-save links? · checked 16 October 2026
- RouteNote: Can I upload cover songs? · checked 16 October 2026
- RouteNote Support Hub: Can I upload AI releases? · checked 15 October 2026
- RouteNote blog (21 May 2024): What Spotify's artificial streaming policy means for RouteNote artists · checked 15 October 2026
- UnitedMasters: Plans for artists · checked 16 October 2026
- UnitedMasters SELECT page · checked 16 October 2026
- UnitedMasters Help: Does UnitedMasters distribute music that was generated by AI tools? · checked 15 October 2026
- UnitedMasters: Tips to avoid artificial streaming scams · checked 15 October 2026
- LANDR help: How much does it cost to distribute music? · checked 16 October 2026
- LANDR music distribution · checked 16 October 2026
- LANDR help: How do I get paid for my music on YouTube? · checked 16 October 2026
- LANDR distribution · checked 16 October 2026
- LANDR help: What are royalty splits? · checked 16 October 2026
- LANDR Help: Does LANDR accept AI-generated tracks? · checked 15 October 2026
- LANDR Help: What do I do if I receive a notification of artificial streaming in my dashboard? · checked 16 October 2026
- Symphonic Starter · checked 16 October 2026
- Symphonic pricing FAQ · checked 16 October 2026
- Symphonic: Easy Song Licensing · checked 16 October 2026
- Symphonic: Terms of Use (section 9.8, Generative AI Disclosure) · checked 15 October 2026
- Symphonic: Trust & Safety · checked 15 October 2026
- ONErpm: How it works · checked 16 October 2026
- ONErpm FAQ · checked 16 October 2026
- ONErpm distribution agreement (classic site) · checked 16 October 2026
- ONErpm: Business Intelligence · checked 16 October 2026
- ONErpm blog: covers · checked 16 October 2026
- ONErpm Blog: Artificial Intelligence in Music (release classification) · checked 15 October 2026
- ONErpm blog: Inorganic activity (bot farms and inauthentic playcounts) · checked 15 October 2026
- AWAL submit form · checked 16 October 2026
- AWAL FAQ · checked 16 October 2026
- AWAL help: Collaborators · checked 16 October 2026 · page blocks automated reading, re-checking by hand
- AWAL: Terms & Conditions (section 7) · checked 15 October 2026
- AWAL Help: Avoiding artificial activity on streaming platforms (fake streams) · checked 15 October 2026 · page blocks automated reading, re-checking by hand
- Too Lost help: How much does Too Lost cost? · checked 16 October 2026
- Too Lost help: Does Too Lost take a cut? · checked 16 October 2026
- Too Lost help: What is Too Lost? · checked 16 October 2026
- Too Lost help: How do I set up a royalty split? · checked 16 October 2026
- Too Lost help: How do I distribute a cover song? · checked 16 October 2026
- Too Lost Help: Does Too Lost Distribute AI Music? · checked 15 October 2026
- Too Lost Help: Artificial Streaming Explained · checked 16 October 2026
download this table as CSV. Free data: download this table as CSV (CC BY 4.0: credit "Stage by Groove Gainer" with a link to this page).
Found something out of date? Email info@groovegainer.com and we fix it, usually the same week. How we check our sources.