DistroKid vs TuneCore: which one fits you?
Both start at $24.99 a year with unlimited releases and keep 0% of streaming royalties. TuneCore includes YouTube Content ID and splits on that plan but takes 20% of YouTube and social money. DistroKid sells video money as an add-on, gives free pre-save pages and accepts AI music with credits.
SOURCE: TuneCore pricing · CHECKED 16 October 2026Music Distributor Picker runs in your browser. Nothing you type is uploaded.
DistroKid and TuneCore are the two names most artists compare first, and on price they are level: $24.99 a year each for one artist. The difference is in what that price includes, and in how each one treats AI-made music.
Pick DistroKid if
- You want free pre-save pages: DistroKid's HyperFollow is free for members.
- You use AI tools: DistroKid accepts AI-made music if you fill in the AI credits and own the rights. TuneCore only accepts music from AI models trained on licensed data.
- You release covers often and want the licence in the upload: $12 per cover song per year.
- You do not need YouTube Content ID, so the add-on never applies.
Pick TuneCore if
- You want YouTube Content ID without an add-on: it is on Rising Artist ($24.99), with a 20% fee on YouTube and social money.
- You want automatic splits with no commission on the cheapest plan.
- You manage several artists: Professional is $54.99 a year, against $89.99 for DistroKid Ultimate.
The YouTube money difference
On DistroKid, money from YouTube and TikTok videos needs the Social Media Pack: $4.95 per single per year plus 20% of the ad money. Four singles with it cost $19.80 a year on top of the plan. TuneCore includes Content ID in the plan and keeps 20% of that money. If your songs end up in a lot of videos, TuneCore is simpler. If they rarely do, it makes no difference.
DistroKid vs TuneCore: the facts side by side
| DistroKid | TuneCore | |
|---|---|---|
| How you pay | Yearly subscription with unlimited uploads. Some extras, like video monetisation and cover licences, cost more per release. | Yearly subscription with unlimited releases. A pay per release option is also listed (a single at $24.99 a year). |
| Plans (first 12 months) | Musician: $24.99 a year; Musician Plus: $44.99 a year; Ultimate: $89.99 a year | Rising Artist: $24.99 a year; Breakout Artist: $44.99 a year; Professional: $54.99 a year |
| Royalties you keep | You keep 100% of streaming royalties. Money from YouTube and TikTok videos goes through a paid add-on that keeps 20%. | No commission on store and streaming money. A 20% fee applies to money from TikTok, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. |
| YouTube Content ID | Extra cost. Paid add-on (Social Media Pack): $4.95 per single per year, or $14.95 per album per year, plus 20% of the ad money. | Yes. Included from Rising Artist up. TuneCore keeps 20% of YouTube and social money. |
| Automatic splits | Yes. Automatic splits between collaborators on every plan; DistroKid pays them. | Yes. Automatic splits with collaborators, no commission, from Rising Artist up. |
| Pre-save and pitching | Yes. Free pre-save pages (HyperFollow), and a chance to be featured on DistroKid's own Spotify playlists. You pitch Spotify's editors yourself in Spotify for Artists. | Not stated. We found no TuneCore pre-save tool of its own. On Professional, in some countries, Artist Pitch Forms put your release forward for TuneCore's playlists and store partners, with no promise of placement. |
| Cover song licences | Yes. Sells cover song licences: $12 per cover song per year. | Yes. Sells cover licences through a partner: $17 for under 500 downloads, $70 above. Downloads only, and the page looks old. |
| AI music | Yes, with AI credits. DistroKid accepts music made with AI tools if you own all the rights, do not copy anyone's voice or likeness without permission, and are not flooding stores. The upload form asks whether AI generated any part of the track. | Only from licensed AI tools. TuneCore distributes AI-made music only if every AI model used was trained on fully licensed data. Google Flow Music is its named approved partner, and Suno says tracks from its new partner model are eligible. |
| Upload lead time | Upload about 4 weeks before release day, so it goes live everywhere on the day. | Upload about 4 weeks before release day, so it goes live everywhere on the day. |
| Artificial streaming fee | DistroKid does not publish its own fee for artificial streaming. Spotify charges distributors per track (TuneCore puts it at €10 per track per month); check your DistroKid notice and statements for any amount. | Spotify's monthly €10 penalty for each track with high levels of artificial streaming is passed on to the TuneCore account holder in local currency. |
What the first year costs
| Singles in 12 months | DistroKid | TuneCore |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $24.99 on Musician | $24.99 on Rising Artist |
| 4 | $24.99 on Musician | $24.99 on Rising Artist |
| 12 | $24.99 on Musician | $24.99 on Rising Artist |
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.
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
Is DistroKid or TuneCore cheaper?
They cost the same to start: $24.99 a year for one artist on DistroKid Musician and TuneCore Rising Artist. TuneCore's plan includes Content ID; on DistroKid that is an add-on.
Does DistroKid or TuneCore pay more?
Both say you keep 100% of streaming royalties, so the stores pay the same either way. TuneCore keeps 20% of TikTok, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube money; DistroKid's video add-on keeps 20% of ad money.
Which is better for AI music?
DistroKid accepts AI-made music with AI credits if you own all the rights. TuneCore only accepts music from AI models trained on fully licensed data. See our AI music rules checker for the details.
How early do I upload to DistroKid or TuneCore?
Both recommend about 3 to 4 weeks before release day. TuneCore says a release must be approved and in stores at least two weeks before release for playlist consideration.
Related
- Which music distributor should I use?
Answer 7 questions and get a ranked shortlist of 12 music distributors, with each one's price, cut and rules, read on its own site on 16 October 2026. - 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. - DistroKid vs Amuse: which one fits you?
DistroKid is $24.99 a year, Amuse $23.99. Both keep 0% of streaming money. How Content ID, splits, cover licences and AI rules differ, with dated sources. - 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
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