Choosing a Music Distributor

DistroKid vs TuneCore vs CD Baby — a clear comparison to help you pick the right distributor.

Your Distributor Gets You on the Platforms — That's It

A music distributor's job is to deliver your music to streaming platforms and digital stores: Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, Tidal, Amazon Music, and dozens more. They don't promote your music, they don't get you on playlists, and they don't grow your fanbase. That's your job.

What they do control: how much of your streaming revenue you keep, how fast you get paid, and what services they provide beyond distribution.

DistroKid

Cost: ~$22.99/year for unlimited releases (for a solo artist)

Revenue split: You keep 100% of your royalties

Speed: Known for the fastest delivery (often 1–2 business days to streaming platforms)

Best for: Prolific artists who release frequently and want to maximize revenue per stream

DistroKid's annual flat fee model is extremely cost-effective if you release more than one or two projects per year. You can release unlimited singles, albums, and EPs under one subscription. They pay out quickly and offer solid tools for managing your catalog.

Drawbacks: Limited customer support. Songs can be removed if you stop paying the annual fee (though you can transfer your catalog before canceling). Publishing administration is an add-on.

TuneCore

Cost: $14.99 per single, $29.99 per album per year (annual renewal required)

Revenue split: You keep 100% of your royalties

Speed: 1–7 business days to platforms

Best for: Artists who release less frequently and want a fuller suite of services

TuneCore charges per release and requires annual renewal — which means costs add up if you have a large back catalog. But they offer stronger customer support and built-in publishing administration (for an additional fee), and are a good fit for artists with more deliberate release schedules.

Drawbacks: Per-release pricing becomes expensive over time. Annual renewal fees for older releases.

CD Baby

Cost: $9.95 per single, $29 per album (one-time fee)

Revenue split: 91% to artist (they take 9%)

Speed: 1–5 business days

Best for: Artists who want a one-time fee structure and don't mind slightly reduced royalties

CD Baby charges a one-time setup fee with no annual renewal — meaning once you pay, your music stays on platforms indefinitely without ongoing fees. But they take 9% of your revenue, which compounds over time.

CD Baby also offers CD Baby Pro, which handles publishing administration and PRO collection for an additional fee. They have one of the longest track records in the business.

Drawbacks: The 9% cut adds up at scale. Less modern interface compared to competitors.

UnitedMasters

Cost: Free tier, or Select at $5/month

Revenue split: You keep 90% on the free tier (UnitedMasters takes 10%), 100% on Select

Best for: Hip-hop artists who want pitching support and brand partnership opportunities alongside distribution

UnitedMasters is built around hip-hop. Beyond getting your music onto the platforms, it pitches artists for DSP placement and runs direct partnerships with brands that create opportunities for independent artists. Many hip-hop artists choose it for that network as much as for the distribution itself.

Drawbacks: The free tier's 10% cut compounds as your streams grow. At scale, Select or a flat-fee distributor keeps more of your money.

Which Should You Choose?

Just starting out, releasing frequently: DistroKid ($22.99/year flat fee, keep 100%)
Releasing infrequently, want strong support: TuneCore
Want one-time fee, no annual commitment: CD Baby
Hip-hop focused, want pitching and brand opportunities: UnitedMasters

Don't overthink this. Any of these will get your music to Spotify and Apple Music. The more important questions are: Is your music ready? Have you handled your split sheets and copyright registrations? Are you promoting it yourself?

Key Takeaways

Distributors deliver your music to platforms — they don't market it for you
DistroKid ($22.99/year) is most cost-effective for frequent releases
TuneCore charges per release but offers stronger support and services
CD Baby charges a one-time fee but takes 9% of your royalties
All three are legitimate — choose based on your release frequency and budget

Glossary

Music Distributor: A service that aggregates music from artists and delivers it to streaming platforms and digital stores on their behalf.
DSP (Digital Service Provider): A streaming platform or digital music store — Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal, Amazon Music, etc.
Catalog: The total body of recorded music owned or distributed by an artist, label, or company.
Publishing Administration: A service that registers songs with PROs and collection societies worldwide and collects publishing royalties on behalf of songwriters.