Music Distribution Services Compared: DistroKid vs TuneCore vs CD Baby

Your music distributor is the company that gets your releases onto Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, YouTube Music, Tidal, and dozens of other streaming platforms and download stores. Every independent artist needs one. What most artists do not realize is that the choice affects far more than just which stores carry your music. It affects how much of your royalties you keep, how quickly you can take down or update a release, whether you can collect publishing royalties, and what happens to your catalog if you stop paying.

The wrong distributor is not a catastrophe, but it creates friction: added costs, delayed releases, uncollected royalties, and inflexibility at the moments when you need control. Choosing the right one from the start, or understanding why switching makes sense, is worth the 20 minutes this guide takes.

What You'll Learn

• Pricing comparison for DistroKid, TuneCore, CD Baby, UnitedMasters, and Amuse (with all add-on costs included)
• What "100% royalties" actually means and the hidden deductions that reduce it
• Publishing administration: which distributors offer it, what it costs, and whether you need it
• Speed to stores, customer support quality, and catalog management differences
• A distributor recommendation by artist type based on release patterns and priorities
• FAQ on switching distributors, takedown flexibility, and royalty payment timing

The Five Distributors Worth Considering in 2026

DistroKid

Model: Annual subscription, unlimited releases

Price: $22.99/year (Musician plan), $35.99/year (Musician Plus), $79.99/year (Label plan for up to 5 artists)

Royalty split: 100% to artist (Musician plan), 100% minus optional leave-a-legacy and other add-ons

DistroKid is the highest-volume distributor by number of releases and the default choice for artists who release frequently. The unlimited release model means a prolific artist pays the same $22.99 whether releasing 1 track or 50 tracks per year.

The add-on cost reality: DistroKid's base plan is lean. Many useful features cost extra:

• Lyrics: $0.99 per song per year to add synced lyrics
• Leave a Legacy (catalog stays up if you cancel): $29/year or bundled in higher plans
• Spotify verified checkmark: Included in Musician Plus ($35.99/year), not in base plan
• YouTube Content ID: Included on Musician Plus, add-on fee on base plan
• Cover song licensing: $15.99 per cover per year (third-party Songfile licensing)

A Musician base plan user adding lyrics to 10 tracks, YouTube Content ID, and a cover song license could easily spend $80 to $100 on a year that costs $22.99 on the surface.

Distributor delivery speed: Typically 1 to 3 business days to most major stores. One of the fastest in the industry.

Critical limitation: If you do not renew your DistroKid subscription, your music is removed from all stores. For artists who want their catalog to stay up indefinitely without ongoing payments, this is a structural problem. The Leave a Legacy add-on or the Musician Plus plan address this, but add cost.

Publishing administration: Not offered through DistroKid directly. You need a separate publishing admin deal (through Songtrust, Sentric, or your PRO) to collect publishing royalties globally if you use DistroKid for distribution.

TuneCore

Model: Per-release pricing with annual renewal fees

Price: $14.99 for a single (first year), $9.99/year renewal; $29.99 for an album (first year), $49.99/year renewal

Royalty split: 100% to artist on music sales; TuneCore takes 20% of publishing royalties on their publishing admin service

TuneCore is the strongest distributor for artists who prioritize publishing royalty collection alongside distribution. Their publishing administration service (TuneCore Publishing Administration) handles global collection of mechanical and performance royalties from over 150 territories and registers your songs with PROs and collecting societies worldwide.

The per-release cost math: TuneCore's pricing works well for artists with a small catalog releasing 1 to 3 projects per year. It becomes expensive at scale. An artist with 20 singles and 3 albums on TuneCore pays approximately $200 to $250 per year in renewal fees alone, compared to $22.99/year on DistroKid. At high release volume, the cost gap is significant.

What TuneCore does better than most:

• Publishing administration is genuinely strong and covers YouTube Content ID, mechanical royalties from streaming, and performance royalties from international societies
• Detailed royalty reporting with per-platform, per-country breakdowns
• YouTube monetization included for all releases
• Established customer support with real response times

Best for: Songwriters who release music at moderate frequency and want comprehensive publishing royalty collection in one place.

CD Baby

Model: One-time fee per release, 9% commission on streaming royalties

Price: $9.95 for a single, $29 for an album (standard); CD Baby Pro adds publishing admin for $19.95 per single or $49 per album (one-time)

Royalty split: 91% to artist (CD Baby keeps 9%)

CD Baby was one of the first digital distributors and still has one of the widest store networks, including physical distribution for CD and vinyl. The one-time payment model appeals to artists who want their music online indefinitely without annual fees. Pay once, and your catalog stays up regardless of whether you continue paying CD Baby anything.

The 9% commission reality: On a track generating $1,000 in streaming royalties, CD Baby takes $90. On $10,000, CD Baby takes $900. At low streaming volumes this is negligible. At higher volumes, the 9% ongoing commission compounds into meaningful revenue that would be retained at other distributors with flat fees. An artist earning $20,000/year in streaming royalties pays $1,800/year to CD Baby in perpetuity. The same artist would pay $35.99/year at DistroKid and keep all the rest.

CD Baby Pro (publishing admin): CD Baby Pro administers publishing royalties globally, including mechanical royalties from streaming and performance royalties. At $49 one-time for an album, it is one of the most cost-effective publishing admin options available, though the 9% commission on streaming still applies.

Best for: Artists with an established catalog who prefer a one-time payment and want physical distribution support. Not ideal for artists with high streaming revenue.

UnitedMasters

Model: Free tier (10% commission) and Select subscription ($59.99/year, 100% royalties)

Price: Free with 10% cut, or $59.99/year for 100%

Royalty split: 90% (free) or 100% (Select)

UnitedMasters has positioned itself around brand partnership opportunities, particularly for hip-hop and R&B artists. The Select plan ($59.99/year) offers unlimited releases, 100% royalty retention, and access to UnitedMasters' sync and brand deal marketplace where companies post music placement opportunities directly to artists.

What makes UnitedMasters different: The sync licensing marketplace is a real differentiator. Major brands including ESPN, the NBA, and others have used UnitedMasters to license independent artist music. Artists on Select plan have direct access to submit to these opportunities. For artists in hip-hop, R&B, and pop who are actively seeking sync placements, this is a compelling feature that other distributors do not match.

Limitations: Analytics and reporting are less detailed than TuneCore. Publishing administration is not as comprehensive. Primarily focused on certain genres.

Best for: Hip-hop and R&B artists who want sync licensing opportunities alongside distribution.

Amuse

Model: Free tier and Boost tier ($24.99/year)

Price: Free (unlimited releases, split royalties) or $24.99/year (100% royalties, faster delivery)

Royalty split: 100% on Boost plan; on free plan, Amuse takes a split (varies)

Amuse is a mobile-first distributor with a genuinely free tier for unlimited releases. The free tier has slower delivery (up to 10 days to stores) and Amuse takes a percentage of royalties. The Boost plan removes the royalty split and speeds up delivery.

Amuse also operates as a record label: artists on the platform can be scouted by Amuse's A&R team based on streaming performance, with some offered label deals. This is both a feature (a potential discovery pathway) and worth noting, as the label relationship changes the dynamic of the distribution arrangement.

Best for: Artists very early in their career who need free distribution before they can afford a paid plan.

Pricing Comparison Table

| Distributor | Annual Cost | Royalty Split | Unlimited Releases | Publishing Admin | Physical |

|-------------|------------|---------------|-------------------|-----------------|---------|

| DistroKid Musician | $22.99 | 100% | Yes | No (separate) | No |

| DistroKid Musician Plus | $35.99 | 100% | Yes | No (separate) | No |

| TuneCore (1 single) | $14.99/yr | 100% | No (per release) | Yes (20% cut) | No |

| CD Baby (album) | $29 one-time | 91% | No (per release) | Yes via Pro ($49) | Yes |

| UnitedMasters Select | $59.99/yr | 100% | Yes | Limited | No |

| Amuse Boost | $24.99/yr | 100% | Yes | No | No |

What "100% Royalties" Actually Means

Every major distributor now advertises "100% of your royalties." This claim requires context.

Distributors keep 0% of the royalty flow from streaming platforms to you. But they do not create money. The streaming platform pays the distributor, who passes it to you (minus any stated commission like CD Baby's 9%).

What "100% royalties" does not include:

• Publishing royalties (mechanical and performance): These are separate from the streaming master royalty and require a publishing administrator to collect. Most distributors do not collect these unless you use their publishing admin service.
• SoundExchange royalties: Collected by SoundExchange for digital radio plays (Pandora, SiriusXM). You must register with SoundExchange directly regardless of which distributor you use.
• PRO performance royalties: Your PRO (ASCAP, BMI, SESAC) collects public performance royalties. Distributors do not touch these.

The streaming royalty your distributor handles is the master recording royalty from on-demand streams. That is one of several royalty streams from a single release. A complete royalty collection setup requires a distributor, a PRO registration, a publishing admin arrangement (or MLC direct registration), and SoundExchange registration working together.

Customer Support Reality

DistroKid: Support is primarily ticket-based with response times of 1 to 5 business days. The help documentation is extensive but the human support response time is a common complaint. Emergency takedown requests are handled quickly. Routine issues can wait.

TuneCore: More robust customer support with faster average response times. Specific account managers available on higher-tier plans. Generally considered the strongest for support among major distributors.

CD Baby: Phone and email support available. Response times are generally adequate but vary. Physical distribution issues can require additional follow-up.

UnitedMasters: Support quality is variable. Some artists report delays; the platform is more optimized for self-service.

How to Choose: Distributor by Artist Type

Releasing 5+ tracks per year and want simplicity: DistroKid Musician Plus at $35.99/year. Add Songtrust ($25/year) or direct MLC registration for publishing royalties.

Songwriter who wants all royalties collected in one place: TuneCore with TuneCore Publishing Administration. Higher annual cost at scale, but comprehensive.

Artist with back catalog who never wants to pay again: CD Baby one-time payment per release. Accept the 9% commission as the ongoing cost of permanent hosting.

Hip-hop or R&B artist seeking sync opportunities: UnitedMasters Select at $59.99/year.

Brand new artist with no budget: Amuse free tier to get music live while building an audience, with a plan to upgrade once earning begins.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can I switch distributors after my music is already live?

A: Yes, but it requires a takedown and re-upload process. When you move distributors, your old distributor removes your music from stores, which can cause your Spotify streams count and playlist placements to reset or be lost if the track is not properly linked. Use tools like DistroKid's Switch feature or manually re-upload carefully, and ensure you retain your ISRC codes to maintain stream count continuity.

Q: Do I need to use the same distributor for all my releases?

A: No. Different releases can use different distributors. Some artists use DistroKid for their main releases and CD Baby for a back catalog they want permanently hosted. The practical downside is managing reporting across multiple platforms.

Q: Will my royalties be lower if I use a cheaper distributor?

A: No. The per-stream royalty rate is set by the streaming platforms, not by the distributor. Apple Music pays the same rate per stream regardless of whether you use DistroKid or TuneCore. The distributor affects how much of that rate you keep (e.g., CD Baby's 9% cut), not the rate itself.

Q: How long does it take for streaming royalties to reach me?

A: Streaming platforms pay distributors approximately 45 to 60 days after the end of the month in which streams occurred. Distributors then process and pay artists, typically adding another 2 to 4 weeks. The realistic timeline from when someone streams your music to when you receive the royalty is 2 to 4 months.

Q: Should I use a distributor's publishing admin service or a standalone publishing administrator?

A: Both approaches work. Distributor-based publishing admin (TuneCore, CD Baby Pro) is convenient and cost-effective for smaller catalogs. Standalone services like Songtrust ($25/year plus 15% of collections) or Sentric offer more comprehensive international collection in some cases. For artists generating significant publishing royalties, comparing specific collection rates by territory is worth doing before committing to either approach.

Calculate Your Earnings Across Platforms

Use the streaming royalty calculator to understand what your current stream counts generate across platforms. The reverse royalty calculator works backward from an income goal to the stream counts needed, helping you evaluate whether a distributor's cost structure is proportionate to your current earnings.

Next Steps:

1. Read the DistroKid deep-dive for the full feature and pricing breakdown
2. Understand publishing royalties and why your distributor alone cannot collect them all
3. Use the streaming royalty calculator to put your current numbers in context