ONErpm

ONErpm is a digital music distributor founded in 2010 with headquarters in New York and offices across the United States, Colombia, Mexico, Brazil, Spain, Jamaica, Argentina, and Russia. It offers free distribution with a 15% commission on streaming and download revenue (30% on YouTube), making it one of the few distributors that includes publishing administration, YouTube monetization, sync licensing, and a direct-to-fan store at no upfront cost. ONErpm is strongest in Latin America and Brazil, with a team of over 200 music industry professionals across its offices.

Pricing and Commission

ONErpm does not charge upfront fees for its self-service tier:

• Free (Self-Service): $0 upfront. Keep 85% of streaming and download revenue (15% commission). Keep 70% of YouTube revenue (30% commission). Keep 50% of non-YouTube video revenue. Unlimited uploads to 100+ platforms. Publishing admin included. YouTube monetization included. Sync licensing included. Direct-to-fan store included.
• Plus Partners: Bespoke marketing and career development for qualifying artists. Commercial terms are negotiated based on services rendered and investment level. Application required.
• Premium (Full-Service): Custom marketing plans and career development. Longer-term partnerships with deeper investment. Application required.

The 15% streaming commission is lower than RouteNote's free tier (15% is the same) but higher than a subscription distributor's 0%. The 30% YouTube commission is steep compared to Stem (5%) and TuneCore (20% on social).

What ONErpm Includes for Free

ONErpm bundles several services that cost extra or are unavailable on other free-tier distributors:

1. Publishing administration: Included at no extra cost. ONErpm helps collect publishing royalties and can act as your publisher.
2. YouTube monetization: Included, though at a 30% commission rate.
3. Sync licensing: Tracks can be submitted for sync licensing opportunities.
4. Direct-to-fan store: ONErpm provides a direct-to-fan storefront for selling music and merch.
5. Social media monetization: Included across platforms.
6. Royalty sharing: Split revenues with shareholders on a track, album, video, or full catalog basis with automatic payments.
7. Business intelligence tools: Automated monthly and daily analytics, accounting tools, and performance dashboards.

OFFstep: ONErpm's Subscription Sister Service

ONErpm also operates OFFstep, launched in 2023. OFFstep lets artists upload and distribute unlimited tracks to major streaming platforms for approximately $25 per year with 100% royalty retention. It is ONErpm's answer to DistroKid and TuneCore, targeting artists who want a subscription model instead of commission-based distribution. OFFstep lacks some extras like sync licensing and publishing services that the main ONErpm platform includes.

Submission and Upload Process

1. Create a free ONErpm account.
2. Upload your music through the self-service platform.
3. Enter release metadata. ONErpm generates ISRC and UPC codes.
4. Select stores and territories (100+ platforms).
5. Set up royalty splits for collaborators and shareholders.
6. Opt into publishing administration, YouTube monetization, and sync licensing.
7. Submit for distribution. Delivery typically takes 3 to 7 business days.

ONErpm monitors the performance of each artist daily and offers tools and strategies based on career stage. Upstart artists get marketing tools and analytics. Established artists can apply for bespoke campaigns.

Drawbacks and Things to Consider

• 30% YouTube commission is high. ONErpm keeps 30% of YouTube revenue, compared to Stem (5%), TuneCore (20%), and DistroKid (20% with paid add-on). If YouTube is a significant revenue source for you, this is expensive.
• 15% streaming commission is permanent. Like RouteNote's free tier, the 15% cut on streaming revenue never goes away. At $10,000/year in streaming revenue, ONErpm takes $1,500.
• Smaller store count. 100+ platforms versus 150+ for DistroKid, TuneCore, and CD Baby. All major DSPs are covered, but niche and regional platforms may be missing.
• Strongest in Latin America. ONErpm's infrastructure and marketing teams are concentrated in Latin American markets. If your audience is outside that region, some of the localized advantages may not apply.
• Free tier is self-service only. Marketing support, playlist pitching, and career development require applying for Plus Partners or Premium, which are selective.
• Less brand recognition globally. ONErpm is less well-known in the US and Europe than DistroKid, TuneCore, or CD Baby. Some artists report slower support response times.

Who ONErpm Is Best For

ONErpm is best for artists with zero budget who want free distribution that includes publishing admin, YouTube monetization, and sync licensing in one platform. It is particularly strong for Latin American and Brazilian artists who can benefit from ONErpm's regional infrastructure and marketing teams. The included publishing admin is a genuine advantage over RouteNote's free tier, which does not include it.

ONErpm is less ideal for artists whose YouTube revenue is significant (the 30% commission is steep), artists who want 100% royalty retention (use OFFstep or a subscription distributor instead), or artists outside Latin America who want localized marketing support. If you want a subscription model from the same company, OFFstep offers 100% royalties for approximately $25/year.

Pros and Cons Comparison

Notable Artists Who Use ONErpm

ONErpm works with over 300,000 artists, music labels, and video creators worldwide and reports a 2.7% worldwide market share on Spotify. The company has signed several high-profile artists across multiple genres:

• Sean Paul: Jamaican dancehall superstar with multiple Billboard Hot 100 number 1 singles including "Temperature," "Cheap Thrills," and "Baby Boy." ONErpm handles distribution and marketing for select releases.
• Daya: Grammy-winning pop artist best known for "Don't Let Me Down" with The Chainsmokers, which won the 2017 Grammy for Best Dance Recording. She released her album "Til Every Petal Drops" through ONErpm.
• G. Love & Special Sauce: Philadelphia-based blues-hip-hop fusion act with a career spanning over 25 years and multiple Billboard chart appearances.
• Cochise: Florida rapper whose track "Tell Em" reached number 22 on the Billboard charts and accumulated over 670 million streams. Signed to ONErpm through their Atlanta office.
• Verzache: Toronto bedroom pop artist described by NME as the city's "bedroom pop titan," with nearly 1 billion independent streams.
• Method Man: Grammy-winning rapper and member of the Wu-Tang Clan. Overseen by ONErpm's Atlanta urban music division.
• CeeLo Green: Grammy-winning singer, rapper, and producer known for "Crazy" with Gnarls Barkley and "Forget You" as a solo artist. Managed through ONErpm Atlanta.
• Goodie Mob: Atlanta hip-hop group and pioneers of Southern hip-hop, featuring CeeLo Green and Big Gipp.
• Morgan Heritage: Grammy-winning Jamaican reggae group known for albums "Strictly Roots" and "Avrakedabra."
• Mark and Maggie O'Connor: Grammy-winning Americana artists. Mark O'Connor is a three-time Grammy winner and seven-time CMA Musician of the Year.
• Malibu Babie: Producer who worked on Nicki Minaj's "Super Freaky Girl," which debuted at number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2022.
• Bella Shmurda: Nigerian Afrobeats artist whose single "Vision 2020" gained millions of streams across West Africa.
• Nando Reis: Brazilian singer-songwriter and former Titãs member with multiple platinum albums in Brazil.
• Soraya: Spanish singer who represented Spain at Eurovision 2009 and has multiple number 1 albums in Spain.
• A$AP Twelvyy: American rapper and member of the ASAP Mob collective.
• Taylor Acorn: American pop-punk artist with a growing streaming audience and multiple viral singles.
• Chance Pena: American singer-songwriter who gained recognition through "The Voice" and has built an independent streaming following.

ONErpm's Atlanta office, led by Head of Urban Music Orlando McGhee, oversees artists including CeeLo Green, Goodie Mob, Method Man, Bigbabygucci, Cuban Doll, Bizzy Crook, and Caskey. The Nashville office, led by Managing Director Tim Wipperman, focuses on country and Americana signings.

Video Gallery

The following videos cover ONErpm's distribution platform, video upload process, and digital strategy from their official channel and industry podcasts.

How to Distribute Videos With ONErpm

This tutorial from the official ONErpm US channel walks through the video distribution process step by step, covering album metadata entry, genre selection, barcode and UPC generation, and the full upload workflow for music videos.

Talking Digital Strategy With ONErpm's Jenna LoMonaco

This episode of Bobby Owsinski's Inner Circle Podcast features an interview with Jenna LoMonaco from ONErpm. The conversation covers YouTube strategy, breaking through in a crowded market, the role of terrestrial radio in 2025, and how ONErpm's team helps artists increase revenue through platform best practices.

Related Resources

• Music Distribution Services Compared - Broader distributor comparison
• Music Publishing Explained: Complete Guide to Royalties - What publishing admin covers
• Streaming Royalty Calculator - Project your earnings
• ONErpm Official Website - Current pricing and sign-up

Similar Music Distributors

• RouteNote - Free distribution tier with 15% commission (same as ONErpm) or paid plan with 100% royalty retention. Does not include publishing administration on the free tier.
• DistroKid - Flat $24.99/year subscription with unlimited uploads and 100% royalties. No commission but no publishing admin or sync licensing included.
• Symphonic - $29.99/year subscription with 100% royalties and 200+ stores. Includes free royalty splitting (SplitShare) and sync licensing through Bodega Sync.
• TuneCore - Annual subscription starting at $24.99/year with unlimited uploads. Includes publishing administration on higher tiers.
• Amuse - Mobile-first distributor with a free tier and paid Pro plans. Owned by Sony Music. Free tier includes distribution but with slower delivery.
• OFFstep - ONErpm's subscription-based sister service. Approximately $25/year with 100% royalty retention. Lacks sync licensing and publishing services.
• Stem - Commission-based distributor with a 5% fee on all revenue. Transparent splits and collaboration tools. Lower commission than ONErpm but selective entry.
• UnitedMasters - Free distribution with brand partnership opportunities. Select tier at $59.99/year for additional features.