Soundrop

Soundrop is a US-based digital music distributor specializing in cover song licensing and collaborator royalty splits. It charges $4.99 per track (one-time) with a 15% commission on revenue, with no annual fees or subscriptions. Soundrop's standout feature is built-in mechanical licensing for cover songs: for the same $4.99 per track fee, you get both distribution and licensing, making it the simplest path for artists who release covers. The company is based in Nashville and was founded in 2015.

Pricing and Commission

Soundrop uses a simple per-track pricing model:

• $4.99 per track (one-time): Includes digital distribution to all major platforms and cover song licensing if needed. No annual fees, no subscriptions.
• 15% commission on revenue: Soundrop keeps 15% of all revenue your music generates. You keep 85%.

The per-track price increased from $0.99 to $4.99 on August 1, 2025. While the increase was significant (5x), the new price still includes both distribution and cover song licensing in one fee.

For comparison: DistroKid charges $12 per cover song per year for licensing alone, plus the subscription fee. Soundrop charges $4.99 per track once, with no recurring fees.

Cover Song Licensing

This is Soundrop's core differentiator. For the $4.99 per track fee, Soundrop:

1. Secures your cover song mechanical license (forever)
2. Notifies publishers and rights holders
3. Automatically pays mechanical royalties to the songs' publishers (forever)

The licenses obtained through Soundrop are valid for releases within the United States only. If you want to distribute worldwide, you are responsible for obtaining additional custom licensing agreements with copyright holders beyond the US licenses Soundrop provides.

New mechanical royalty rates went into effect on January 1, 2026 due to a Copyright Royalty Board ruling. The US mechanical royalty rate increased from 12.7 cents to 13.1 cents per track (for tracks 5 minutes or less). For tracks longer than 5 minutes, the rate is 2.52 cents per minute of run time. Soundrop handles these payments automatically for cover songs.

Royalty Splits

Soundrop offers automated collaborator splitting at no additional cost:

• Split royalties between multiple parties on any track
• Every month, collaborators automatically receive their share of earnings
• No additional fees for splitting

This makes Soundrop attractive for collaborative projects where multiple writers, producers, or performers need to share revenue.

Revenue Calculation Example

For an original song sold as a download at $0.99:

• Store keeps 30% (roughly): $0.99 - $0.30 = $0.69
• Soundrop takes 15%: $0.69 - $0.10 = $0.59 (your share)

For a cover song sold as a download at $0.99:

• Store keeps 30%: $0.99 - $0.30 = $0.69
• Mechanical license fee (13.1 cents): $0.69 - $0.131 = $0.559
• Soundrop takes 15%: $0.559 - $0.08 = $0.48 (your share)

Submission and Upload Process

1. Create a free Soundrop account.
2. Upload your track.
3. Indicate whether it is an original or a cover song.
4. If a cover, Soundrop secures the mechanical license automatically.
5. Pay the $4.99 per track fee.
6. Set up royalty splits for collaborators.
7. Submit for distribution. Soundrop handles licensing, delivery, and ongoing mechanical royalty payments.

Drawbacks and Things to Consider

• 15% commission is permanent. Like RouteNote's free tier and ONErpm, Soundrop's 15% cut never goes away. At $10,000/year in revenue, Soundrop takes $1,500.
• $4.99 per track adds up for frequent releasers. A 10-track album costs $49.90 upfront. Compare this to DistroKid's $24.99/year for unlimited uploads.
• US-only cover song licensing. The mechanical licenses Soundrop secures are valid for US releases only. For worldwide cover distribution, you need additional licensing.
• No publishing admin. Soundrop handles mechanical licensing for covers but does not provide full publishing administration for original works.
• No YouTube Content ID. Not prominently featured as a service.
• No sync licensing. No built-in sync placement service.
• Limited store information. Soundrop does not prominently publish its full store list or delivery speed.
• Price increase was significant. The jump from $0.99 to $4.99 per track in August 2025 made Soundrop 5x more expensive for artists who were used to the old pricing.

Who Soundrop Is Best For

Soundrop is best for artists who release cover songs and want built-in mechanical licensing without managing the licensing process themselves. The $4.99 per track fee that includes both distribution and licensing is simpler and cheaper than DistroKid's $12/song/year for cover licensing alone. Soundrop is also good for collaborative projects that need automated royalty splits without subscription fees.

Soundrop is less ideal for artists who release only original music (DistroKid or TuneCore are cheaper for unlimited original releases), artists who release frequently (the per-track model becomes expensive), or artists who need publishing admin, sync licensing, or YouTube Content ID. If you want a subscription model with 100% royalties, DistroKid, TuneCore, or Anti-Joy are better fits.

Related Resources

• Music Distribution Services Compared - Broader distributor comparison
• Mechanical Royalties Explained: How to Collect - Understanding mechanical licensing
• Streaming Royalty Calculator - Project your earnings
• Soundrop Official Website - Current pricing and sign-up