Venice Music is a US-based digital music distributor and artist services platform founded in 2021 by Troy Carter and Suzy Ryoo (co-founders of Q&A). It offers unlimited distribution starting at $60/year (Essentials plan) with 100% royalty retention. Venice differentiates itself through a community-driven approach: the Professional plan at $500/year includes access to sync submissions, marketing and playlist strategies, exclusive networking events, office hours with industry professionals, and partner discounts from Soho House and Waves Audio. Music video distribution to Spotify and Vevo is included at no extra cost. The Premium Services tier is invite-only with dedicated artist services teams.
Pricing and Plans
Venice Music offers three subscription tiers:
- Essentials ($60/year): Unlimited distribution, royalty payment management, performance monitoring, analytics, access to private community Discord, professional support from an experienced record label ops team.
- Professional ($500/year): Everything in Essentials plus sync submissions, marketing and playlist strategies, exclusive networking and social events, office hours, educational content, seminars, partner discounts (Soho House, Waves Audio, and more).
- Premium Services (Invite-only): Everything in Professional plus dedicated artist services team, music video distribution, dedicated sync team across all mediums.
The Essentials plan at $60/year is more expensive than DistroKid ($24.99), TuneCore ($24.99), and LANDR ($24), but includes community access and professional support. The Professional plan at $500/year is significantly more expensive and is really about the services and networking, not the distribution itself.
Venice Music vs. Competitors: Feature Comparison
| Feature | Venice Music | DistroKid | TuneCore | CD Baby | SoundCloud Artist Pro |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Flat subscription ($60-$500/year) | Flat subscription ($24.99/year) | Per-release ($29.99 first 3 releases, $49.99/year after) | Per-release ($9.99 single, $29 album) + 9% cut | Flat subscription ($99/year) |
| Royalty retention | 100% | 100% | 100% | 91% (9% cut) | 100% (as of Nov 2025) |
| Store count | All major DSPs (200+ countries) | 150+ | 150+ | 150+ | 60+ |
| Delivery speed | Not prominently stated | 2-5 days | 2-5 days | Not prominently stated | Not prominently stated |
| Publishing admin | Not included | Add-on ($19.99/year) | Not included | Yes ($30 setup + 15% cut) | Not included |
| YouTube Content ID | Included at no extra cost | Add-on ($4.49/year per track) | Not included | Add-on | Not prominently featured |
| Sync licensing | Yes (Professional plan and above) | Not included | Not included | Not included | Not included |
| Royalty splits | Yes (Split Pay, free) | Yes (free) | Yes | Yes | Not prominently featured |
| Release protection | Not clearly stated | Not clearly stated | Not clearly stated | Not clearly stated | Not clearly stated |
| AI music policy | Not publicly stated | Not publicly stated | Not publicly stated | Not publicly stated | Not publicly stated |
| Music video distribution | Included at no extra cost | Add-on ($4.49/year per video) | Add-on | Not included | Not included |
| Spotify Discovery Mode | Included at no extra cost | Not included | Not included | Not included | Not included |
| Hidden costs | Stripe transaction fees ($2.25 + 0.25% US, $2.25 + 2% outside US) | Content ID, video distribution, Shazam, cover songs all cost extra | Per-release fees add up for prolific artists | 9% royalty cut on all revenue | Payout processing fee (as low as $0.50) |
| Free tier | No | No | No | No | Yes (limited) |
What Sets Venice Music Apart
- Music video distribution included: Venice offers unlimited music video distribution as part of your distribution package, not as an add-on. They do not take a percentage of video royalties. Amuse opened music video distribution to Spotify and Vevo in March 2026, but Venice has included it longer.
- Community-driven model: The Professional plan is built around access: private Discord, networking events, office hours with industry professionals, and educational seminars. It is closer to a membership community than a pure distribution service.
- Sync submissions on Professional: The $500/year plan opens sync submission access, letting you pitch music for film, TV, ads, and games.
- Founder pedigree: Troy Carter is a former Spotify executive and Lady Gaga's former manager. The industry connections inform the service design.
- Split Pay for collaborators: Venice passes through collaborator splits, though the exact mechanics are less prominently documented than Stem or DistroKid.
Submission and Upload Process
- Apply or sign up at venicemusic.com.
- Choose a subscription tier (Essentials or Professional).
- Upload audio files and cover art.
- Enter release metadata.
- Set up Split Pay for collaborators.
- Submit for distribution to all major DSPs.
- On Professional, access sync submissions, marketing strategies, and networking events.
Drawbacks and Things to Consider
- Essentials at $60/year is expensive for distribution alone. DistroKid ($24.99), TuneCore ($24.99), LANDR ($24), and Ditto ($19) all offer unlimited distribution with 100% royalties at lower prices. The $60 price only makes sense if you value the community Discord and professional support.
- Professional at $500/year is a significant investment. The sync submissions, marketing strategies, and networking access are the value proposition, but $500/year is 20x more than DistroKid. This only makes sense for artists who will actively use the services and networking.
- Limited public information. Venice does not prominently publish store count, delivery speed, publishing admin details, or Content ID terms. This makes it harder to compare objectively with competitors.
- No free tier. The cheapest entry point is $60/year.
- Relatively new. Founded in 2021, Venice is younger than most competitors. Long-term reliability and staying power are less established.
- Premium Services is invite-only. The most comprehensive tier is not accessible through direct subscription.
Who Venice Music Is Best For
Venice Music is best for artists who value community, networking, and industry access alongside distribution. The Professional plan at $500/year is designed for artists who will actively participate in sync submissions, attend networking events, and use the educational content. If you treat it as a distribution-only service, it is overpriced. If you use the full membership, the value proposition changes.
Venice is less ideal for artists who only want cheap distribution (DistroKid, TuneCore, and LANDR are all significantly cheaper), artists who need detailed public information about store coverage and delivery speed, or artists who want a free tier. If you want sync licensing at a lower price, Ditto Pro ($59/year) includes sync pitching.
In this interview on The Psychology Podcast, Venice Music co-founder and CEO Troy Carter discusses spotting creative potential, the future of the music industry, and how AI tools are changing the market for independent artists. Carter previously managed Lady Gaga and John Legend and served as Global Head of Creator Services at Spotify. His perspective informs Venice's approach to combining distribution with artist development.
Related Resources
- Music Distribution Services Compared - Broader distributor comparison
- Best Music Conferences to Attend 2026 - Networking opportunities
- Streaming Royalty Calculator - Project your earnings
- Venice Music Official Website - Current pricing and sign-up
Similar Distributors
- SoundCloud - All-in-one streaming and distribution platform
- DistroKid - Cheapest unlimited distribution option
- TuneCore - Per-release pricing with detailed analytics
- CD Baby - Per-release with publishing admin
- Music Distributors Directory - Browse all distributors
