Wiseband

Wiseband is a European music distributor founded in 2007, six years before DistroKid. Headquartered in France with operations in Italy, Spain, and Brazil, Wiseband offers subscription plans starting at $29/year with 91% royalty retention (9% commission). The company distributes to 150+ platforms including TikTok, Instagram, YouTube Music, Deezer, and regional platforms. Wiseband's primary differentiator is its no-catalog-deletion policy: if you change plans or pause your account, your catalog stays online. The company also offers human support in multiple languages including French, YouTube Content ID included at no extra cost, print-on-demand merchandising, and music crowdfunding. Wiseband is best for European artists who want human support and catalog protection.

Pricing and Plans

Wiseband offers four tiers:

• Free plan ($0): 1 artist, limited features. Good for testing the platform.
• Artist ($29/year): 1 artist, unlimited releases, 91% royalties (9% commission), lifetime distribution, statistics tracking, payments within 15 business days, pre-save tools, 1 online merch store.
• Team ($49/year): 5 artists, unlimited releases, 91% royalties (9% commission), automatic royalty splitting, access to electronic music platforms (Beatport, etc.), unlimited online merch stores, all Artist features.
• Partner (custom pricing): Dedicated label manager, phone support, pitch to official playlists, YouTube OAC, unlimited distribution, custom commission rate, all Team features.

The 9% commission is permanent and applies for the entire lifetime of your catalog. This is the same model as CD Baby. At $10,000/year in revenue, Wiseband takes $900. Over 10 years, that is $9,000.

What Sets Wiseband Apart

1. No catalog deletion: If you change plans or pause your account, your catalog stays online. This is the opposite of DistroKid, which removes music within weeks of cancellation unless you pay Leave a Legacy fees ($29 to $49 per release).
2. Human support in multiple languages: Wiseband offers human support with real music industry experts, no chatbot. Support is available in French, English, and other European languages. This is rare among distributors, most of which offer AI-based or community forum support only.
3. Founded in 2007: Wiseband is older than DistroKid (2013), TuneCore (2005 is older but Wiseband predates most modern distributors), and most competitors. The company has 18+ years of experience in music distribution.
4. European presence: Wiseband is particularly established in France, Italy, Spain, and Brazil. For European artists, this means local support, understanding of regional markets, and presence in European music industry networks.
5. YouTube Content ID included: Depending on the plan, YouTube Content ID is included at no extra cost. DistroKid charges $4.95/song/year for Content ID.
6. Print-on-demand merchandising: Wiseband includes integrated print-on-demand merchandising stores. Artist plan includes 1 store, Team plan includes unlimited stores.
7. Music crowdfunding: Wiseband offers a music crowdfunding service to fund your projects directly through the platform.
8. Electronic music platforms: Team plan and above include access to electronic music platforms like Beatport, which is important for electronic music producers.
9. Spotify editorial playlist pitching: Wiseband offers pitching to official Spotify playlists (on Partner plan, based on potential and anticipation).
10. Payments within 15 business days: Wiseband processes payments within 15 business days, which is faster than many competitors that operate on net 60 or net 90 schedules.
11. 150+ platforms: Wiseband distributes to 150+ platforms including TikTok, Instagram, YouTube Music, Deezer, and regional platforms.

Submission and Upload Process

1. Create a Wiseband account. A free trial includes a distribution of a single at no cost.
2. Choose a plan: Free, Artist ($29/year), Team ($49/year), or Partner (custom).
3. Upload your music and enter metadata.
4. Choose which platforms to distribute to (streaming, download, video). Wiseband offers platform selection a la carte.
5. Set up royalty splits for collaborators (Team plan and above).
6. Wiseband distributes to 150+ platforms.
7. Track performance with statistics.
8. Receive payments within 15 business days. No hidden fees or surprise deductions.
9. Set up merchandising stores and crowdfunding campaigns if desired.

Drawbacks and Things to Consider

• 9% commission is permanent. Like CD Baby, Wiseband's 9% commission applies for the entire lifetime of your catalog. Over 10 years at $10,000/year revenue, that is $9,000 in commissions. DistroKid, Too Lost, and DistroVibe charge 0% commission.
• $29/year is more expensive than competitors. DistroKid costs $24.99/year with 100% royalties. Too Lost costs $19.99/year with 100% royalties. Magroove DIY costs $9.99/year with 100% royalties. Wiseband costs $29/year with 91% royalties. You pay more and keep less.
• No publishing administration. Wiseband does not prominently offer publishing administration. You need separate PRO and MLC registration.
• No sync licensing. No built-in sync placement service.
• Limited information on delivery speed. Wiseband does not prominently publish delivery timelines.
• Free plan has limited features. The free plan is essentially a trial with 1 artist and limited features. It is not a viable long-term free distribution option like RouteNote or ONErpm.
• Partner plan requires custom negotiation. The Partner plan has custom pricing, which means you cannot compare it objectively without contacting Wiseband.
• Strongest value is for European artists. Wiseband's human support in French and European market presence are less relevant if you are based in the United States or Asia. For non-European artists, the 9% commission and higher price make it less competitive.
• No clear AI music policy. Wiseband does not publicly state its policy on AI-generated music.
• Commission model adds up over time. The 9% commission is the same drawback as CD Baby. For artists with growing catalogs and revenue, the commission becomes increasingly expensive compared to flat-fee subscription models.

Who Wiseband Is Best For

Wiseband is best for European artists who want human support in their native language, catalog protection (no deletion if you stop paying), and integrated merchandising and crowdfunding. The no-catalog-deletion policy is genuinely valuable for artists who want peace of mind. For French, Italian, Spanish, or Brazilian artists, Wiseband's local presence and support fill a gap that international distributors do not serve.

Wiseband is less ideal for artists who want 100% royalties (use DistroKid, Too Lost, DistroVibe, or Magroove DIY), artists who want the cheapest possible option (Magroove DIY at $9.99/year), artists who need publishing admin or sync licensing (use TuneCore, Songtradr, or Ditto), or artists outside Europe who do not benefit from Wiseband's regional presence. If you want a subscription model with 0% commission and release protection, Anti-Joy ($14.99/year) or DistroVibe ($19.99/year) offer better value.

Related Resources

• Music Distribution Services Compared - Broader distributor comparison
• Streaming Royalty Calculator - Project your earnings
• Wiseband Official Website - Current pricing and sign-up