Distributor Comparison Guide

The best music distributor is not necessarily the one with the lowest advertised price or the highest percentage paid to artists. Compare the whole arrangement: what you pay over the life of your catalog, what rights you grant, what happens if you stop paying, how quickly money becomes available, what metadata and reporting tools are included, and whether optional services create separate contracts or commissions.

For a small catalog with occasional releases, a one-time fee may be easier to budget. For an artist releasing many singles every year, an annual subscription may look cheaper—but only while the subscription remains active. A distributor that advertises 100% of store earnings may still leave you responsible for subscription fees, banking costs, taxes, and separate charges for monetization or publishing services. The practical comparison is total cost and control, not a single headline number.

Start by separating the rights

A distributor generally helps deliver a sound recording—the particular recorded performance—to digital stores and streaming services. That recording is not the same work as the underlying musical composition: the music and lyrics are one work, while the recorded performance is a separate sound recording with distinct authorship and registration guidance. The U.S. Copyright Office describes these as separate works and provides separate guidance for each: Copyright Registration for Sound Recordings and Musical Compositions.

This distinction matters because money can travel through different systems. A distributor’s core service may concern the sound recording, sometimes called the “master.” Composition royalties can involve publishing administration, mechanical-royalty collection, performing-rights organizations, or other services. A distributor’s add-on for YouTube Content ID or social-video monetization may concern uses of the recording, while an MLC service concerns a different U.S. mechanical-royalty pathway.

The Mechanical Licensing Collective explains that eligible rightsholders should join and register songs, after which digital audio services provide usage data and royalties under the blanket license. The MLC matches, calculates, and pays eligible digital audio mechanical royalties monthly. It also expressly distinguishes its role from SoundExchange and performing-rights organizations: The MLC: How It Works.

Therefore, do not treat “distribution,” “publishing,” “SoundExchange,” “Content ID,” and “MLC collection” as interchangeable labels. Ask what right or royalty stream each service covers, what fee applies, whether enrollment is optional, what authority you grant, and how termination works. The exact scope can depend on the addendum, territory, eligibility, and the distributor’s current terms.

A quick comparison of the three models

DistroKid describes an annual-subscription model and says it passes through 100% of store earnings allocated to the artist, subject to applicable banking fees and taxes. Its optional Social Media Pack monetization retains 20%: DistroKid earnings and getting-paid guidance. That 100% statement is about the distributor’s stated share of store earnings; it does not establish how much a DSP pays in the first place.

TuneCore’s pricing page lists annual distribution plans beginning at $24.99, along with separate single and album pricing and distribution to 150+ digital stores. It also lists ownership language and plan-dependent features: TuneCore pricing and plans. Prices and plan contents can change, so compare the applicable country and plan at the time of purchase.

CD Baby lists a different core model: no recurring account subscription, a one-time $9.99 single fee or $14.99 album fee, and a 9% commission on download and streaming revenue. Its pricing page separately identifies other commissions, including 15% on MLC revenue, 30% on social-video monetization, and 40% on sync placements: CD Baby pricing. These figures are listed service terms and may not describe every product, add-on, or revenue category.

| Model | Main budgeting question | Main catalog question | Main follow-up question | |---|---|---|---| | Annual subscription | How many releases and years make the fee worthwhile? | What happens after nonrenewal? | Are legacy or add-on charges separate? | | Per-release fee plus commission | Is the one-time fee cheaper for this catalog? | Does the catalog remain available after the fee? | Which revenue categories carry commissions? | | Mixed plans | Which features are included at this tier? | Are identifiers and ownership controls portable? | Are support targets and tools plan-specific? |

This table is a starting map, not a recommendation. A distributor may change prices, features, or policies, and the governing terms for a particular account control.

Compare total cost over time

Write down the number of releases you expect in year one, the number you expect to keep live, and your expected release pace in years two and three. Then compare at least three scenarios:

1. A low-output catalog: one or two releases and little expected revenue.
2. A regular-release catalog: several singles or albums each year.
3. A growing catalog: a large back catalog plus continuing releases, multiple artists, or additional monetization.

For an annual plan, total cost usually includes the recurring fee for every year you need the catalog maintained, plus any release-specific or optional-service charges. For a per-release model, include the initial release fees and the commissions that apply to the revenue streams you actually expect. For either model, add charges for optional monetization, publishing administration, sync, or other royalty services only if you intend to use them.

A simple worked example is more useful than a slogan. Suppose an artist plans one album and two singles, then expects to keep them available for three years. Under an annual plan, multiply the applicable annual fee by three and add any required extras. Under CD Baby’s listed core model, the release fees would be paid once, but the artist would also need to account for the stated 9% commission on download and streaming revenue. If the artist adds a service with a separate commission, calculate that commission against the relevant revenue rather than treating it as part of basic distribution.

This example does not determine which service costs less because the packet does not provide every plan price, every release price, or the artist’s expected revenue. The point is the method: put recurring fees, one-time fees, commissions, and add-ons into the same multi-year comparison. Also include the cost of switching distributors if a subscription lapse or takedown requires re-delivery and creates a period of uncertainty.

Do not compare “100% royalties” with “9% commission” without asking what each percentage is applied to. DistroKid’s statement concerns the store earnings allocated to the artist and excludes banking fees and taxes. CD Baby’s 9% figure applies to listed download and streaming revenue, while other categories have separate percentages. The underlying DSP payout, payment processing, taxes, and any co-rightsholders’ splits remain separate questions.

Examine ownership, license scope, and termination

Ownership language and distribution authorization are not the same thing. DistroKid states that it does not take ownership or intellectual-property rights from artists and that artists retain 100% ownership of uploaded music: DistroKid ownership guidance.

CD Baby’s artist agreement likewise says it preserves artist ownership while granting nonexclusive distribution authorization during the agreement term: CD Baby Artist Agreement. “Nonexclusive” generally means the distributor is authorized to distribute without becoming the owner, but the agreement still determines the scope, territory, duration, and permitted uses of that authorization.

TuneCore’s terms, revised July 31, 2026, describe a broad worldwide, non-exclusive, transferable license for submitted user content and allow removal at the distributor’s discretion. The terms also distinguish certain composition and recording services that are governed by supplemental publishing terms: TuneCore Terms and Conditions. Read the actual current terms and any applicable addendum before choosing a service. A broad license does not automatically mean that the distributor owns the work, but it can give the distributor substantial authority to operate, sublicense, or manage the content within the stated scope.

For every candidate, locate the answers to these questions:

• Do I retain ownership of the master and composition?
• Is the license exclusive or nonexclusive?
• Is it worldwide, and are there territorial exceptions?
• Can the distributor transfer or sublicense the authorization?
• Does the authorization cover only delivery, or also monetization, publishing, sync, or other uses?
• How do I terminate or withdraw a release?
• What happens to royalties earned before termination?
• Are supplemental terms incorporated into the main agreement?

These questions are contract-reading prompts, not individualized legal advice. Distributor terms are commercial contracts with global reach, but they may use different governing frameworks. TuneCore identifies U.S. and EU operations, and individual agreements may contain territorial or governing-law provisions that affect interpretation.

Catalog survival and takedown reality

Catalog survival is one of the most important differences between an annual subscription and a per-release model. DistroKid states that releases may be removed from streaming services after subscription nonrenewal. Its optional Leave a Legacy extra can preserve eligible releases after cancellation, but the extra applies per release and does not replace an active annual subscription: DistroKid subscription nonrenewal guidance.

That policy changes the multi-year calculation. An annual fee is not merely an upload fee; for a subscription-dependent catalog, it may be the price of continued availability. If you stop paying, you may need a preservation feature, a transfer plan, or a new delivery through another distributor. Check whether identifiers, artist pages, playlist placements, reviews, and usage history can be retained during a move, and whether downstream services create delays. The packet does not establish a universal migration timeline, so treat continuity as a risk to investigate rather than a guaranteed outcome.

Takedown terms also need careful reading. CD Baby’s agreement allows written withdrawal or termination and says CD Baby will send licensees a takedown notice within five business days. It also disclaims responsibility for delays by licensees in removing content: CD Baby Artist Agreement. In practical terms, a distributor’s notice deadline is not the same as immediate disappearance from every DSP. The distributor can send the instruction, while each downstream service may process it on its own schedule.

Ask whether a release can be removed individually, whether a full account termination affects the catalog, whether a takedown can be reversed, and whether an active dispute or rights complaint changes the process. Keep copies of your audio masters, artwork, metadata, ISRCs, UPCs, contributor information, and royalty statements so that you retain operational control if a transfer becomes necessary.

Metadata, identifiers, splits, analytics, and support

A distributor’s operational tools can matter more than small differences in headline price. TuneCore lists plan-dependent support for revenue splits, YouTube Content ID, use of an artist’s own ISRC and UPC, analytics, multi-artist management, and stated one-to-three-business-day support response targets: TuneCore pricing and plans. Those are response targets, not guaranteed resolution times, and feature availability depends on the plan.

When comparing tools, separate delivery from administration. Metadata support should answer whether you can enter and correct songwriter, performer, producer, label, territory, genre, explicit-content, and release-date information. Identifier support should answer whether you can use existing ISRCs and UPCs when appropriate, and how corrections affect a live release. Splits should answer whether collaborators are paid automatically, what each participant must do, and what happens if someone does not accept an invitation.

Analytics should answer what the dashboard actually reports: usage, revenue, territories, stores, dates, and whether the information is estimated or finalized. Content ID should be evaluated as a distinct monetization service with its own eligibility rules, claims process, exclusions, and fee or commission. Do not assume that a distributor’s ability to deliver a recording means it automatically administers every user-generated video use.

Support deserves a concrete test. Before signing up, send a question that requires a policy answer and record how long the response takes, whether it cites the relevant rule, and whether the answer distinguishes a distributor deadline from a DSP deadline. A stated response target can be useful, but it is not the same as a promise that a release problem will be solved within that period.

Payout timing and cash-flow planning

A distributor can only report and pay after it receives usable data and funds from stores or other services. DistroKid says services commonly report one to two months after usage, with earnings often appearing about three months after release, while noting that reporting frequency varies and there are no fixed DSP reporting dates: DistroKid earnings and getting-paid guidance.

CD Baby states that it will use commercially reasonable efforts to pay amounts posted to an account no later than 15 business days after the applicable threshold is met. That provision is subject to offsets, fees, penalties, taxes, receipt of funds, and the applicable payment schedule: CD Baby Artist Agreement. The phrase “after the threshold is met” matters: it is not a promise that every stream pays within 15 business days of occurring.

Compare the full payment path: reporting lag, minimum withdrawal threshold, payment methods, banking fees, tax forms, currency conversion, reversals, fraud reviews, and whether different revenue categories follow different schedules. Plan cash flow on the assumption that recent releases may earn before the dashboard shows the money. Keep a reserve for annual subscriptions and avoid making business commitments based on unreported or unsettled revenue.

Add-ons: use a separate decision

Publishing administration, MLC collection, SoundExchange services, social-video monetization, Content ID, and sync are not automatically part of core recording distribution. CD Baby’s pricing page lists separate Boost services involving CDB Sync, SoundExchange, and The MLC, as well as separate commissions for MLC, social-video monetization, and sync. The MLC’s own explanation confirms that its U.S. digital audio mechanical-royalty process is distinct from SoundExchange and PROs: CD Baby pricing, The MLC: How It Works.

Evaluate each add-on using five questions: what right or royalty stream does it cover; where is it available; what information or registration is required; what percentage or fixed fee applies; and how do you end the service? If you already register songs or collect through another organization, check for overlapping authority or duplicate claims. If you own only a master but not the composition, confirm that you have authority to enroll the relevant work.

The U.S. distinction is especially important. The MLC concerns eligible digital audio mechanical royalties, while SoundExchange and performing-rights organizations handle different functions. Other countries may use different terminology, societies, and collection arrangements. Do not generalize a U.S. registration or collection route to every territory.

A practical selection route

Use this route before choosing:

1. Count the releases you expect to deliver and keep live over three years.
2. Record every recurring fee, one-time fee, commission, withdrawal cost, and add-on charge.
3. Confirm ownership language, license scope, territory, transfer rights, and termination rules.
4. Test catalog survival if an annual plan lapses.
5. Confirm metadata corrections, ISRC and UPC handling, splits, analytics, and support targets.
6. Map payout timing, thresholds, fees, taxes, and currency handling.
7. Review publishing, MLC, SoundExchange, Content ID, social-video, and sync services separately.
8. Save the current pricing page, agreement, addenda, and your submitted metadata for your records.

Choose the model that fits your actual release behavior. An artist with frequent releases may value predictable subscription economics and integrated tools. An artist with a small or finished catalog may value a one-time release fee and no recurring account subscription. A developing team may prioritize splits, multi-artist management, metadata control, and responsive support. None of those is universally best; the right answer depends on catalog size, release frequency, expected revenue, collaborators, territories, and the services you truly need.

Finally, revisit the comparison before each major release. Prices, features, terms, support targets, and add-on structures are time-sensitive. The packet’s cited pricing and terms were checked on August 7, 2026, with several claims stated as of August 6, 2026. Confirm the current terms, applicable country, plan, and addenda when you make a decision.

Open Music Business provides educational information, not individualized legal, financial, tax, contract, or royalty advice.