Open Music Business

Resources

Curated directory of services and platforms for musicians

distributors

DistroKid

Music distributor that delivers to Spotify, Apple Music, and 150+ platforms. Unlimited uploads for a flat annual fee.

Best for: Artists releasing music frequently (monthly or more)
Pricing: $22.99/year for unlimited uploads
Pros
  • Unlimited uploads
  • Fast delivery
  • Keep 100% royalties
Cons
  • Music removed if you stop paying
  • Basic analytics

TuneCore

Music distributor with detailed analytics and publishing administration services.

Best for: Artists who want robust analytics and publishing admin
Pricing: $9.99/single/year, $29.99/album/year
Pros
  • Detailed analytics
  • Publishing admin available
  • Good customer support
Cons
  • Annual renewal per release
  • Gets expensive with many releases

CD Baby

One of the oldest digital distributors. One-time fee model means your music stays up forever.

Best for: Artists who want to pay once and forget about it
Pricing: $9.95/single, $29.95/album (one-time)
Pros
  • One-time fee
  • Music stays up forever
  • Sync licensing included
Cons
  • Takes 9% commission
  • Slower delivery

pros

ASCAP

Performance Rights Organization that collects royalties when your songs are played publicly.

Best for: All songwriters and composers (choose either ASCAP or BMI)
Pricing: One-time $50 registration fee
Pros
  • Large catalog of licensees
  • Good international reach
  • Online portal
Cons
  • $50 upfront cost
  • Quarterly payments only

BMI

Performance Rights Organization. Free to join. Collects and distributes performance royalties.

Best for: Songwriters who want a free PRO option
Pricing: Free to join
Pros
  • No registration fee
  • Strong radio tracking
  • Good payment portal
Cons
  • Quarterly payments
  • Customer support can be slow

SoundExchange

Collects digital performance royalties for sound recording owners and featured artists from non-interactive streaming.

Best for: All recording artists and master owners
Pricing: Free to register
Pros
  • Free money most artists miss
  • Collects from Pandora
  • SiriusXM
  • etc.
  • Easy registration
Cons
  • Only non-interactive streams
  • Not a replacement for ASCAP/BMI

The MLC

The Mechanical Licensing Collective collects and distributes mechanical royalties from streaming in the US.

Best for: Every songwriter with music on streaming platforms (it's free money)
Pricing: Completely free
Pros
  • Free to join
  • Collects royalties many miss
  • Required by law to exist
Cons
  • US only
  • Can be slow to process

Marketing

Spotify for Artists

Spotify's official tool for artists to manage their profile, access analytics, and pitch to playlists.

Best for: Every artist on Spotify (it's essential)
Pricing: Completely free
Pros
  • Detailed listener analytics
  • Playlist pitching
  • Profile customization
Cons
  • Only covers Spotify
  • Limited historical data on free tier

Bandcamp

Direct-to-fan music platform where fans can buy music and merch. Artists keep the majority of revenue.

Best for: Artists with dedicated fanbases who will buy directly
Pricing: Free to use. Bandcamp takes 15% on music, 10% on merch
Pros
  • Fans pay what they want
  • Physical merch integration
  • Community features
Cons
  • 15% commission on music
  • Smaller audience than Spotify

Linktree

Link-in-bio tool to consolidate all your important links in one place.

Best for: Any artist who needs a single link for social media bios
Pricing: Free tier available. Pro starts at $5/month
Pros
  • Easy to set up
  • Analytics on clicks
  • Customizable
Cons
  • Free tier is basic
  • Many alternatives exist

Sync Licensing

Musicbed

Premium sync licensing platform connecting independent artists with filmmakers and content creators.

Best for: Artists with high-quality, cinematic or emotionally resonant music
Pricing: Free to submit. Revenue split on placements.
Pros
  • Premium brand clients
  • Higher-paying placements
  • Artist-friendly terms
Cons
  • Selective (high rejection rate)
  • Non-exclusive can be tricky

Songtradr

Sync licensing marketplace with AI-powered matching. Connects artists with sync opportunities globally.

Best for: Artists looking for volume sync placements across media
Pricing: Free basic account. Pro features available.
Pros
  • AI matching technology
  • Large marketplace
  • Non-exclusive option
Cons
  • Competitive
  • Lower-paying placements on average