The best music distribution services to get your songs on Spotify, Apple Music, and more — compared by pricing model, royalties, and features.
A distributor is how your music gets onto Spotify, Apple Music, and every other streaming platform — you can't upload directly as an independent artist. The services differ mostly in how they charge: a flat annual fee for unlimited releases, a per-release fee, or a free tier that takes a cut of your revenue. The right choice depends on how much you release and whether you want extra services like publishing, sync, or advances. Here's how the major distributors compare.
Music distribution service that puts independent artists' songs on Spotify, Apple Music and other streaming platforms for a yearly subscription.
Flat annual fee for unlimited uploads and 100% royalties — the value pick for artists who release frequently.
Music distribution and publishing administration service that delivers independent releases to streaming stores worldwide.
Per-release or subscription distribution with strong publishing administration to collect more of your royalties.
Music distribution service that delivers independent artists' releases to streaming stores for a one-time per-release fee.
A one-time fee per release with no annual cost — good if you release rarely and want to pay once.
Music distribution platform with mobile and web apps that releases independent artists' music to streaming services.
A free tier to get on streaming plus paid upgrades — mobile-first and beginner-friendly.
Music distribution service offering unlimited releases to streaming stores while artists keep their royalties.
Subscription-based unlimited distribution with added artist services and promotion tools.
Digital music distribution service that delivers tracks to streaming platforms and stores with free and premium options.
Freemium: distribute free on a revenue-share plan or pay to keep 100% of your royalties.
Music distribution platform that releases music to streaming services while connecting artists to brand and sync opportunities.
Free and paid tiers with a focus on sync placements and brand deals for independent artists.
DistroKid and Ditto charge a flat annual subscription for unlimited uploads and let you keep 100% of royalties — best for artists who release often. CD Baby charges a one-time fee per release with no recurring cost. Amuse, RouteNote, and UnitedMasters have free tiers (usually revenue-share) with paid upgrades to keep more. TuneCore sits between with per-release and subscription options plus strong publishing admin.
Distribution is table stakes; the extras separate them. Look at publishing royalty collection (TuneCore, CD Baby), sync and brand opportunities (UnitedMasters), speed to stores, splits with collaborators, and whether they keep any of your master rights (the good ones don't). If you release a lot, total yearly cost matters more than the headline price.
Questions
Yes. Independent artists can't upload directly to Spotify or Apple Music — a distribution service delivers your music to the platforms and collects your streaming royalties on your behalf.
For frequent releases, DistroKid's flat annual fee is usually the best value. For occasional releases, CD Baby's one-time-per-release fee or a free tier from Amuse or RouteNote can cost less overall.
The paid subscription services (DistroKid, Ditto, TuneCore) typically let you keep 100% of streaming royalties. Free tiers (Amuse, RouteNote, UnitedMasters) usually take a percentage in exchange for no upfront cost.
Distribution gets your recording onto streaming platforms and collects those royalties. Publishing administration collects a separate set of songwriting royalties. Some services (TuneCore, CD Baby) offer publishing admin as an add-on.
With reputable distributors, yes — you retain full ownership of your masters and simply pay for delivery. Always check the terms, but the services on this list don't take your rights.
Usually a few days to a couple of weeks, depending on the service and the platform. Distributors recommend delivering at least a couple of weeks ahead to secure a release date and pitch for playlists.
