Independent Music Distributors - Comparing DistroKid, TuneCore, and CD Baby

If you’re not signed with a record label, it might seem like a daunting task to get your music released. However, there are tons of independent music distributors out there that can assist you with the process. They are in charge of getting your music onto platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal, and more. One of the biggest upsides to signing up with an independent music distributor is that you maintain ownership of your masters, aka the master recording, of your music. There are many music distributors out there to help you get your music out there, but they all have some differences, so let’s take a look at some of the most popular independent music distributors: DistroKid, TuneCore, and CD Baby.

DistroKid is a music distributing service for solo musicians, artists, bands, DJs, performers, producers, and creators who create music independently, but they also provide services for labels as well. As of May 2025, a DistroKid membership costs $24.99 a year for unlimited album and song uploads. Their most enticing features are Hyperfollow, playlist spotlight, promo cards, and Vizy Video Generator. Hyperfollow puts all of your content - music, videos, and social media links - in one place. It can improve your media reach and provide you with more stats about your listeners and fans. Vizy Video Generator is, like the name, a music video generator. You can choose a template that matches the vibe of your song and it will create a music video that you can post on your social media. Additionally, they also have a mastering service that is included in your plan. 

Pros:

1. Release process is super fast - it takes a day from the time you upload your music until it hits social media

2. Easy uploading process - it utilizes a form with simple checkboxes and prompts to guide you through the process

3. Split revenue options - if you your royalties need to be split between band members and/or producers, you can do that right on the website

Cons:

1. Support can be difficult - 

2. The “100% of your revenue goes to the artist” claim is debatable - some artists with DistroKid are hesitant to completely stand by that statements

3. Many useful features are an extra fee - being able to specify your ISRC code (the International Standard Recording Code that identifies a specific sound recording), the ability to edit your record label name, the ability to specify your release date, and more are all features with an added fee

Similar to DistroKid, TuneCore provides unlimited releases for $22.99 a year as of May 2025. They have many services to prepare your music, sell your music, and to promote your music. TuneCore has an all-in-one platform for production, recording, mixing, and mastering called Studio One. They also provide cover song licensing which handles the licensing process for covers. They also work with Groover, which can help you promote your music to blogs, radio, and Spotify playlisters. If you don’t want to invest the money in TuneCore, they do have a free tier with limited features. 

Pros:

1. TuneCore Publishing  - a connected service for a one-time fee of $75 that manages your song composition (aka the song lyrics) royalties and usage (as opposed to just the sound recording that regular TuneCore manages)

2. Great customer service - they promise to get back to you in 3 days

3. 100% royalty payout - it’s been proven that TuneCore consistently pays 100% of your royalties to you

Cons:

1. Free tier only gets your music onto social media platforms - it doesn’t get your music onto music streaming platforms like Spotify like the paid tier

2. Pay-per-release model can add up - you need to pay an additional $9.99 for a single track and $39.99 for an album for the first year of distribution, and album costs $49.99 beyond the first year

3. With the music publishing administration leg, they do take a commission - they take 15% commission and 50% on sync commission (for when your music is used in movies, TV, video games, etc)

CD Baby was one of the first independent music distributors on the scene. Their pricing model is not a yearly fee, but rather a $9.99 charge for each release, whether it’s a single or an album. One of the features that sets them apart from their competition is that they provide CD and vinyl distribution services. With the rise of vinyl sales in the past few years (and the potential of CDs making a comeback), this is enticing for artists. They also have free access to pre-save campaigns included in the price. CD Baby can also affiliate you with a PRO (Performing Rights Organization) in the US and Canada with their pro service.

Pros:

1. Publishing administration, sync licensing, and mastering is offered in the plan

2. They provide tons of marketing tools to promote your music - they have many free resources, such as their blog, their podcast, their DIY Musician Conference, and more

3. Once you pay the fee, your music stays up forever - unlike the other distributors that require you to pay an annual fee as long as you want your music up, the upfront fee for CD Baby is all you need. 

Cons:

1. Various commission fees - on average, CD Baby takes about 9% commission on all revenue you earn, but it depends on the plan you choose

2. Difficult customer service - some artists with CD Baby have commented about their unresponsiveness with customer service

3. Price adds up if you’re not releasing music often

No matter what music distributor you choose, there are some general themes you can track with all of them. All independent music distributors give you access to higher revenue shares and better creative control than what you’d get with labels. However, there are some general cons. Labels will always have a greater pull than independent music distributors in terms of marketing tools, data analytics, and connections in the music industry. As much as you can collaborate with other artists with an independent distributor (and not constricted by record label contracts), it’s still difficult to stand out in such a saturated market. A potentially not so fun fact - over 100k songs are released each day on Spotify, and Spotify has over 45 million songs with 0 streams.

There are some things to keep in mind when paying for a music distributor. Make sure to look over the fine print in your agreement with the distributor to avoid any sketchy clauses. Research the terminology in the contracts to make an informed decision about what distributor is best for you. Make sure you also know the royalty model that the distributor provides, and keep track of the royalties you receive. Don’t solely rely on the marketing tools your distributor provides - market yourself on social media in ways the service can’t. Most importantly, be authentic to yourself and focus on quality over quantity. I wish you the best of luck in finding the best distributor for you!

Written By Lauren DiGiovanni

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*copyright not intended. Fair use act, section 107.