20 Best Music Distribution Platforms For Independent Artists

We've reviewed the 20 best music distribution platforms for independent artists at every stage of their career, comparing price, features and support systems.

With the emergence of DIY music distribution comes a vast array of options the market has to offer. Which is why the team at Pirate brings you this comprehensive guide on the best music distribution services the world has to offer.

Discover the best music distribution services for independent artists and musicians in 2023. Learn about features, pricing, and distribution options to find the right service for you.

What is a music distribution platform?

It’s easy to think that music distribution is just about pushing audio files to streaming platforms, but there is a lot more to it than that.

Your music distribution platform also serves as a portal where you manage your recording catalogue.

On top of pushing files to DSPs, a good distro will provide additional services including:

• ISRC generation
• Registration with YouTube Content ID
• Copyright management
• Publishing administration
• And much more

Some even offer publishing services to help you look after the underlying compositions of your recordings.

What to consider when choosing a distribution service?

With any business or consumer spend decision, you should always think intently about what you need from such a service.

• Price
• Support
• Features
• Reviews
• Territory
• Terms
• YouTube Content ID
• Shazam
• TikTok
• Commission structure
• Rights
• Licencing

Come up with a shortlist of a handful of services that might be a good fit for you, then reach out to their respective teams and see who comes up as most resourceful.

Free vs. Paid music distribution

As they say, there is no such thing as a free lunch. Many distributors do offer a free plan, but there is usually a caveat. They could be taking a commission or there could be features that are billed on usage. Do your due diligence.

The 20 Most Popular Music Distribution Services Reviewed

Below, we review 20 of the most popular music distribution services to help you decide which is the best, including: DistroKid vs. TuneCore vs. CDBaby vs. Symphonic Distribution vs. Ditto Music vs. Amuse vs. AWAL vs. Routenote vs. Stem vs. Sound Drop vs. Report by Soundcloud vs. LANDR vs. Level Music vs. OneRPM vs. ReverbNation vs. Record Union vs. Bandcamp vs. Musicinfo vs. Fresh Tunes vs. United Masters.

1. DistroKid

Best for: Artists who frequently release new music through the year

Price: $19.99/yr

Commission: 0%

Number of outlets: 150+

Speed to Spotify: 2-5 days

Customer support: Live chat

Pros: Very competitive subscription free for standard service

Cons: Optional extras cost per release

DistroKid is a popular music distribution platform that has been around since 2013. It gained a market edge early on for its aggressive pricing and simplicity of the service.

The platform allows artists to upload an unlimited number of tracks for a low annual fee. One of the most significant advantages of DistroKid is its royalty collection system.

Artists take home 100% of their royalties.

On top of that, DistroKid boasts an array of features benefits including customisable release dates and instant access to Spotify for Artists.

> Special Offer for Pirate customers - Get 50% Your First Year with DistroKid

2. TuneCore

Best for: Artists who want to test the waters with social distribution

Price: Free for social media distribution, then £12.99 per year for DSPs

Commission: 0%

Customer support: Email

Pros: Very competitive pricing with their entry-level free plan

Cons: Not everyone wants a subscription

With their new ‘Unlimited’ strategy, Tunecore went very aggressive on their pricing, offering even a free plan for artists to get their music on socials!

Beyond that, they offer a competitive annual plan for unlimited uploads.

Beyond that, they also offer publishing administration services to help you mnanage everything under one roof.

3. CD Baby

Best for: Artists who release infrequently and only want to pay once

Price: $9.99 for a standard single

Commission: 9%

Customer support: Email

Pros: Pay once, no annual fees

Cons: 9% commission on top of what is already relatively expensive CD Baby is one of the oldest music distribution platforms that has been around since 1998.

One of the most significant advantages of CD Baby is its support for physical distribution. The platform allows artists to sell their physical CDs, vinyl, and other merchandise directly to fans.

CD Baby offers an array of features, including YouTube Monetization, and publishing administration.

One of their USPs is a kind of pay-once policy for this who'd rather stay away from subscription models.

4. Symphonic Distribution

Best for: Those who need quick turnaround and release frequently

Price: $19.99/yr

Commission: 0%

Customer support: Email

Pros: Complete offering inside a simple subscription

Cons: Not the most affordable

Symphonic Distribution has been around since 2006 and have solidified their slice of the increasingly competitive distro space.

One of their unique-selling-points is in their personalised approach to the service. The platform offers a team of experienced professionals who work with artists to develop their careers.

Another thing that sets them apart is their comprehensive content output, offering a range of material around the business of releasing and promoting music.

On top of that, Symphonic offers several features, including YouTube Content ID and neighbouring rights royalties collection.

Symphonic Distribution offers several pricing plans, including a yearly plan for unlimited distribution and a bespoke plan for personalised services.

5. Ditto Music

Best for: Artists who frequently release new music through the year

Price: £19.99/yr

Commission: 0%

Customer support: Live chat

Pros: Very competitive subscription free for standard service

Cons: Optional extras cost per release

Ditto Plus is a music distribution platform that has been around since 2020. The platform offers worldwide music distribution to over 200 digital stores, including Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, and YouTube, among others.

One of the most significant advantages of Ditto Plus is its emphasis on artist development. The platform offers a suite of tools and services that help artists to grow their careers, including promotional support, fan engagement tools, and music industry connections.

Ditto Plus offers several pricing plans, including a percentage-based commission on royalties.

6. Amuse

Best for: Those treading the water with free plans

Price: $19.99/yr

Commission: 0%

Customer support: Live chat

Pros: Free plan for distributing to main outlets

Cons: Not the cheapest for what some would consider a complete package

Amuse is a music distribution platform that has been around since 2015. The platform offers worldwide music distribution to over 150 digital stores, including Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, and Tidal, among others.

One of the most significant advantages of Amuse is its free distribution service. The platform allows artists to upload an unlimited number of tracks for free. Additionally, Amuse offers several features, such as fast distribution, real-time analytics, and YouTube Content ID.

Amuse also offers a premium service that provides artists with additional features, such as advanced analytics and personalised support.

7. AWAL

Best for: Artists who are looking for a label service deal

Price: Free (on acceptance)

Commission: 15%

Customer support: Unknown

Pros: Pending acceptance, the free package and extra care would be enticing

Cons: Selective with who they work with

AWAL is a music distribution platform that has been around since 1997. The platform offers worldwide music distribution to over 200 digital stores, including Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, and YouTube, among others.

One of the ways AWAL sets itself apart is in its focus on artist development.

The company offers a team of industry pros who work with artists to work on their branding, marketing, and overall strategy.

On top of that, AWAL offers a comprehensive set of features, YouTube Content ID and Fan Insights, which provides artists with detailed audience data.

AWAL offers several pricing plans, including a percentage-based commission on royalties.

8. Routenote

Best for: Artists who frequently release new music through the year

Price: Free distribution with 85/15 royalty split, premium features available for a fee

Commission: 15%

Customer support: Live chat

Pros: Free distribution, customizable release page, detailed analytics, access to major streaming platforms

Cons: 15% commission fee may not be suitable for all artists, limited customer support

RouteNote offers a free music distribution service with access to major streaming platforms and essential tools for analysing and promoting your music.

9. Stem

Best for: Artists who want to access future funds

Price: Variable

Commission: 10-15%

Customer support: Email

Pros: Very competitive subscription free for standard service

Cons: Optional extras cost per release

Stem came to the market with an interesting proposition, allowing artists to tap into future revenues without giving up rights.

The platform offers several features, such as team collaboration tools, detailed analytics, and royalty splits. Additionally, Stem offers several services, such as marketing and promotional support, that help artists to develop their careers.

10. Sound Drop

Best for those on a subset but want the normal array of features

Pricing: Starts at $4.99/year

Pros: Affordable pricing, easy-to-use platform, detailed analytics, no hidden fees

Cons: Limited distribution to major streaming platforms, limited promotional tools

Soundrop offers distribution to major streaming platforms, customizable release page, pre-save campaigns, detailed analytics, and YouTube Content ID

The service is an affordable and user-friendly music distribution service that provides essential tools for distributing your music and analysing your performance.

11. Repost by SoundCloud

Best for: Artists deep into the Soundcloud ecosystem

Price: $30yr

Commission: 0%

Customer support: Email

Pros: Integrated into one of the most popular streaming platforms

Cons: Not the most competitive

Repost is an obvious consideration for those who use Soundcloud as part of their audience building efforts.

One of the most significant advantages of Repost is in its integration with it's parent streaming platform, allowing artists to easily distribute their music elsewhere.

Beyond that, Repost by SoundCloud offers several features, such as detailed analytics, promotional support, and monetisation options.

Repost by SoundCloud offers several pricing plans, including a percentage-based commission on royalties.

12. LANDR

Best for: Artists who already use LANDR services

Price: £9 per month including features

Commission: 0%

Customer support: Email

Pros: Seamless experience for LANDR users

Cons: Expensive if you don’t use all the features

LANDR made a splash in the market with their AI mastering tool, and have since branched out into a broad array of artist services.

Whilst not known for distro, the integration with their mastering service might make for a seamless process.

LANDR offers several pricing plans, including a one-time fee for single and album distribution, as well as a yearly plan for unlimited distribution.

13. Level Music

Best for: Artists who want a subscription with a complete feature set

Price: $20/yr

Commission: 0%

Customer support: Email

Pros: Storing focus on reporting and data

Cons: Not the most affordable for the feature set

Level Music is a music distribution platform that has been around since 2020.

The platform’s edge is its focus on data-driven insights. The platform offers analytics that help artists to understand their audience and refine their efforts. Level also offers several features, such as promotional support, sync licensing opportunities, and monetisation options.

Level offers several pricing plans, including a percentage-based commission on royalties.

14. OneRPM

Best for: Artists who want to be on major streaming platforms, access major playlist placements, detailed analytics and YouTube Content ID.

Pricing: Free distribution with 85/15 royalty split, premium features available for a fee

Pros: Free distribution, access to major playlist placements, detailed analytics, YouTube Content ID

Cons: 15% commission fee may not be suitable for all artists, limited promotional tools

OneRPM offers a free music distribution service with a focus on playlist placements and essential tools for analysing your performance.

15. ReverbNation

Best for: Those that already use ReverbNation and want special features like, gig finder, fan targeting, email marketing, press kit creation, music licensing opportunities

Pricing: Starts at $19.95/month for distribution and promotional tools

Pros: Comprehensive promotional tools, opportunities for live performances and collaborations, dedicated artist support team

Cons: Relatively expensive, may not be suitable for independent artists without an established fan base

ReverbNation offers an all-in-one platform for independent artists to distribute their music and promote their brand through various promotional tools and opportunities.

16. Record Union

Best for: Artists who want costomizable release page and an affordable subscription

Pricing: Starts at $10/year for distribution, commission fees range from 15-30%

Pros: Affordable pricing, commission rates decrease with more streams, customizable release page

Cons: High commission fees, limited promotional tools

Record Union offers a simple and affordable music distribution service with a customizable release page and automatic royalty splits for collaborations.

17. Bandcamp

Best for: Artists who want to tap into a specific market and productise their releases.

Pricing: No upfront costs, commission fees of 10-15% on digital sales and 10% on merch sales

Pros: Flexible pricing, no hidden fees, direct-to-fan model, artist-friendly platform

Cons: Limited distribution to major streaming platforms, limited promotional tools

Bandcamp offers an artist-friendly platform for selling and distributing music and merchandise directly to fans with flexible pricing and detailed analytics. Although not a music distribution in the sense of putting your music on other platforms, the Epic-Games owned platform is well worth a mention.

Their monthly Bandcamp Fridays are renowned due to them waiving their commissions on this eventful monthly spot.

18. Musicinfo

Best for: Distribution to local streaming platforms in Asia and Europe.

Pricing: Starts at €12/month for distribution to one territory, additional territories available for an extra fee

Pros: Affordable pricing, access to local streaming platforms, detailed analytics, promotional tools included

Cons: Limited distribution to major streaming platforms, limited customer support

Musicinfo offers an affordable and specialised music distribution service for independent artists looking to target specific local markets in Asia and Europe.

19. Fresh Tunes

Best for: Distribution to local streaming platforms in Russia and CIS countries.

Pricing: Starts at $7.99/year for distribution with no commission fees

Pros: Affordable pricing, commission-free distribution, access to local streaming platforms

Cons: Limited distribution to major streaming platforms, limited customer support

Fresh Tunes offers an affordable and specialised music distribution service for independent artists looking to target specific local markets in Russia and CIS countries.

20. United Masters

Best for: Artists who want extra help in playlist pitching, sync licensing opportunities and social media promotion.

Pricing: Free distribution with 10% commission on royalties, premium features available for $5/month

Pros: Free distribution, commission rates decrease with more streams, access to major playlist placements

Cons: Limited customer support, premium features can be expensive

United Masters offers a cost-effective music distribution service with access to major playlist placements and sync licensing opportunities.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the best music distribution services for independent artists?

It depends on a variety of factors, a major one being what your yearly release cycle looks like.

If you intend to embark on a high frequency release cycle, one of the subscription based offerings would likely be more suitable.

Can I release covers and monetise the songs with music distributors?

Technically speaking, the big DSPs such as Spotify and YouTube already pay a blanket licences for the musical works that are ‘performed’ and ‘reproduced’ on their platforms. But you should still obtain a licence from the rightsholder of the composition, with the exception being if it’s in the public domain.

Which streaming service pays the most?

Whilst there is no fixed rate per stream, there are plenty of statistics available about this. None of the platforms decide what the rate is, the royalty pool is divided up on a pro-rata basis.

Where can I get smart links (Pre-Saves)?

The emergence of landing page platforms, and pre-save solutions means there is a lot on offer in terms of creating buzz for your next release.

Here are a handful of those services:

• Toneden
• FeatureFM
• Linkfire
• CDBaby (ShowNow)
• Presave.io
• Linktree

Can you use multiple music distribution services simultaneously?

Indeed, you may find yourself using different providers for different releases. You can even migrate distributions between them, as long as you don’t miss any important steps.

What to consider when changing your music distributor?

It’s important to consider why you are changing and to make sure you have tapped the resources that are available to you with your current service provider.

If you’re having trouble with the service, make sure you reach out to support, then if they don’t respond promptly, then it might be best to look elsewhere.

Which music distribution service is best for Spotify distribution?

Distrokid are most affiliated with Spotify, but that doesn’t by itself make them better. Check out Spotify’s preferred partners page for more information.

Do music distribution companies own your music?

Generally no, you retain the rights, but it’s always good to read the terms and get professional advice before you hand over your IP.

Music distribution platforms are an essential component of the DIY toolkit.

The platforms we've discussed today offer worldwide music distribution to popular streaming services.

Each platform has its unique features and advantages, and artists should choose the one that best suits their needs and goals.

Whether you're starting out or a seasoned professional, there's a music distribution platform for you. It's simply a matter of doing due diligence.