The Ultimate 2025 Best Digital Distribution Review and Comparison Chart

(The following chart and information are based on our research as of the date of publication. Although we strive for accuracy, this content is provided for informational purposes only and should not be relied on as definitive or exhaustive. All rights reserved. We encourage you to conduct your own independent research to verify any information presented about the featured digital music distributors.)

An Overview of Digital Music Distributors

Welcome to everything you need to know to make the best choice for your digital music distribution. Whether you’re releasing your first song, considering a switch to a new service, or moving your entire catalog, this guide has you covered.

For those new to this (we love you, too!), you might be wondering: What exactly is a digital music distributor? Or how do you even get your music on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon, and more than one hundred other digital streaming providers and stores around the world? Enter the digital distributor. Simply put, a digital distributor is the “gate” where you upload your audio files, artwork, ISRC codes, and label copy (credits) to distribute your music across digital service providers (DSPs like Spotify, Apple, Amazon, etc).

No doubt, digital music distribution services have been a blessing for independent artists. Gone are the days when you needed a record label to manufacture physical CDs or vinyl (or, God forbid, cassettes) and ship them to brick-and-mortar stores. Labels also provided budgets and funding to record and produce your music in the first place. Today, things are different. To quote Humphrey Bogart in The Treasure of the Sierra Madre: “Labels? … LABELS??! We don’t need no STINKIN’ LABELS!!” Well, maybe you do, and maybe you don’t.

Digital music distributors have grown impressively sophisticated in recent years. There are now far more platforms to distribute to beyond just Spotify and iTunes. Today, you also need to consider whether a distributor supports TikTok, Beatport, or pitches your singles to official editorial playlists and sync opportunities. Additionally, can they handle split payments among collaborators? How much do they charge? How do they support their artists?

Streaming now makes up 84 percent of global music revenue, and digital music distributors have evolved to match that growth. Some now offer advanced features like effortless royalty splits between users or blockchain-based monetization. Others function like traditional labels while still allowing artists to retain ownership of their rights, hinting at a future that blends the best of both worlds.

With all this in mind, we’ve surveyed the digital music distribution landscape in 2025 to help you navigate the best options available today.

Make no doubt, this might be the most comprehensive article and analysis on the web – along with a downloadable comparison chart below…so, let’s get started!

Digital Music Distributors In 2025

(Click the image above to download.)

• AWAL
• DistroKid
• TuneCore
• CD Baby
• Stem
• Human Re-Sources
• OffStep
• ONErpm
• UnitedMasters
• Amuse
• LandR
• Symphonic Distribution
• SongTradr
• Anti-Joy
• Soundrop
• Feiyr
• Ditto Music
• Bandcamp
• SoundCloud
• Too Lost
• Audius

AWAL: A Leading Digital Music Distributor for Independent Artists

Acquired by Sony in 2021 (a benefit because if your song takes off, you have the possibility to choose to be upstreamed to a major), AWAL does not take just anybody—and that’s a positive thing! AWAL is unique in that it is a submission-based digital music distributor (in other words, not just anyone can “sign up”).
Yes, brand-new and nonestablished artists are certainly able to apply to AWAL, but look—you’ve just got to be really good. You’ve also got to be able to prove it.

For instance:

You’ll get bonus points if you have some sort of existing fan base, a social media following, and/or it’s clear your overall artist vision is “on point.”

While that may sound daunting, don’t let it deter you. Think of it as a vetting process, which means you’re guaranteed to be among the most talented artists if you’re accepted. It also means that AWAL is known for quality, which may help your music get noticed quicker if you have their proverbial seal of approval.

AWAL is also noteworthy in that it does not require any upfront fees. In other words, they don’t get paid until you do. So if you’re looking for free music distribution, it’s a good place to start.

They take a 15 percent commission of revenue, which is fairly reasonable (no, actually, incredible) compared to the record deals of former years, where you’d be lucky to get 10–15 percent. It’s almost like a “reversal of fortune” in today’s age, in regard to what the artist can receive on a percentage basis.

As a huge plus, if AWAL feels they can significantly move the needle for you, they may serve as a makeshift label for some of their better-selling artists.

They even offer payment advances for top-earning clients, making AWAL somewhere between a digital service provider and a proper record label.

For instance, if you’re an AWAL digital distribution client gaining some incredible momentum and you may need, say, $10,000 (as an example) for additional digital marketing—and AWAL can see that that’s a good bet—you may likely get your $10,000.

This would mean that someone on the AWAL team believes you can garner an additional 2.5 million streams or so to get that advance repaid to them. Keep in mind that there’s often an uplift in AWAL’s rates if you take an advance (with sometimes their fee going from 15 percent to 20 percent, but hey, it’s likely worth it)—and last I checked, you can’t walk into Bank of America and ask the teller for an advance against your Apple streams.

Pro Tip: Right now, you’re probably wondering: “How much money do I actually make on Spotify or Apple Music?” Simple! Go here. You can choose the streaming service, insert the number of streams you want to calculate, and—voilà! Let’s say, as an example, you choose “Spotify” and put in 2,500,000 streams—you’d get an approximate value of $10,000. Hence my example above. Hint: If you do the same and change the service to Apple, then you get: $12,500. That same number with Tidal? $30,000! “Things that make you go, hmmm” (as Arsenio Hall once said—yet another reference you probably didn’t get—but that’s OK).

And now—back to the digital distribution story.

Next with AWAL, we want to talk about the deep analytics and the AWAL app, which is FANTASTIC.

AWAL provides notifications when your songs get added to key playlists, and additionally, users get deep information regarding data on their songs—for instance, skip rates, user-to-streaming ratios, etc.

“User-to-stream ratios” are hugely valuable data points to see which of your songs are actually reacting the best on Spotify, Apple, Amazon, etc. And what does that mean?

Well, let’s say you had 1,000 listeners interacting with one of your songs, and the actual number of streams you have for that track is 2,000. That means you have a 1:2 stream ratio for that song. To say it another way, for every one of your users that interacted with that song, they, on average, listened to it twice. And that’s “not bad.”

Ideally (depending on the service), you really want to see a ratio of 1:3 at least. That means that for every one user, that each user is listening to your song approximately three times.

As a rule of thumb, a 1:3 ratio is pretty good—and can often be (from what I’ve heard) a good starting point for the digital service providers (and their algorithms) to say, “Knock knock—Hey! Pay attention to this song—there’s signs of a life here!”

And with the AWAL app, there are just so many ways to slice and dice the data. And no doubt, you may guess, other services provide tremendous access to data, as well as their own apps. But right now, AWAL is our personal top choice.

Also, AWAL has a great and robust sync pitching team in key cities around the world. And I can attest, having been a client, that their sync team is incredible. This means you have a team of executives pitching your songs for film, television, ads, video games, trailers, and the like!

Lastly, AWAL has one of the best technology platforms out there, hands down! They literally have a swarm of engineers, software coders continually making AWAL the best platform.

The icing on the cake is, if you qualify for this, the personal service as far as creative artist/account managers who will diligently pitch your music for editorial playlists—as well as pitching your music for sync opportunities (getting your music used in film and television)! Boom!

And keep in mind that because AWAL does not take “just anybody” to distribute, you can be sure it means a lot when one of AWAL’s creative managers tells their Apple or Spotify colleague they have the next big artist. AWAL is an excellent choice for a digital service provider, provided you can get in. Seeing as how it’s free to submit, it can’t hurt to try.

Pros:

• Streamlined app with actionable data
• Great analytics
• No upfront fees
• Pitching for editorial and playlists
• Label-like services for top artists
• Synchronization pitching (YES, they provide this too!)
• Possible advances for top performers
• Partnered with YouTube’s Content ID Program
• Hands-on support

Cons:

• 15 percent commission (depending how you look at it, see below, regarding TuneCore and others, who just take a flat fee)
• Not available to everybody

DistroKid: A Fast and Affordable Online Music Distribution Platform

DistroKid is clean and easy to use. They don’t charge any commissions, so you get to keep 100 percent of what you earn. There are fees, however, and some of the cool, neat-o features cost extra.

The most striking aspect is their alliance with Spotify and instant access to “Spotify for Artists.” Spotify has DistroKid listed as one of their most trusted digital service provider platforms. If you’ve been wondering how to get your music on Spotify, DistroKid is certainly a solid choice.

But of course, they’re not limited to just Spotify. They’ve partnered with over 150 streaming platforms. If you’re looking to easily submit your music to as many of the popular sites as possible without having to manually upload music to each one, DistroKid could be a good option. But keep in mind this is also what everyone else basically does, too.

You won’t have to worry about your music disappearing when you use their service, either. They offer a “legacy program” that ensures your music will stay online, no matter what. This makes them potentially a better pick than TuneCore, where you have to pay an annual fee to host your albums—or like oops, what happens if you forget to pay your annual fee or your credit card changes, etc.

DistroKid has its share of fees as well, however. But luckily, they offer a variety of packages at varying price points. It’s our opinion they’re quite worth the price, considering all that they do.

Here’s a sample of the plans.

Musician

The “Musician” plan is only $22.99 a year. This digital distribution offers unlimited song and lyric uploads for one artist or band. It also lists your Spotify page as verified, so your fans will know everything on your channel is official. You’re also able to edit your Spotify Artist Page. But hey, I think that is a standard option now within Spotify itself, if you create your artist account.

Musician Plus

If you have more than one band or project to distribute, the Musician Plus plan could be a good pick. You can have up to two separate band or project pages for only $39.99 a year. It also offers some additional features beyond the Musician plan.

With the Musician Plus plan, you get:

• In-depth daily sales statistics to keep track of your sales and streams
• Customizable URLs for labels and bands. Otherwise, the URL defaults to distrokid.com
• Scheduled release dates
• Pre-order dates

Ultimate

If you’re running a label, the Ultimate plan will make your life much easier if you’re managing bands or artists. The Ultimate plan offers the same features as the Musician Plus level, but you can manage between 1 and 100 artists. The Ultimate plan costs $89.99 a year.

DistroKid offers in-depth control over all of your online music. The YouTube Money feature is particularly useful. They upload your content to YouTube’s Content ID database (but so does AWAL, by the way). This monitors YouTube for other people using your music as UGC content (UGC stands for “user-generated content”).

If people re-upload your music to YouTube (or, say, use it as the background music for their family vacation video—hey, it happens!), you’ll receive the commissions instead of the uploader.

This Content ID service costs $4.95 a year, and they take a 20 percent commission. This is a handy feature, but other DSPs offer the same service for free.

Pros:

• No commissions
• Unlimited song upload
• No cost to sign-up
• Extensive Spotify and Apple features
• Email notifications when music goes live
• Support for numerous payment platforms
• Automated lyric uploads
• Music stays online forever (pending your plan)

Cons:

• Some pressure to upsell
• Shazam and Store Maximizer cost extra, when they’re free for most other DSPs
• YouTube Money costs an annual fee plus a commission
• Basic analytics with the Musician plan
• No admin publishing

TuneCore: How This Digital Music Distributor Helps You Monetize Your Music

TuneCore is one of the original digital distributors in the music industry. And it seems TuneCore is a bit of a mixed bag, as far as we can tell by the opinion of the internet.

Using TuneCore you can, just like all the other digital music distributor services, submit your music to over 150 separate platforms and stores, without having to upload music to each one.

And of course, TuneCore has access to all of the major streaming and download platforms, including Amazon, YouTube, Apple, Spotify, etc. Those wondering how to get your music on Apple, for example—voilà. Mission accomplished.

One of TuneCore’s strengths (depending on how you look at it) is that they don’t take any commission from your sales. So everything you make is yours to keep. And that can be pretty amazing!

For instance, let’s look at the math of the business model:

If you have a song really taking off—and let’s say…it’s garnering 20 million streams on Apple…well, what is that really worth? I mean, how many royalties am I making at that point?

Well, we can go back to that calculator we previously mentioned (Streaming Royalty Calculator)—and we can say that that’s going to be about $100,000!

Yes!!

One hundred THOUSAND DOLLARS! Woo hoo!

Now, how much does TuneCore take of that? Nada. Woo hoo again. Now, if you’re with AWAL or another digital distributor that takes a percentage—then your fee might be $15,000 that gets taken “off the top” before you’re paid. Hmm. Something to consider.

Now keep in mind it works the other way, too. Because in truth, most songs that get uploaded to the DSPs have fewer than 1,000–5,000 streams.

You see, TuneCore does charge a yearly fee, with plans beginning at $22.99/year.

One of TuneCore’s other strengths besides digital distribution is they really tout their synchronization services and pitching. Music synchronization is how your songs could end up being used and “synced” within movie, TV, or video game spots, etc. Considering the power of a well-placed synchronization, that, along with no commissions, makes TuneCore worth a shot. It’s up to you at the end of the day—no doubt!

Pros:

• Established company
• Access to over 150 platforms
• No commissions
• Makes your music available for synchronization

Cons:

• Annual hosting fees
• No additional support (as far as we can tell) for promotion or marketing or playlisting
• Removal of your music if you cannot pay

CD Baby: A Trusted Name for Independent Artists

CD Baby is one of the oldest/most established digital service provider platforms out there. To begin, let’s start with the good stuff. CD Baby has such an established online presence, they’ve built up quite an extensive catalog. There are over 650,000 artists signed up with CD Baby, with an excess of 9 million songs!

With so much content, there’s going to be a lot of people browsing. You just can’t overlook the potential of a powerful, well-populated marketplace like CD Baby.

CD Baby also provides many of the functions that a traditional label would perform, such as keeping track of and collecting royalties. They bill themselves as kind of an “anti-label,” a leftover from the earliest days of digital music.

With over 20 years’ experience in digital music, CD Baby has had time to get a number of things right in regard to helping musicians get their music out there. Most notably, the customer support.

They’re well-known for offering exceptional customer service for artists they represent (with all of that due to their exceptional founder, Derek Sivers, who sold the company over a decade ago). While Derek was running the company, you really could tell that this place was a “totally different” kind of company—that they truly care, which is unique in the often anonymous world of digital companies—or any companies, for that matter.

(I also highly encourage you to check out Derek Sivers’ website. Derek is also an exceptional thought leader and author; check out his books on Amazon!).

Pros:

• No annual fees
• Physical distribution
• Store and fulfillment for vinyl and CDs
• Collects royalties
• Sync licensing

Cons:

• A $9.99 charge per release
• High YouTube commissions
• No marketing support

Stem: A Digital Music Distributor Focused on Royalty Splits

If you’re looking for a digital distributor for music with some of the most cutting-edge features, mixed with traditional values like personal attention, quality, and ease of use, Stem will more than meet your needs.

Stem was created with artists and musicians in mind, toward the goal of helping musicians make a living with their creativity. For one thing, they offer among the highest royalty rates (to your favor) of all of the digital music distribution companies—and offer playlist pitching to real playlist owners.

Their back end has been a strong collaboration tool, making it quick, easy, and intuitive to split payments, share data, and manage contracts between multiple people.

Another thing to keep in mind is you need to apply to be a part of Stem. That means that not just anybody is able to be on the platform, as they are very particular with whom they bring on board to distribute. That’s actually a good thing, as it ensures a certain level of quality is associated with the platform. It also means they’re more able to offer personalized attention toward their clients.

Stem is particularly customizable for a digital music distributor, as it’s some of the newest software created on the market. It allows for custom release schedules and strategies. You’re able to differentiate different release dates for different platforms. You’re able to see advanced data and metrics for each of those platforms as well, so you won’t be left guessing how your promotion campaign and revenue are going.

Stem handles all the regular duties that digital distribution services offer. Your music can be up and running on every major platform in as little as five days.

Pros:

• Among highest splits paid to artists (approximately 10 percent)
• Quality roster
• Many collaborative tools, including splitting royalties, deep accounting
• PR
• Advanced data and metrics

Cons:

• Earning requirements to be accepted
• High payment threshold
• No daily trend reports

Human Re-Sources: A Top-Shelf Online Music Distributor

Human Re-Sources is a digital distribution company brought to you by the son of Dr. J (J. Erving).

Julius Erving Jr. has been working in the hip-hop industry for most of his life, after a childhood surrounded by celebrities, no doubt thanks to his famous dad.

Consequently, Erving helped broker a ton of deals and contracts for his clients, giving him a unique perspective into how music works, as well as some of its shortcomings.

Erving believed that artists just give away too much of their power to the labels. This is what he set out to remedy with Human Re-Sources, a digital service provider that was acquired by Sony in 2020.

Human Re-Sources’ key claim to fame is that they don’t charge a ton of fees for digital distribution. They only charge one minor distribution fee and otherwise stay clear of their customers’ way.

The company is able to achieve this stripped-down approach by restricting their focus. They don’t mess with physical sales or promotions in any way, instead focusing entirely on digital distribution.

They also let their artists retain all their rights, including “ancillary revenue” (which includes merchandise sales and concert revenues). But hey, none of the other services touch that either.

Human Re-Sources also offers some of the traditional advantages of labels. They reportedly handle promotions, help artists prepare videos and photo shoots, and offer marketing tools for social media and online platforms.

If you’re looking for a no-muss-no-fuss DSP that offers top-shelf tools and resources without a lot of label interference, Human Re-Sources could be a good digital service provider company for you.

To boot, there’s more than just a rumor that Spotify itself is an investor in the digital service provider. So, perhaps (??) there’s an additional plus in being associated with Human Re-Sources.

In fact, in a Music Ally article from 2018, J. Erving is quoted as saying, “(Human Re-Sources) … are able to pitch songs directly to Spotify’s internal teams—a rare advantage in the industry’s vast do-it-yourself landscape.” But if I were to guess—with Spotify wanting to be neutral for all the artists out there—as well as many of the playlists going “algorithmic” (in other words, algorithms and computer code and A.I. choosing the songs for you more so than, say, those silly humans)—well, we’ll just have to see!

Pros:

• Label resources
• Only charge distribution fees
• Industry connections and clout
• Help with getting your songs in playlists and editorial features (especially via Spotify, apparently)

Cons:

• High fees (20 percent, from what we can tell?)
• Only focus on digital promotions

OffStep: A Newcomer Among Digital Music Distributors

OffStep has auspicious roots. It was born out of digital music distributor ONErpm, which had separate tiers for DIY artists, labels, and invite-only artists. They decided to spin the DIY artists off into their own service, and OffStep was born. This gives OffStep a head start on other online music distribution platforms, which it has capitalized on successfully in numerous ways.

OffStep has a slick, sleek interface that is a pleasure to use, for one thing. For another, it has numerous tiers—including a free plan—meaning there is a service for artists at every stage of their career, including labels and musicians managing multiple projects.

OffStep features one of the most impressive ranges of promotional tools as well, with modern dashboards visualizing advanced analytics for the Intermediate and Advanced Plans to help you understand how your music is performing. It also provides the ability to track playlist placement, schedule releases, generate pre-saves and smart links. You can even generate promotional art for your new release.

OffStep also provides an extensive range of ways to monitor and manage your monetized music. Every tier other than the Free Plan offers One-Click Album Removal from all platforms.

OffStep does not register your music with neighboring rights organizations like SoundExchange that keep track of digital radio play, however. If your music is getting played on digital radio stations, you will need to set that up yourself, which can be a bit of a pain. It also does not allow cover songs, so if you are recording or releasing covers, you will need to look elsewhere if you are looking for the best digital distribution platform for music.

Pros:

• No commission. You keep 100 percent of your royalties.
• Open to all.
• Free payment splitting.
• Distributes to TikTok.
• Distributes to China.
• Lyrics distribution.
• Credits distribution.

Cons:

• Some upfront fees.
• Some hidden fees.
• No cover song distribution.

ONErpm: A Versatile Platform With YouTube Support

ONErpm has a lot going for it, too. Like Symphonic Distribution, ONErpm strikes a balance between a digital music distribution service and a traditional label. Its business model even resembles how Spotify’s pro rata system is supposed to work, drawing 20 percent of its revenue from indie/DIY artists and 80 percent from its label artists.

ONErpm also maintains advanced YouTube monetization tools and resources, including its own multi-channel network. It owns over 7,000 YouTube channels globally, generating over 300 million views a day. Artists who qualify for its YouTube monetization platform earn better rates as well as direct ad deals, offering a good opportunity to make a decent amount of money off YouTube. If you think your music would do well on YouTube and you will make the cut, you should definitely consider ONErpm when you are choosing a digital distributor.

ONErpm does keep a percentage of your royalties, though. The digital music distributor keeps 15 percent of royalties, which can become quite substantial depending on how much you are earning. Given the steep fees, if you are not in need of label services or focusing on YouTube, you might do better going with a different distributor. It is good enough to count Tame Impala among its clientele, though, which definitely speaks to its quality.

Pros:

• Unlimited uploads.
• Free UPC and ISRC codes.
• Distributes to TikTok.
• Distributes to China.
• Five-to-ten-day release time.
• Royalty splitting.
• SmartLinks.

Cons:

• 15 percent commission.
• No Beatport distribution.
• Few stores.

UnitedMasters: A Digital Music Distributor Connecting Artists to Brands

UnitedMasters is one of the biggest digital music distributors of hip-hop. There are numerous other features that make UnitedMasters stand out among the distribution platforms as well. There are no hidden fees, its revenue reports are clear and easy to understand, and it provides distribution to China and TikTok. It is also the only digital distributor with a Black CEO.

UnitedMasters provides a few more ways for artists to build and develop their careers than the other platforms, especially if you are newer or just starting out. It offers better support for marketing and promotion, for one thing. It also offers artists and producers a chance to sell their beats.

There are some downsides to UnitedMasters as a digital music distributor, though. It charges upfront fees if you are on the free plan, most notably. It does not distribute lyrics either. With all the other things it has going for it, though, it is very much worth a look, especially if you are working in hip-hop.

Pros:

• Open to everybody.
• No hidden fees.
• Distributes to China.
• Distributes to TikTok.
• Payment splitting.
• Credits distribution.
• Revenue reports are clear and intelligible.

Cons:

• Takes commission.
• Some upfront fees.
• No lyrics distribution.

Amuse: A Dependable Online Music Distribution Platform for Emerging Artists

Amuse is one of the top DIY digital music distributors in the world, in terms of releases, working with hundreds of thousands of artists since it has been in business. It has recently majorly overhauled its business model, addressing many of the most glaring shortcomings plaguing the platform, making it even more worth checking out if you are looking for a dependable digital distributor.

Amuse is a digital distributor with a lot going for it. First of all, Amuse offers two different kinds of plans, both of which are quite affordable. The Boost plan, which costs $19.99/year, allows users to schedule an album release within five to fourteen days, publish unlimited releases, and withdraw upcoming royalties.

The Pro Plan, which costs $59.99, lets you schedule an album within days, features a custom domain, 24-hour support, and the ability to manage multiple artists.

On the downside, Amuse does not have the ability to distribute lyrics. It also only offers partial credits, for Songwriter, Producer, and Engineer. If you are looking for a digital music distributor that will let you easily credit your band, you might do better looking elsewhere. It also takes a 15 percent cut of royalties if you use its payment-splitting feature, which is something you will want to think about if you are working with collaborators.

Finally, Amuse makes it easier to re-release older music than other digital service providers (DSPs). It requires you to use the same International Standard Recording Code (ISRC) that you used for the previous release, guaranteeing that the play count and royalties will continue to count toward the release.

Pros:

• Keep all rights and royalties.
• Free UPC and ISRC codes.
• Distributes to China.
• Five-day release time.
• Royalty splitting.
• Music stays live when canceling.

Cons:

• No Beatport distribution.
• No cover song licensing.

Landr: More Than Just a Digital Music Distributor

LandR has expanded from only offering mastering services to offering nearly everything a young musician could need to succeed. Not only will it post your music to the most important streaming platforms, it also has a full sample library, an excellent collection of plug-ins, and numerous excellent collaboration tools, including the ability to hire out your skills and services. It even has over 150 online courses on everything from marketing yourself on social media to using a digital audio workstation (DAW).

Although LandR does have a free tier for sampling, its paid plans range from $99/year to $191.88/year, which needs to be paid upfront. Add in that LandR splits royalties with musicians, and it can quickly become more expensive than other digital music distribution platforms.

All in all, LandR is an impressive platform for musicians who may be earlier in their careers. If you need access to recording software, samples, plug-ins, and educational materials, LandR is worth a look. If you are further along in your career or you are representing multiple artists, you might do better with a different digital music distributor.

Pros:

• Unlimited uploads.
• Keep all rights and royalties.
• Free UPC and ISRC codes.
• Distributes to TikTok.
• Distributes to China.
• Seven-to-fourteen-day release time.
• Royalty splitting.
• SmartLinks.
• Keep music live when canceling.

Cons:

• Multiple artist names get expensive quickly.
• No custom label name or release date with $23.99 plan.
• Beatport distribution not included with $23.99 plan.
• No custom Beatport label page.
• No cover song licensing.

Symphonic Distribution: Premium Solutions for Musicians

Symphonic Distribution is another digital music distribution service that strikes a balance between online music distribution and a traditional label. It does not sign just anybody, which gives its artists more clout than digital music distribution services that will allow anybody to sign up.

Symphonic Distribution offers two tiers. The Starter Plan allows musicians and labels to split payments with no charge, which is a plus, but it falls a little short when it comes to promotion. For that, you will need the Partner Plan, which gives the artist or label access to playlist plugging, PR, and royalty advances for $19.99/year. This also allows them unlimited releases, without the DSP music distributor taking any fees or royalties, making Symphonic Distribution one of the cheapest digital music distribution companies once the fee has been paid.

Pros:

• No hidden fees.
• Prestigious reputation.
• Distributes to China.
• Distributes to TikTok.
• Payment splitting.
• Lyrics distribution.
• Credits distribution.
• Clear, intelligible revenue reports.

Cons:

• Not everybody is eligible.
• Takes commission (on some deals).
• Some upfront fees.

SongTradr: A Digital Music Distributor Specializing in Sync Licensing

SongTradr is not just another digital music distributor. At its heart, SongTradr is a sync library that offers many of the same services as other distribution platforms. It describes itself as a B2B music platform that facilitates brands, content creators, and digital platforms in their use of music for licensing purposes.

With that in mind, it is fairly cut-and-dried to say that if you are looking to break into licensing, check out SongTradr. If you are going for more of a traditional music career, stick with one of the other digital music distributor platforms.

Pros:

• Unlimited uploads.
• Keep all rights and royalties.
• Free UPC and ISRC codes.
• Distributes to TikTok.
• Distributes to China.
• Five-to-ten-day release time.
• Artwork creator.
• Cover song distribution.

Anti-Joy: An Indie-Focused Online Music Distributor

Anti-Joy does everything a digital music distribution platform should. It lets you easily upload your music to all of the major streaming platforms easily and conveniently. It also does not keep any rights or royalties. Numerous users report having trouble getting paid, though, claiming Anti-Joy abused its anti-counterfeit streaming policy to avoid paying musicians.

Add in the fact that there is no free tier, as Anti-Joy costs $1.25/month, and you might do better going with one of the other distribution platforms.

Pros:

• Unlimited uploads.
• Keep all rights and royalties.
• 48-hour support response time.
• Two-to-seven-day release time.
• Free UPC and ISRC codes.
• Royalty splitting.
• Affordable paid plans with multiple artists (5 artists for $19.99/yr, 10 artists for $35.99/yr, and 25+ artists for $79.99/yr).
• AI mastering.
• Artwork generator.
• Promo-art generator.
• TuneLink (smart-links and pre-save links with a lot of customization).
• Free cover song distribution.
• Free trial on paid plans.
• Free Beatport distribution.
• Keep music live when canceling.

Cons:

• Custom record label requires $19.99 plan.
• Sometimes support can be a little slow.
• Trouble with royalties.

SoundDrop: A Niche Digital Music Distributor for Cover Artists

Soundrop is like the polar opposite of OffStep. These online music distributors are meant for artists that release a lot of cover songs, distributing cover songs for as little as $0.99 a song. Their support for cover artists is admirable, too, offering payment splitting at no additional charge. Calculating and paying out royalties can get especially tricky with covers, so this is a very welcome feature.

Soundrop’s reporting needs some work compared to other digital music distributor platforms, though. There are no advanced analytics or slick dashboards to know how your music is performing. It also takes a commission, keeping 15 percent of an artist’s royalties, and it does not distribute lyrics. Soundrop may not be the most advanced digital distributor, but it is still the best distribution company for music with a lot of covers.

Pros:

• Open to all.
• No upfront fees.
• No hidden fees.
• Payment splitting.
• Distributes to China.
• Distributes to TikTok.
• Credits distribution.

Cons:

• Takes commission.
• No lyrics distribution.
• Revenue reports are “just ok” from what we can see or hear.

Feiyr: A DIY Platform for Independent Artists

Feiyr is more of a bit player in the digital music distribution landscape, but it is still worth knowing about. First and most importantly, Feiyr works with a few of the more obscure streaming platforms and marketplaces, like Deezer. It also offers support for Beatport, which many of the other digital music distribution platforms do not, which means that electronic musicians and producers need to at least add it to their list. Keep in mind, Beatport is a curated platform, so even working with a suitable provider does not necessarily guarantee your music will end up on the marketplace.

Feiyr does not just provide support for musicians either. It also offers its services for authors, narrators, and audiobook creators, making it well worth a look if you are an interdisciplinary artist looking to monetize different mediums.

Feiyr has its downsides, though. It keeps 20 percent of your royalties, most significantly. It also costs €9.90 to activate an account, although that is just a one-time fee. Considering there are no monthly or annual costs, that is not half bad. Some users report having issues receiving their royalty payments, however, and others suggest their accounts have been closed with no explanation or warning, so take that under advisement when you are choosing a digital distributor.

Pros:

• Extensive distribution network.
• Daily payments.
• Distributes to TikTok.
• Distributes to China.
• Professional support.
• Physical distribution services.

Cons:

• Questionable customer support.
• Account management issues.
• Higher entry fees.
• Keep royalties.
• Payment and accounting delays.

Ditto Music: A Budget-Friendly Digital Music Distributor

Tread carefully if you are thinking of using Ditto Music. They generate a lot more complaints and controversy than any other digital music distribution platform on the list. Users regularly report royalties vanishing and the service dropping the ball at key moments, like a single being denied due to a playlist due to missing the deadline, despite having been uploaded and scheduled months in advance. There are also extensive reports of customer service evaporating once an artist has moved past the free tier. To make matters even worse, their CEOs have a history of online histrionics, getting into flame wars with their customers on social media.

Ditto Music has some good things going for it, but considering the controversies—which stretch back over a decade—and how many truly excellent digital music distributors there are, you would do well to simply steer clear.

Pros:

• Unlimited uploads.
• Keep all rights and royalties.
• Free UPC and ISRC codes.
• Distributes to TikTok.
• Distributes to China.
• Two-to-seven-day release time.
• Royalty splitting.
• SmartLinks.
• Free trial.
• Custom release date and record label.
• Beatport distribution.

Cons:

• Multiple artist names get expensive quickly.
• Not as many features as alternatives.
• No cover song licensing.
• Poor customer support.
• Unprofessional behavior.
• Royalty disputes.

Bandcamp: More Than Just an Online Music Distributor for Independent Musicians

Bandcamp is not a digital distributor, per se. It offers many of the same features as the official digital distributors, for example. You can schedule releases to publish, offer pre-orders, and even support smartlinks, integrating with the third-party platform Linkfire.

You will not get paid or receive royalties for tracks streamed on Bandcamp, though, as their business model is built around downloads. If you are looking for traditional services like receiving royalties for streams, you would do better with one of the other music distributors. If you have a healthy relationship with your fans that you are looking to monetize, you should definitely consider Bandcamp as part of your toolkit.

Pros:

• Fewer fees than other platforms.
• Leverage fan support.
• Control over pricing.
• Schedule releases.
• Integrated merch sales.

Cons:

• No streaming royalties.
• Limiting streaming reach.
• Requires manual marketing.
• Requires manual distribution.
• Limited playlist support.

SoundCloud: A Streaming Platform and Digital Music Distributor Combined

SoundCloud has expanded from simply a place to host your tracks to become a digital music distribution platform in its own right. SoundCloud for Artists lets you share your music to everywhere from Spotify to TikTok through one portal. Some report the platform having hidden fees. They also keep some of your royalties, keeping 20 percent of all royalties you earn.
There is something to be said for the familiarity of the SoundCloud platform. Those who are used to SoundCloud’s format will likely feel right at home with SoundCloud for Artists. Anyone who has a long history with the platform or a healthy following on the platform might consider SoundCloud for Artists. Anyone else might do better with a different distribution platform, though.

Pros:

• YouTube Content ID.
• Split pay to pay your collaborators.
• Custom label name.
• Unlimited number of artists on your releases.
• Sending releases to new stores.

Cons:

• Problems getting paid.
• Keeps 20 percent of royalties.

New Digital Music Distributors on the Block

Too Lost: A Modern Service With Advanced Tools

Too Lost is one of the newest players on the digital music distribution block, giving it ample opportunity to learn from the other platforms’ mistakes. First and most importantly, Too Lost gets your music everywhere, placing your music everywhere from TikTok to Tidal to Beatport to Pitch. Even better, it is a member of the Merlin Network, allowing it to negotiate streaming rates with the DSPs.

Too Lost also acts as a traditional label for certain acts, offering playlist pitching, product management, and marketing support. This does cost a fee, but the label does not take ownership of the release, unlike traditional labels. It just takes a commission from artists who sign up for the label services. It also offers royalty advances based on historical streaming data, which is available directly via the Dashboard.

Some of the other features are elevated versions of standard options. Too Lost offers payment splitting, like many of the other distribution platforms, but it also lets you set a recoup limit. This means your collaborators do not start getting paid until a certain earnings limit has been reached. They also let you set time limits, if certain payment agreements are for a set period of time. If a collaborator has a contract for 10 percent of royalties for three years, for example, Too Lost will automatically discontinue payments when that time is up.

Many of their features are unique and advanced, however. The most unique feature lets users find every social media post using a particular song on the most popular social media networks for $1.50/song. This feature could let you build a whole new list of brand new potential fans with little effort. They also let users register their copyrights with the US Copyright Office for $100 per registration. Some artists have registered 100-track albums to avoid having to copyright each song. The Copyright Office will not let musicians do this, so this could be an interesting loophole.

Their analytics are some of the best in the industry as well. They let you see how many times a track is skipped on Spotify, for instance, or how many artificial streams you have generated. You can even see which demographics are spending time on different streaming platforms, making Too Lost indispensable for musicians who are serious about their marketing strategies. It is little wonder that Chief Keef and ILOVEMAKONNEN are on Too Lost.

Pros:

• No commission. You keep 100 percent of your royalties.
• Open to all.
• Payment splitting.
• Distributes to TikTok.
• Distributes to China.
• Credits distribution.
• Lyric distribution.
• Reports are clear and intelligible.
• Advanced analytics.
• Admin publishing.

Cons:

• Some upfront fees.
• Some hidden fees.
• Admin publishing not open to all.

Audius: A Blockchain-Based Digital Music Distributor

Audius is another digital distributor combining traditional services with some truly clever innovation. Audius is billed as the first decentralized music streaming platform, promising to finally free musicians from the music industry of the 20th century. If you are not using a professional recording studio, producer, or printing or distributing physical media, why should your payments still make it seem as if you were? If you are marketing and promoting your music, why should your fees still reflect the traditional studio system?

Audius promises to put artists in direct contact with their fans, cutting out endless middlemen in the process. This is based on the $AUDIO utility token, a new technology released in October 2020 that promises to let musicians take advantage of the blockchain to monetize their music. Even though it is based on emerging technology, Audius still supports high-quality audio—better than traditional streaming platforms.

Audius has a lot of potential, but it is not a fully fledged digital distributor. It is its own digital network and ecosystem, with artists getting paid as a reflection of how much value they bring to the network, like how Spotify is supposed to work. This means it does not distribute your music to other streaming platforms or marketplaces, though. If you are looking to get on Spotify or sell your music on iTunes, you will need to look elsewhere. If you are looking to monetize your fanbase using the latest technology, though, you should definitely give Audius a look.

Pros:

• High-quality audio.
• Support for independent artists.
• Covers support.
• Accessible and user-friendly.
• Community-driven platform.
• Low transaction costs.

Cons:

• Limited audience.
• Not a true digital distribution platform.
• Tech is still being negotiated.

Choosing the Best Digital Music Distributor for Your Needs

Wow, did we actually write over 7,000 words in this article? I think so! But there you have it! While there are all kinds of new digital music distributors out there—along with a bountiful number of existing ones—at the end of the day, they all help get your music online so your fans (and future fans) can listen and discover your music.

That’s right … the digital music distributors above get your music uploaded and available to the 200-plus platforms and streaming services out there—and there are surely even more to come!

It’s up to you, of course, to explore and find which service is the right “fit” for you. And hey, if you happen to strike up a key personal relationship with any of these services (you know—that human-to-human thing, lol)—well, that might just be the icing on the cake.

Navigating the music industry can feel overwhelming, but you don’t have to do it alone. Whether it’s distribution, songwriting, or career development, I offer courses and coaching sessions to help artists take the next step with confidence.

(This article was co-written with J. Simpson.)