Choosing a Digital Distribution Service for Your Music
Getting your music out into the world’s ears is far easier now than ever before. There are also more companies vying for your dollars to help you release your music than ever before.
At the time of writing this article, I’ve only used two digital distribution platforms, DistroKid and Soundrop, so I thought I’d start by compiling a list of all the companies I could find that offer this service and create a spreadsheet comparing their pricing and services. However, I quickly realized this was a fool’s errand as my list grew longer and longer. Instead, I’m going to simply give some general advice when selecting a distribution service for your music, and offer a few possible suggestions.
First Things First
First, your choice of service will depend on several variables, so start by answering the following questions to help you narrow down your search:
- Will you be releasing only original music or covers as well? Covers generally cost extra and require a bit more work to license, but some distribution services make this a bit easier.
- How much control do you need over your release schedule? Are you creating a big PR buzz where you need the release date to be predetermined? Sometimes this is included, but sometimes it’s a feature restricted to higher-priced plans.
- How important is it that your music is available on every possible streaming service rather than just some? There are some completely free options that will put your music on just a couple streaming services. But it’s free!
- How often do you plan to release new music? Most distribution services tend to be monthly or annual subscriptions, but some are still pay-per-release. This could be a good option if you’re only releasing a handful of songs each year.
The Basics
What exactly are you paying for? The basic service you pay when you sign up with a digital distribution service is to have your music submitted to a variety of music streaming/purchasing services, like Spotify, Apple Music, and many more. Sure, you can upload your music directly to YouTube, but most other platforms only work with a middleman. As an artist, you can’t simply upload directly to Spotify.
Additionally, you’re paying for the distribution company to collect royalty and purchase payments from each service and to pass those along to you.
Extra Features
Covers
It’s not terribly difficult to obtain the license to release a cover through a service like EasySong.com or AffordableSongLicensing.com. However, it does require a bit of planning and ongoing maintenance.
When you license a cover, you typically license up to a certain number of downloads/purchases. This only applies to stores like iTunes, where someone actually purchases your song, not to streaming-only services like Spotify. You’ll need to keep track of how many times your song has been purchased and re-up your license when you go over your initial quota.
Some distribution services, usually as an added charge (whether one-time or ongoing), take care of this for you, meaning you don’t need to obtain the license separately, and you don’t need to track your sales.
It’s also important to note that this is separate from a license to make physical copies of a cover, like CDs, vinyl, or cassettes, though those licenses can all be obtained through the same two services linked above.
Content ID
Typically offered by charging a fee and/or taking a 20%-30% commission, some distribution services will offer to track when your song is used on YouTube and other media platforms, and pay you for the usage.
Playlist Submissions
Many platforms have some form of “discovery” playlist - curated playlists of new music that helps get your new releases in front of far more listeners than might otherwise discover it without an advertising campaign. Think of it as a one-time, automated marketing campaign for your music.
Other Promotional Tools
Most platforms will offer some sort of extra promotional tools, whether included for free, or as paid upgrades. Tools include things like:
- Automatic video generation for uploading music to social platforms
- A simple artist hub with links to all of the streaming services your music is available on
- Submitting song lyrics to various databases
Splits
Many distribution services are able to make it easy to split royalty payments, based on the percentages you designate, to all owners of a song. Often this feature is included free, but sometimes it’s restricted to more expensive plans.
Some Suggestions
Like I mentioned, I’ve only used DistroKid and Soundrop so I can only comment in depth on those two. However, I’ll make some comments on a few that I’m planning to look at the next time I release a song.
Distrokid
Distrokid has a pretty friendly interface and could be a good option if you’re releasing music often. Their annual fee is reasonable and lets you upload unlimited releases, but they push a lot of upsells. For instance, if you want your release to be permanent, even if you cancel your subscription with Distrokid, you’ll pay an extra $30 per single or $50 per album. Likewise, you’ll pay an extra annual recurring fee if you want your songs automatically added to new streaming services that might be available after your initial release. If you’re releasing lots of music and these options are important, the cost could really add up.
Soundrop
Soundrop offers pretty compelling pricing, particularly for covers, though they keep 15% of royalties. If you’re ok with that, it’s hard to beat their $0.99 charge for releases, including cover licensing.
CDBaby
While the majority of distribution services use some sort of annual subscription model, CDBaby is one of the few that offers one-time fees for releases. If you don’t like the thought of paying for a service every year, or if you’re not planning to release music very often, this could be a good fit. Singles and albums cost $9.99 to release, and you’ll keep 91% of royalties, but if you want to release a cover, you’ll need to obtain the license through EasySong. They also include a good standard set of features like YouTube Content ID (with an additional fee) and automatic release to future platforms.
Landr
If you’re releasing music often, want 100% royalties, and want the benefits of permanent even if you cancel your subscription, Landr looks like it could be a great option. Additionally, they make covers easy and require only a one time fee for each cover. However, their best options are reserved for their Pro subscription, which could get a bit pricey if the current discount ($44.99./yr) is only temporary.