What is the Best Digital Music Distribution Service?

As an artist, picking a music distribution company to partner with can be tough. Tunecore, DistroKid, CD Baby, and Songtradr are four of the most prominent digital music distribution platforms offering a range of services for independent artists and labels. All can distribute your music to major streaming platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube. However, costs per release can vary, from blanket fees that cover every release for an entire year to one-off distribution fees that are due every time you release new music. These fees can quickly add up. Therefore, it's important to do your research and choose the best music distribution company that’s right for you.

We assume you'd rather be working on new music than surfing the web, so we did the research for you. In the table below, you can compare the different services offered by each music distribution company. This includes additional benefits like non-exclusive sync licensing opportunities and catalog management, so you can see all your streaming and audience analytics in one place.

Music Distribution Company Comparison Chart

Songtradr Tunecore CD Baby Distrokid Ditto Reverb Nation Stem LANDR Amuse
Catalog Management Yes Yes Yes
Payment Splitting Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Distribute to TikTok Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Distribute to Instagram Yes Yes* Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
YouTube Monetization Yes Yes* Yes* Yes* Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes*
Shareable Artist Profile Yes Yes
In-House Sync Licensing Team Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Non-Exclusive Sync Licensing Yes Yes
Unlimited Distribution – One Yearly Price Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Keep 100% of Distribution Royalties Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Monthly Royalty Payments Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Free ISRC & UPC Codes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
*add-on required – may be subject to additional costs

Music Distribution Company Comparison Chart

Songtradr Tunecore CD Baby Distrokid Ditto Reverb Nation Stem LANDR Amuse
Catalog Management Yes Yes Yes
Payment Splitting Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Distribute to TikTok Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Distribute to Instagram Yes Yes* Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
YouTube Monetization Yes Yes* Yes* Yes* Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes*
Shareable Artist Profile Yes Yes
In-House Sync Licensing Team Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Non-Exclusive Sync Licensing Yes Yes
Unlimited Distribution – One Yearly Price Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Keep 100% of Distribution Royalties Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Monthly Royalty Payments Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Free ISRC & UPC Codes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
*add-on required – may be subject to additional costs

Five Reasons To Choose Songtradr's Music Distribution Service

Still not sure which music distribution company to choose from? Here are five reasons to choose Songtradr's music distribution service.

  1. For a flat annual feel, you can distribute all the music you want. Some music distribution companies ask you to pay each time you release music, which can add up quickly if you're putting out multiple releases per year. But with Songtradr – whether you release five singles or three albums per year – the price remains the same.
  2. We provide you access to real-time analytics from your music distribution dashboard. This allows you to gain unique insights into who, where, and when your music is being listened to, track what streaming platform or online store is performing best, your total stream numbers, your revenue generated from online streaming and sync placements, and more. With this data, you can build successful marketing campaigns on social media, decide where to stop on your next tour, or figure out where to focus your efforts to increase your audience.
  3. Need to split your earnings with multiple songwriters, performers, or rights holders? We make it easy. Have your collaborators complete a split sheet and then simply enter the information when you upload your music (here's how). Then when it's time to be paid, we can pay the correct people based on the percentage splits you selected.
  4. Our in-house sync licensing team works with leading film, TV, advertising, and other media brands, and selects the best music to fulfill briefs and present to our clients. Our Monthly Mixdown series is a great place to see past sync placements and gain inspiration for landing your own sync deal. We recommend creating a compelling user profile to set yourself up for success, complete with an image and short bio. It's also a good idea to create a playlist of your best tracks that can easily be shared with potential buyers and collaborators. Here are our ten best tips to get your music heard and licensed for sync.
  5. Need to create professional artwork for your tracks and albums? With our Advanced Artwork Editor, you can easily create professional artwork for your music. You can also preview how your release will look when it goes live. That way, you can get it right every time.

Learn more about the additional features included in Songtradr's digital music distribution offering. 

 

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Nick Fulton

Before joining Songtradr, Nick spent more than a decade writing reviews, essays, criticism, and interviewing artists for i-D, Billboard, Pitchfork, and other global publications. He's spoken to hundreds of emerging and established artists, including Lenny Kravitz, Michael Stipe, Khruangbin, St. Vincent, Incubus, and Eartheater.

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Real music, real artists

About Songtradr

Songtradr is the largest, cleared-for-licensing, music marketplace in the world, connecting our global community of artists to Film & TV, advertising, games, brands, and more. We are a passionate group of musicians and music enthusiasts with a simple mission; to revolutionize the process of exchanging music rights.

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