So, you’ve spent the last x number of months/years/decades writing, composing, recording, re-recording, mixing, and mastering some new tunes.

… but how do you get your music into the hands (or ears) of your listeners?

That’s where distributors come into play. Distribution can be as manual or automated as you’d like it to be. Some things to consider before sending your music into cyberspace:

Keep in mind, you could always just AirDrop .mp3 files at the mall food court ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

There are basically three channels to share your music:

DSP’s (Digital Service Providers) via Digital Distributors: Platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal, that act as the storefront to get your audio to listeners.

Bandcamp: Your direct-to-fan storefront and community management tool. Collect emails, set your own price on your discography, and maximize your revenue through initiatives like Bandcamp Fridays.

SoundCloud: Great for demos and early tracks with adjustable privacy settings. SoundCloud can act as a social tool as it allows users to like, comment, share, and follow.

It’s not beyond the realm of possibility (and actually probably very likely) that you’re using all three channels. To keep things digestible, let’s just focus on Digital Distributors.

DistroKid, TuneCore, and CD Baby are the top music distribution tools for independent musicians. Let’s break the basics down and then head into more detail below…

DistroKid

If you’re the build fast, ship fast type … DistroKid might be the distributor for you. Unlimited basic annual release plans for single artists start at ~$23 USD/year. Add-ons such as YouTube monetization, social media boosts, or licensing fees, the annual plan can take you closer to ~$40 USD/year.

As the super cute logo suggests, DistroKid prioritizes speed. The reporting and promotional tools get the job done, but are less extensive than those of TuneCore or CD Baby.

DistroKid does collect master recording royalties (of which you keep 100%), but does NOT handle publishing admin. If you’re looking to collect songwriting/publishing royalties on your releases, you’ll likely be looking at a third-party platform in addition to a performing rights organization (PRO).

It’s important to remember that if you’re paying an annual fee… and then you stop paying that fee, your music will no longer appear on DSP’s unless you have paid a ‘legacy fee’ to keep it up there.

TuneCore

If comprehensive analytical tools and centralized royalty collection are a priority, TuneCore could be a strong option. TuneCore offers an annual fee slightly higher than DistroKid that ranges from ~$29-65 USD/year, or a pay-per-release rate if you have a lower release volume.

The base fee is slightly higher because TuneCore has robust data reporting and digestible dashboards that are valuable when pitching your songs or understanding your audience.

TuneCore also collects master recording royalties (of which you still keep 100%), AND there is optional publishing administration for the songwriters in the crowd.

If you’re on an annual plan, you must continue to pay TuneCore’s annual fee to keep your music live on DSP’s.

CD Baby

If your releases are infrequent and you’re looking for a pay-once, no-subscription model, look no further than CD Baby. CD Baby charges per release (singles, EPs, or albums), and while your music stays live forever, the platform takes ~9% commission on royalties for the lifetime of the release (this does add up).

CD Baby has a wide variety of add-on and industry partner upgrades. You can bundle things like sync pitching, publishing admin, and physical distribution for your vinyl-loving friends, but tracking and analytics aren’t as extensive as you’d see with TuneCore.

Music distributed through CD Baby stays on DSP’s in perpetuity (unless you get the ick in 10 years and decide to remove the song you wrote about your high school prom date).

As you’ve probably guessed, there are more than 3 digital distributors in the whole world. While DistroKid, TuneCore, and CD Baby are the industry leaders, other common software includes:

There are also a ton of genre-specific or regionally focused distributors, maybe we’ll write a feature on those another time.

Thanks for your attention! I know it’s a big ask these days.

If I missed something important, or if you have any recommendations for what I should cover next, just hit reply ⌯⌲

-Lauren (saying it into the mic 🎤 )