Free tool for independent artists
See what DistroKid, TuneCore, CD Baby and nine other distributors would really cost you, based on how often you release and what you earn. Prices come from each distributor’s own website.
Distributors charge in three main ways, and which is cheapest depends on how you release:
For each distributor, the calculator finds the cheapest plan that fits what you need, then adds up its fees over the period you choose plus the share of your earnings it would keep. If you enter monthly streams, earnings are estimated at about $4 per 1,000 streams, a rough average across platforms. Enter your actual yearly earnings for a closer answer.
It assumes you keep paying for the whole period, and it doesn’t count optional extras such as pre-save pages, faster delivery or mastering. Each result shows when its prices were last checked.
As listed on each distributor’s own website, in the currency they charge in.
| Plan | Yearly fee | Per release | Royalty cut | YouTube Content ID | Limits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Artist | $23.99 | None | None | Keeps 15% | 1 artist name |
| Artist Plus | $39.99 | None | None | Included | 2 artist names |
| Artist Pro | $59.99 | None | None | Included | No limits |
| Plan | Yearly fee | Per release | Royalty cut | YouTube Content ID | Limits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | None | Single $9.99, EP $14.99, album $14.99 | 9% | Keeps 30% | No limits |
| Plan | Yearly fee | Per release | Royalty cut | YouTube Content ID | Limits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Musician | $24.99 | None | None | $4.95 per single, $14.95 per album a year; keeps 20% | 1 artist name |
| Musician Plus | $44.99 | None | None | $4.95 per single, $14.95 per album a year; keeps 20% | 2 artist names |
| Ultimate | $89.99 | None | None | $4.95 per single, $14.95 per album a year; keeps 20% | 5 artist names |
| Plan | Yearly fee | Per release | Royalty cut | YouTube Content ID | Limits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | $19 | None | None | Not offered | 1 artist name |
| Pro | $59 | None | None | Included | 2 artist names |
| Labels | $109 | None | None | Included | 5 artist names |
| Plan | Yearly fee | Per release | Royalty cut | YouTube Content ID | Limits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | None | Single £9, EP £9, album £9 | 10% | £1 per single, £10 per album one-time; keeps 20% | No limits |
| Rockstar | None | Single £69, EP £69, album £69 | None | Keeps 20% | No limits |
| AMPLIFY | £29 | None | None | Keeps 20% | 1 artist name |
| AMPLIFY+ | £59 | None | None | Keeps 20% | 2 artist names (extra artists £9 a year each) |
| AMPLIFY Pro | £299 | None | None | Keeps 20% | No limits |
| Plan | Yearly fee | Per release | Royalty cut | YouTube Content ID | Limits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pay per release | None | Single $9, EP $19, album $19 | 15% | Not offered | No limits |
| Distribution Basic | $24 | None | None | Keeps 20% | 1 artist name |
| Distribution Pro | $45 | None | None | Keeps 20% | 5 artist names |
| Plan | Yearly fee | Per release | Royalty cut | YouTube Content ID | Limits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free | None | None | 15% | Keeps 15% | No limits |
| Premium | None | Single $10, EP $20, album $30; then single $9.99, EP $9.99, album $9.99 a year | None | Included | No limits |
| Plan | Yearly fee | Per release | Royalty cut | YouTube Content ID | Limits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Artist | $39 | None | None | Included | 24 releases a year |
| Artist Pro | $99 | None | None | Included | No limits |
| Plan | Yearly fee | Per release | Royalty cut | YouTube Content ID | Limits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pay per track | None | Single $4.99, EP $24.95, album $49.90 | 15% | Keeps 15% | No limits |
| Plan | Yearly fee | Per release | Royalty cut | YouTube Content ID | Limits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Artist | $19.99 | None | None | Included | 1 artist name |
| Label | $35.99 | None | None | Included | No limits |
| Plan | Yearly fee | Per release | Royalty cut | YouTube Content ID | Limits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rising Artist | $24.99 | None | None | Keeps 20% | 1 artist name |
| Breakout Artist | $44.99 | None | None | Keeps 20% | 1 artist name |
| Professional | $54.99 | None | None | Keeps 20% | 1 artist name (extra artists $14.99 a year each) |
| Pay Per Release | None | Single $24.99, EP $44.99, album $44.99; then single $24.99, EP $56.49, album $56.49 a year | None | Not confirmed | No limits |
| Plan | Yearly fee | Per release | Royalty cut | YouTube Content ID | Limits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DEBUT+ | $19.99 | None | None | $4.99 per single, $4.99 per album one-time; keeps 20% | 1 artist name |
| SELECT | $59.99 | None | None | $4.99 per single, $4.99 per album one-time; keeps 20% | 1 artist name |
It depends on how much you release and earn. If you put out several releases a year and earn more than a few hundred a year from streaming, a yearly subscription that keeps none of your royalties is usually cheapest. If you release now and then or earn very little, a free plan or a one-off fee per release can cost less. Enter your own numbers in the calculator to see the ranking for you.
Free plans don’t charge upfront, but they keep a share of your royalties, so the more you earn, the more they cost. RouteNote’s free plan, for example, keeps 15% of what you earn.
It depends on the distributor. With DistroKid and TuneCore subscriptions, releases are taken down when you stop paying. With CD Baby’s one-off fee, they stay up. Others keep your music up but take a bigger share of its royalties. Each result in the calculator says which applies.
Many do, even on paid plans. YouTube Content ID collects money when your songs are used in other people’s videos, and DistroKid, TuneCore, LANDR and iMusician, for example, keep 20% of it. Tick YouTube Content ID in the calculator to include those costs.