Distributor comparison
DistroKid starts at $24.99 a year and TuneCore at $24.99, both for unlimited releases, and neither keeps any of your streaming royalties. For a solo artist who doesn’t need YouTube Content ID, they cost much the same. The differences show up with extras: TuneCore includes Content ID in its plans, while DistroKid charges for it on every release each year, and the two charge differently for extra artist names.
| Example artist | DistroKid | TuneCore |
|---|---|---|
| Just starting out 2 singles a year, earning about $50 a year |
$75
Musician plan
Same price
|
$75
Rising Artist plan
Same price
|
| Releasing regularly 6 singles and an EP a year, earning about $600 a year |
$75
Musician plan
Same price
|
$75
Rising Artist plan
Same price
|
| Band or small label 8 singles and 2 albums a year across 3 artist names, earning about $4,000 a year, with royalty splits and YouTube Content ID |
$927
Ultimate plan
|
$495
Professional plan
Cheapest
|
For a solo artist they cost the same. TuneCore works out cheaper once you want YouTube Content ID, because DistroKid charges for it on every release, every year. For two artist names, DistroKid’s Musician Plus ($44.99 a year) costs less than TuneCore Professional ($54.99) plus $14.99 for the extra artist.
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
On price they’re level for a solo artist. Choose TuneCore if you want YouTube Content ID without paying per release, and DistroKid if you need a second artist name on a budget.
Not of your streaming and download royalties. It keeps 20% of YouTube Content ID and social platform earnings.
Both take your releases down. TuneCore first gives you a 42-day grace period after a missed renewal.
Yes. Upload your releases to the new distributor using the same ISRC codes so streaming services keep your play counts, then remove them from the old one once they’re live.