Distributor comparison
UnitedMasters and DistroKid both charge a yearly fee for unlimited releases and keep none of your streaming royalties. UnitedMasters is cheaper to start, at $19.99 a year against DistroKid’s $24.99, and it charges once per release for YouTube Content ID, where DistroKid charges every year. The catch is that a UnitedMasters membership covers one artist; DistroKid has plans for several.
| Example artist | UnitedMasters | DistroKid |
|---|---|---|
| Just starting out 2 singles a year, earning about $50 a year |
$60
DEBUT+ plan
Cheapest
|
$75
Musician plan
|
| Releasing regularly 6 singles and an EP a year, earning about $600 a year |
$60
DEBUT+ plan
Cheapest
|
$75
Musician plan
|
| 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 |
Not suitable: Only 1 artist name
|
$927
Ultimate plan
Cheapest
|
For a solo artist, UnitedMasters costs less, and the gap widens if you use YouTube Content ID: it charges $4.99 once per release, while DistroKid charges $4.95 per single every year. For a band or label with several artist names, DistroKid is the one that fits, as each UnitedMasters membership covers a single artist.
| 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 |
| 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 |
For a solo artist, yes: $19.99 a year against $24.99, and less again if you use YouTube Content ID. It isn’t an option for bands or labels with several artist names on one account.
No longer. UnitedMasters stopped distributing music on its free plan in October 2025; DEBUT+ at $19.99 a year is now the cheapest way in.
Not of streaming royalties. It keeps 20% of YouTube Content ID earnings, the same as DistroKid.
Yes. Upload your releases to UnitedMasters using the same ISRC codes so streaming services keep your play counts, then remove them from DistroKid once they’re live.