Getting your music onto streaming platforms is easy. Choosing the right distributor for your career stage is harder. Here's the no-nonsense comparison.
TL;DR
DistroKid (£19/year, unlimited releases, 100% royalties) is best for prolific releasers. TuneCore (per-release pricing) suits occasional releases. AWAL (selective, no fee, revenue share) is best if you qualify. CD Baby (one-time fee) for set-and-forget. All deliver to the same platforms.
What a Distributor Actually Does
A music distributor is the bridge between you and streaming platforms. Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, YouTube Music, Tidal, and dozens of other platforms don't accept direct uploads from individual artists. You need a distributor to deliver your music, metadata, and artwork to these platforms on your behalf.
Distributors also collect and pay out streaming royalties, provide analytics dashboards, and offer varying levels of additional services (playlist pitching, marketing tools, sync licensing, social media distribution).
The choice of distributor affects your release timeline (how quickly music goes live), your revenue (fee structures vary significantly), your analytics access, and potentially your career trajectory (some distributors offer artist development services).
The Major Distributors Compared
DistroKid charges £19.99/year for unlimited releases and lets you keep 100% of your royalties. It's the most cost-effective option for artists who release frequently — if you put out more than 2-3 releases per year, the unlimited model saves money compared to per-release pricing. The trade-off: if you stop paying, your music is removed from platforms.
TuneCore charges per release (approximately £10 for a single, £30 for an album) and you keep 100% of royalties. Better for artists who release infrequently and want their music to stay on platforms indefinitely without annual fees.
AWAL (Artists Without a Label) is selective — they review applications and only accept artists who meet certain quality and engagement thresholds. If accepted, there's no upfront fee; AWAL takes a 15% revenue share. The advantage is their active marketing support, playlist pitching, and label-like services.
CD Baby charges a one-time fee per release (£10 for a single, £50 for an album) and takes a 9% commission on royalties. Your music stays on platforms forever with no recurring fees. The simplest set-and-forget option.
Choosing the Right Distributor for Your Stage
Just starting out? DistroKid or CD Baby. Both are affordable, easy to use, and get your music onto all major platforms quickly. DistroKid if you plan to release regularly; CD Baby if you want to release occasionally without worrying about recurring fees.
Building momentum? Consider AWAL if you qualify. Their services — playlist pitching, marketing support, data analytics — add genuine value for artists with growing audiences. The 15% revenue share is a fair trade for the services provided.
Ready for the next level? Distributors like Believe (formerly TuneCore for Labels), The Orchard, and Stem offer enhanced services for established independent artists, including advance funding, marketing campaigns, and strategic support.
The important thing is to choose a distributor and start releasing. The specific distributor matters less than the act of getting your music onto platforms consistently. You can always switch distributors later — though the process of transferring existing releases can be complex, so choose thoughtfully from the start.