Calculator
Distributor Comparison & Cost Calculator
Music distributors charge in very different ways — a flat annual fee, a charge per release, a one-time fee, or a cut of your royalties. The right choice depends on how much you release. Pick the distributors you’re weighing, enter your release cadence, and see your projected multi-year cost ranked cheapest first.
Estimates are for informational purposes only and are not financial, investment, tax, or legal advice. Actual offers and figures vary by provider, contract terms, and current market conditions.
The four distributor pricing models
The pricing model is the stable, load-bearing fact — the exact dollar figures change often, so confirm the current price on each distributor’s own site. Here is how each model charges and what to watch for.
Annual unlimited
One flat annual subscription lets you upload as many releases as you want. Cost is predictable and does not grow with your catalogue.
Watch for: Watch for add-on upsells (extra stores, faster payouts, splits) that are priced on top of the base fee.
Per release, every year
You pay per release, and that fee renews every year for each release you keep live. Cheap for your first single, but the bill compounds as your catalogue grows.
Watch for: The classic renewal trap: stop paying and a release can be taken down. Project several years out before deciding.
One-time per release
You pay once per release and it stays live with no annual renewal. Good for a small, stable catalogue you release slowly.
Watch for: Per-release costs add up fast if you release frequently — compare against an annual-unlimited plan.
Free / commission
Free (or low-cost) to upload; the distributor takes a percentage of your royalties instead of a flat fee. Costs nothing up front but scales with your earnings.
Watch for: A commission can cost more than a flat fee once your royalties grow. Check whether a paid tier removes the cut.
Distributors at a glance
Approximate public pricing ranges, flagged for verification — confirm current rates on each distributor’s site. The pricing model and keeps-royalties figures are the stable facts to compare on.
| Distributor | Pricing model | Approx. fee | Keeps royalties |
|---|---|---|---|
| DistroKid | Annual unlimited | $23 – $36/yr est. | 100% |
| TuneCore | Per release, every year | $10 – $50/release/yr est. | 100% |
| CD Baby | One-time per release | $10 – $29/release one-time est. | 100% |
| UnitedMasters | Free / commission | 0–10% of royalties est. | 90% |
| Amuse | Free / commission | $0 – $25/yr est. | 100% |
| Ditto Music | Annual unlimited | $19 – $29/yr est. | 100% |
| Too Lost | Annual unlimited | $0 – $30/yr est. | 100% |
Figures are approximate public ranges, as of 2026, flagged for verification before relying on them. [verify]
Distributors to consider
Compare on pricing model and how much you release. Links marked “Informational” are not paid placements and do not imply a partnership.
Annual unlimited pricing · keeps 100% of royalties · Unlimited releases, Fast payout.
Learn more →Per release, every year pricing · keeps 100% of royalties · Per-release pricing, Publishing admin add-on.
Learn more →One-time per release pricing · keeps 100% of royalties · One-time fee, No annual renewal.
Learn more →Free / commission pricing · keeps 90% of royalties · Free tier available, Brand/sync deals.
Learn more →Free / commission pricing · keeps 100% of royalties · Free tier keeps 100%, Fast/Pro paid tiers.
Learn more →Annual unlimited pricing · keeps 100% of royalties · Unlimited releases, Keep 100%.
Learn more →Annual unlimited pricing · keeps 100% of royalties · Free + paid tiers, YouTube/Content ID.
Learn more →Affiliate disclosure: some links are or may become paid partnerships. Links marked "Informational" are not paid placements and do not imply a partnership.
Frequently asked questions
How do music distributor pricing models differ?
There are four common models. Annual-unlimited (one yearly fee, unlimited releases) is predictable. Per-release-annual charges for each release every year, so costs compound as your catalogue grows. One-time-per-release is a single fee per release with no renewal. Free-commission is free to upload but takes a percentage of your royalties.
Why are the prices shown as ranges instead of exact figures?
Distributor pricing changes frequently and often varies by tier, single vs. album, and promotions. We show approximate public ranges and flag them for verification rather than fake single-point precision. Always confirm the current price on the distributor’s own site before deciding.
Which distributor is cheapest over three years?
It depends entirely on how much you release. If you put out many releases a year, an annual-unlimited plan is usually cheapest because the fee does not scale with catalogue size. If you release rarely, a one-time-per-release or free model can win. Run the calculator with your own release cadence to rank them.
What is the per-release renewal "trap"?
With per-release-annual pricing you pay for every release you keep live, every year. A single release looks cheap, but after a few years of releasing, you are renewing your entire back catalogue annually — which can make a model that looked cheap in year one the most expensive over time.
Do these distributors let me keep 100% of my royalties?
Most paid distributors let you keep 100% of your streaming royalties. Free-commission distributors typically keep a percentage on their free tier (and may reduce or remove it on a paid tier). The comparison table shows the keeps-royalties percentage for each.
Is this calculator financial advice?
Estimates are for informational purposes only and are not financial, investment, tax, or legal advice. Actual offers and figures vary by provider, contract terms, and current market conditions.