DistroKid, TuneCore, and CD Baby all do the same core job: get your song from your hard drive onto Spotify, Apple Music, and everywhere else. Past that, they're structured differently enough that picking the wrong one for your situation actually costs you money or flexibility down the line.
The Real Difference Is Pricing Structure
All three distributors take your files and metadata and push them to the same streaming platforms — the technical outcome is basically identical. What actually differs is how you pay and what happens if you stop paying. That's the decision that matters, not which one has a slightly nicer upload interface.
DistroKid: Fast and Frequent Releases
DistroKid runs on an annual subscription with unlimited uploads, which makes it the obvious pick if you release often — singles every few weeks, frequent one-off tracks, a lot of experimentation. The catch is that it's a subscription: if you stop paying, your music can come down from streaming platforms. For an artist releasing multiple times a year, the math usually still works out in DistroKid's favor. For someone dropping one song and stepping away for a long stretch, it's worth thinking through.
TuneCore: Per-Release, You Keep It Longer
TuneCore charges per release rather than a flat annual fee for unlimited uploads, and after the first year your music generally stays up without a recurring payment tied directly to that release. That makes it a reasonable middle ground if you're not releasing constantly but also don't want a one-time distributor that locks you into slower processing or fewer features.
CD Baby: Pay Once, Keep It Forever
CD Baby is the one-time-fee option — you pay once per release and it stays up indefinitely, no subscription to maintain. That's appealing if you're releasing rarely and don't want to think about a recurring cost tied to a two-year-old song. The tradeoff is usually a smaller cut of royalties on the free tier and a slower turnaround on some features compared to DistroKid.
None of these choices affect what you do once the song is actually live. The promotion work is identical regardless of which distributor got it there, and it's worth having your release video ready before your distributor's release date locks in, not scrambling for one the morning of. TrackVis takes a track and your artwork or a video clip and gets you a finished MP4 without needing editing experience, so that piece doesn't have to wait on which distributor you pick.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I switch distributors for future releases without losing my current ones?
Yes. Songs already live through one distributor generally stay up even if you use a different one for your next release, though moving an existing release between distributors is its own process and not something to do casually.
Which distributor gets my music onto Spotify fastest?
Processing times vary release to release more than by distributor, but DistroKid is generally the fastest for turnaround, which matters if you're planning a release close to your target date.
Does the distributor I pick affect royalty rates?
Slightly, depending on the specific plan and tier within each service, but the differences are usually small compared to how much your actual stream count affects what you earn.
