Distribution
Getting your master onto streaming platforms.
What it is
A distributor delivers your recording (the master) to Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon, YouTube Music, TIDAL, and other stores/DSPs, then collects the recording royalties and pays them to you.
When you need it
Before your release date — with enough lead time to pitch for playlists (see the Timeline tool).
Ranges from free (revenue-share) to annual subscription to one-time per-release fees depending on distributor. Verify current pricing per distributor.
Where artists lose money
Distribution is only the MASTER side. It does NOT collect your songwriting/publishing royalties (PRO, MLC), your SoundExchange money, or neighboring rights. Distributing and stopping is exactly the mistake this app exists to fix.
Master vs. composition — the split that trips everyone up
Every song is really two copyrights: the SOUND RECORDING (the master — the specific recorded performance) and the COMPOSITION (the underlying song — melody and lyrics).
A distributor handles the MASTER side only. Your PRO and The MLC handle the COMPOSITION side. SoundExchange handles digital-performance on the MASTER. These are different pipes and you have to turn each one on separately.
One stream can generate money on BOTH the master and the composition side simultaneously — collected by different organizations.
Two different deadlines — don't confuse them
These are two separate dates, and mixing them up is a classic mistake:
1) DISTRIBUTION GO-LIVE — how long until the song is actually live on streaming platforms. Through major distributors this is usually a few days, though it can occasionally take up to ~2 weeks to appear everywhere (it varies by distributor and platform). Submit earlier than you need to just to be safe.
2) EDITORIAL PITCH DEADLINE — the cutoff to pitch an UNRELEASED song to Spotify's editorial playlist team inside Spotify for Artists. This happens before release. Best practice is to pitch about 2–3 weeks out so editors have the most time to consider it; Spotify's stated hard minimum is 7 days before release (the floor, not the target). Because pitching needs the upcoming release already showing in your dashboard, deliver to your distributor early enough (roughly 3–4 weeks out) that it's processed and available to pitch in that window.
Usually a few days through major distributors, though it can occasionally take up to ~2 weeks to appear on every platform — varies by distributor and platform. Submit earlier to be safe. Verify current turnaround with your distributor.
Spotify's own guidance (Spotify for Artists) says to submit at least 7 days before the release date so editors have time to listen; pitching at least 7 days ahead also adds the song to your followers' Release Radar. 7 days is Spotify's stated hard minimum — the floor, not the target. In practice, pitching ~2–3 weeks out gives editors more lead time and is the safer best practice. Source: Spotify for Artists help. Verify current wording.
Note: The 7-day figure is Spotify's stated minimum, not a recommended target — pitch earlier (about 2–3 weeks) when you can. The widely-repeated '4 weeks' figure is an industry rule of thumb, NOT a Spotify requirement, and it often conflates distribution time with the pitch deadline.
Claim your artist profiles
Claim Spotify for Artists and Apple Music for Artists. These verify you as the artist, give you analytics, and — on Spotify — unlock editorial playlist pitching for upcoming releases.
Keep your artist name spelled identically across all of them (see the Metadata tool).
Distributors
Pricing models below; confirm current pricing on each site.
Disclosure: some outbound links may become affiliate/partner links that support this free app at no extra cost to you. That never changes which services are listed or how they’re described.
DistroKid
distrokid.com✓ verifiedModel: Annual subscription; unlimited uploads on most plans.
You keep: You keep 100% of royalties on standard plans.
Best for: High-volume releasers who put out music frequently.
ISRC/UPC: Provides free ISRC/UPC (verify current).
Recurring annual subscription. You keep your royalties; verify current tier pricing on their site.
Subscription means if you stop paying, keeping music live can be affected — verify their current takedown/renewal policy.
TuneCore
www.tunecore.com✓ verifiedModel: Subscription / per-release tiers (restructured over time).
You keep: You keep 100% of royalties (verify current terms).
Best for: Artists wanting a large, established distributor with publishing add-ons.
ISRC/UPC: Provides ISRC/UPC (verify current).
Historically per-release annual fees; has moved toward subscription tiers. Verify current structure.
CD Baby
cdbaby.com✓ verifiedModel: One-time per-release fee (no annual renewal, historically).
You keep: Verify current revenue-share percentage on payouts.
Best for: Artists who prefer pay-once-per-release over a subscription.
ISRC/UPC: Provides ISRC/UPC (verify current).
Historically a one-time fee per single/album rather than a subscription. Verify current pricing and any revenue share.
UnitedMasters
unitedmasters.com✓ verifiedModel: Free tier (revenue share) plus paid subscription tiers.
You keep: Depends on tier — free tier keeps less; paid tiers keep more.
Best for: Artists wanting brand/sync opportunities and a free entry point.
ISRC/UPC: Provides ISRC/UPC (verify current).
Free tier takes a percentage of royalties; paid tiers change the split. Verify current tiers.
Symphonic Distribution
symphonic.com✓ verifiedModel: Self-serve Starter subscription plus application-based Partner tier (revenue share).
You keep: Starter: 100% on standard stores (verify current). Partner: negotiated split.
Best for: Established independent artists and small labels; Starter opens a self-serve path.
Starter: self-serve annual subscription, keep 100% on standard stores (reduced share on some social platforms). Partner: application-based with a negotiated revenue share. Verify current pricing and splits.
Domain confirmed: symphonic.com. Starter self-serve plan verified Jul 2026 — structure changes, so re-check terms.
Model: Selective / application-based; revenue share.
You keep: Revenue share — verify current split.
Best for: Artists with traction who can get accepted; label-style services.
Application-based acceptance with a revenue-share model rather than a flat fee. Verify current terms.
Model: Paid annual subscription tiers (the former free distribution tier was discontinued).
You keep: Depends on tier — verify current.
Best for: Artists wanting a mobile-first subscription distributor.
Paid subscription tiers only — Amuse no longer offers free distribution (confirmed on amuse.io, Jul 2026). Verify current tier pricing.
Domain confirmed: amuse.io. Free tier discontinued — do not recommend Amuse as a free option.
RouteNote
www.routenote.com✓ verifiedModel: Choice of free (revenue share) or paid (keep 100%) per release.
You keep: Free plan: revenue share. Paid plan: keep 100% (verify current).
Best for: Artists who want a genuinely free option and can accept a revenue share.
Free plan takes a revenue share; paid plan lets you keep 100%. Verify current split and pricing.
ONErpm
onerpm.com✓ verifiedModel: Revenue-share distribution with label-services options.
You keep: Revenue share — verify current split.
Best for: Artists wanting distribution plus optional label/marketing services.
Revenue-share model. Verify current split.
EMPIRE
empi.re✓ verifiedModel: Distribution + label + publishing services (more selective).
You keep: Verify terms directly (deal-dependent).
Best for: Artists seeking label-style backing alongside distribution.
Application/relationship-based rather than a published self-serve fee; terms vary per deal. Verify current terms directly.
Domain confirmed: empi.re resolves to EMPIRE's official site (self-described 'independent label, distributor and publisher').
Model: Distribution with automated splits/advance features.
You keep: Revenue share — verify current split.
Best for: Teams that need to split payments automatically among collaborators.
Revenue-share model with automated splits and advance options. Verify current terms directly.
Domain confirmed: stem.is is Stem Disintermedia's official domain (their application portal runs on apply.stem.is). Homepage blocks automated fetching, so confirm current pricing directly.
Ditto Music
dittomusic.com✓ verifiedModel: Annual subscription; unlimited releases on plans.
You keep: You keep royalties (verify current).
Best for: Artists wanting a subscription alternative to DistroKid.
ISRC/UPC: Provides ISRC/UPC (verify current).
Recurring subscription. You keep royalties. Verify current tier pricing.
Official links
- Spotify for Artistsartists.spotify.com
- Apple Music for Artistsartists.apple.com