DistroKid and TuneCore are two of the biggest names in independent music distribution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Both let artists distribute unlimited music through annual plans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So which is better?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
DistroKid currently starts at $24.99 per year in the US.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Musician Plus costs $44.99 and Ultimate starts at $89.99.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Artists keep 100% of ordinary streaming and download income, minus banking fees and applicable taxes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
TuneCore’s current US unlimited plans are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rising Artist: $24.99 per year<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Breakout Artist: $44.99<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Professional: $54.99<\/p>\n\n\n\n
TuneCore also continues to offer pay-per-release options.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That makes the headline pricing of the two platforms surprisingly similar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
DistroKid is particularly strong for artists who value simplicity and release frequently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Its interface is heavily focused around getting music delivered quickly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Its ecosystem also includes numerous small promotional and utility tools.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
TuneCore increasingly bundles more career and distribution features directly into its plans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Its entry-level Rising Artist plan currently includes scheduled release dates, while DistroKid requires Musician Plus for custom release dates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That’s a small difference, but important for artists planning proper release campaigns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Both services are largely built around ongoing distribution relationships.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Artists should therefore understand what happens when they stop paying rather than considering only year-one pricing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
DistroKid may suit prolific DIY artists who value speed and its specific tool ecosystem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
TuneCore may be more attractive if features bundled into the entry plan match your workflow better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There’s also another option: don’t pay upfront at all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
RouteNote Free distributes music without an upfront or annual fee in exchange for a 15% share of net revenue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For emerging artists with uncertain earnings, that can remove the question of whether your music earns enough to justify another annual subscription.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
DistroKid and TuneCore are two of the biggest names in independent music distribution. Both let artists distribute unlimited music through annual plans. So which is better? DistroKid pricing DistroKid currently starts at $24.99 per year in the US. Musician Plus costs $44.99 and Ultimate starts at $89.99. Artists keep 100% of ordinary streaming and download income, minus banking fees and applicable taxes. TuneCore pricing TuneCore’s current US unlimited plans are: Rising Artist: $24.99 per year Breakout Artist: $44.99 Professional: $54.99 TuneCore also continues to offer pay-per-release options. That makes the headline pricing of the two platforms surprisingly similar. Where DistroKid…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3482,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[1378,2346],"coauthors":[2],"class_list":["post-3789","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-distrokid","tag-tunecore"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n