DistroKid is a popular digital music distribution service that allows musicians to upload their music to streaming services and online stores for an annual fee.
It is known for being a fast and cost-effective option for independent artists and labels.
How DistroKid works
Distribution: Users upload their tracks and cover art to DistroKid, which then distributes the music to more than 150 digital streaming platforms.
These include major services like Spotify, Apple Music, TikTok, and YouTube Music.
Pricing: The company operates on a subscription model, offering different plans for artists and labels.
A key selling point is that users can upload an unlimited number of songs for a single, low annual price.
Royalties: DistroKid allows artists to keep 100% of their earnings from streaming and sales. The company does not take a percentage of the artist's royalties.
Features: In addition to music distribution, DistroKid offers a suite of promotional and administrative tools, such as:
- HyperFollow pages: Customizable landing pages for new releases.
- Splits: An automatic system to split royalty payments among collaborators.
- Promotional tools: Marketing tools like promo cards for social media.
- Daily stats: Access to daily streaming statistics.
- Instant verification: Immediate verification for official artist profiles on Spotify and Apple Music.
- Unlimited uploads: The ability to release as much music as desired for a flat annual fee is a significant benefit for prolific artists.
- Keep 100% of earnings: Artists retain all of their royalties, unlike some competing services.
- Fast delivery: The platform is known for its speed in getting music onto streaming platforms.
- Ease of use: DistroKid has a simple, user-friendly interface that makes the upload process straightforward.
Disadvantages and criticisms: Some users have reported issues with DistroKid's customer support, stating it can be difficult to get help with specific problems.
Extra costs for add-ons: Many additional features, including some important tools like YouTube Content ID, are available as paid add-ons, increasing the total cost.
Automated systems: While generally efficient, DistroKid's heavy reliance on automated systems can create problems, such as songs being incorrectly flagged or removed from streaming services.
Payment issues: Some users have reported delays or difficulties in Discover new music videos on your favorite socials and streaming platforms withdrawing their royalties.
Is DistroKid right for you?
DistroKid is a strong option for independent musicians who plan on releasing a lot of music and want to keep all of their earnings.
It is particularly well-suited for artists who are comfortable managing their career with an efficient, mostly automated system.
However, if you are an artist who releases music infrequently or requires hands-on customer support, you may want to consider other distribution options.