Every "best distributor" list ignores the one thing that decides it: your release schedule and your revenue. Enter both and see the real yearly cost of each, ranked.
We compute each distributor's total yearly cost = its fees for that release schedule + the percentage it takes of your revenue. Not sure what you'll earn? Run the streaming calculator →
That skim at the door is the whole industry game, and it is exactly why we give everything away. One email opens the vault below. No signup, instant access, yours to keep.
This is every major distributor's total cost for the exact year you entered above, its fees plus the percentage it takes of your revenue, sorted cheapest first. The winner is not fixed. A flat-fee service wins as you release more or earn more; a free percentage service can win only when your revenue is tiny.
Pricing and royalty terms verified July 2026; plan assumptions noted per distributor below. Sources: Ditto, Ari's Take, HoriaMC.
Distributors split into two camps: flat-fee (you keep 100% of royalties, you pay a yearly or per-release fee) and percentage (free or cheap upfront, but they take a cut of every dollar forever). The right one depends entirely on your numbers.
Plan assumptions: DistroKid Musician $24.99/yr; TuneCore unlimited ~$49.99/yr; CD Baby one-time $9.95/single, $29/album; UnitedMasters free tier 10%; Amuse Start free. Fees change, re-verify before signing. Verified July 2026.
The break-even is all about revenue. A 10% cut is cheap when you earn little and brutal when you earn a lot. Here is roughly where a flat-fee distributor overtakes a free 10% one, assuming a modest release schedule.