FRL

DistroKid for independent artists

DistroKid is a subscription music distributor offering unlimited uploads to streaming services from $24.99/year while artists keep 100% of royalties and master ownership. Music stays live only while the subscription is active unless a per-release add-on is purchased.

Model
Annual subscription
You keep masters
Yes
Payout
100% of royalties
Pricing
$24.99–$89.99/yr (as of June 2026)

Pros

  • +Unlimited song uploads on every plan, with 100% of royalties paid through on all tiers (per DistroKid's pricing page).
  • +Fast distribution and built-in royalty splits, Spotify registered artist profile, and free promo tools included on all plans.

Watch out

  • –Music is removed from streaming services if you stop paying the annual subscription, unless you buy the per-release Leave a Legacy add-on (documented in DistroKid's Help Center).
  • –Core features like YouTube Content ID and Store Maximizer are paid per-release add-ons on top of the subscription, so real costs can run well above the headline price.

Overview

DistroKid is the largest subscription-based independent distributor. Instead of charging per release, it charges a flat annual fee and lets you upload unlimited songs. As of June 2026, its pricing page lists three tiers: Musician ($24.99/yr, 1 artist), Musician Plus ($44.99/yr, 2 artists, custom release dates, daily stats), and Ultimate ($89.99/yr, up to 100 artists, advanced analytics). All plans state that artists keep 100% of earnings, and you retain ownership of your masters — DistroKid is a distributor, not a label.

The economics are simple: if you release more than one or two singles a year, a flat subscription usually beats per-release pricing. The trade-off is that the fee recurs forever.

What to check before signing up

  • Your music comes down if you stop paying. DistroKid's Help Center states that if you don't renew, your releases are removed from streaming services. Restoring them requires paying the past-due charge.
  • "Leave a Legacy" is the exit hatch — per release. To keep a release live after cancelling, you must buy the Leave a Legacy extra for each individual release ($29/single, $49/album per third-party reporting and DistroKid's Help Center). It is not a one-time account-wide payment.
  • Add-ons stack up. YouTube Content ID, Store Maximizer, Shazam, and similar "extras" are charged per release, some annually. Budget beyond the headline subscription if you want full monetization.
  • Plan tier gates basics. Custom release dates and custom label names require Musician Plus or above.

Bottom line: cheap and frictionless while you're subscribed — just understand that "unlimited" lasts exactly as long as your payments do.

Primary sources

  1. [1]DistroKid plans and pricing — DistroKid
  2. [2]If I Don't Renew My DistroKid Subscription, Will My Music Stay Live in Streaming Services? — DistroKid Help Center
  3. [3]The Leave a Legacy Album Extra — DistroKid Help Center

Head-to-head: DistroKid vs Amuse · DistroKid vs CD Baby · DistroKid vs Ditto Music · DistroKid vs TuneCore · DistroKid vs UnitedMasters

Educational comparison, not an endorsement or affiliate content. Terms change — verify on the official site. See how to release independently and the royalty calculator.