DistroKid vs Landr vs CD Baby vs RouteNote | Decide on a Great Distributor (2023)

What is a Digital Music Distributor?

A digital music distributor is a service that acts as an intermediary between musicians or record labels and online platforms where music can be streamed, downloaded, or purchased. These online platforms may include popular streaming services like Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, Tidal, and many others. Digital music distributors provide a bridge between the artist or label and these platforms, making it possible for artists to get their music out to a global audience without the need for a physical distribution network or a record label.

Digital music distributors (like DistroKid) offer a range of services that allow artists to upload their music to the platform, generate revenue from streaming and sales, and manage their music catalog. The distribution process typically involves uploading the music to the distributor’s platform, providing relevant metadata such as song titles, album art, and release dates, and selecting the platforms and territories where the music should be distributed. Once the music is uploaded and the release is scheduled, the distributor takes care of delivering the music to the designated platforms and managing the royalties and revenue generated from the music’s performance.

How Do They Work?

The process of using a digital music distributor typically involves several steps. Let’s take a closer look at the typical workflow of how a digital music distributor works:

Sign Up and Upload

Artists or record labels sign up for an account with a digital music distributor and provide the necessary information, such as contact details, tax information, and payment preferences. Once the account is set up, the artist or label can begin uploading their music to the distributor’s platform. This typically involves providing the audio files in a specified format, along with relevant metadata such as song titles, artist name, album art, and release dates.

Distribution and Platforms

After uploading the music and metadata, the artist or label selects the platforms and territories where they want their music to be distributed. Digital music distributors typically have agreements with various online platforms and streaming services, allowing them to distribute music to these platforms on behalf of the artist or label. The artist or label can choose from a list of supported platforms and territories, and the distributor takes care of delivering the music to these platforms.

Royalty and Revenue Management

Once the music is distributed, the digital music distributor tracks the performance of the music on the platforms and collects the royalties and revenue generated from the music’s performance. This typically includes revenue from streams, downloads, and other monetization methods. The distributor then manages the royalties and revenue, deducts any fees or commissions as per their pricing plan, and pays out the remaining earnings to the artist or label according to the agreed-upon terms.

Reporting and Analytics

Digital music distributors also provide reporting and analytics tools that allow artists and labels to track the performance of their music on the various platforms where it is distributed. This includes data on streams, downloads, revenue, and other key metrics that help artists understand how their music is performing and make informed decisions about their music distribution strategy.

Additional Services

In addition to the core distribution services, many digital music distributors offer additional services to help artists and labels promote their music and grow their fan base. These may include features such as playlist pitching, social media promotion, marketing tools, and promotional campaigns, which can help artists gain more visibility and increase their chances of success in the competitive digital music landscape.

Why Should Artists Use Music Distributor?

Digital music distribution has become essential for artists and record labels in today’s music industry for several reasons:

1. Global Reach: One of the biggest advantages of using a digital music distributor is the ability to reach a global audience. With digital distribution, artists can make their music available on popular streaming services and online platforms worldwide, without the need for physical distribution networks or record labels. This allows artists to expand their reach beyond their local markets and connect with fans from all around the world, potentially leading to increased exposure, fan engagement, and revenue opportunities.
2. Independence and Control: Digital music distribution empowers artists and record labels to retain control over their music and their careers. Artists can release their music on their own terms, without the need for a record label or a traditional distribution deal. This gives artists the freedom to choose their own release strategies, pricing, and marketing approaches, and retain ownership of their music and creative vision. Digital music distribution also allows artists to have a direct relationship with their fans and collect valuable data and insights on their audience, which can inform their future music releases and marketing efforts.
3. Cost-Effective: Digital music distribution can be a cost-effective way for artists to release their music and generate revenue. Many digital music distributors offer flexible pricing plans, allowing artists to choose the one that best fits their budget and needs. In most cases, artists can upload their music to the platform for a relatively low cost, and the distributor takes care of the distribution process, including delivering the music to various platforms and managing royalties and revenue. This eliminates the need for artists to invest in physical manufacturing, inventory, and distribution costs, making it accessible to artists of all sizes and budgets.
4. Revenue Generation: Digital music distribution provides artists with the opportunity to generate revenue from their music through various monetization methods, such as streaming, downloads, and other digital sales. Artists can earn royalties based on the performance of their music on the platforms where it is distributed, and digital music distributors typically provide transparent reporting and analytics tools that allow artists to track their earnings and make informed decisions about their music business. This revenue can be an important source of income for artists, especially independent artists who may not have other revenue streams, and can help support their music careers and fund future projects.
5. Flexibility and Adaptability: The music industry is constantly evolving, and digital music distribution offers artists the flexibility and adaptability to keep up with the changing landscape. Artists can release their music on their own schedule, adapt their release strategies based on the performance of their music, and easily make changes to their distribution plan as needed. This allows artists to be nimble and responsive to market trends, audience preferences, and their own creative direction, and make adjustments to their music release strategy in real-time.
6. Additional Services: Many digital music distributors offer additional services beyond core distribution, such as playlist pitching, social media promotion, marketing tools, and promotional campaigns, that can help artists promote their music and grow their fan base. These additional services can provide artists with valuable promotional opportunities, increase their visibility, and enhance their chances of success in the competitive music industry.

Now that you understand what a music distributor is, let’s highlight Distrokid. Then we’ll dive into a comparison between Distrokid and its competitors.

DistroKid vs Landr vs CD Baby vs RouteNote

What music distribution company should I use? You may be asking yourself that now. In this article, we’ll be highlighting four music distributors for you to consider. Distrokid, Landr, RouteNote, and CD Baby.

Overview

All of these distributors release music to the most popular streaming services (i.e. Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal, and Amazon Music). None of these distributors keep any of the rights to your releases. Each have different subscription models available. Below we’re going to discuss the pricing.

Pricing

Distrokid

• 1 artist = $19.99/yr; 0% commission
• 2 artists = $35.99/yr; 0% commission
• 5 artists = $79.99/yr; 0% commission
• 10 artists = $139.99/yr; 0% commission

Landr

• $89/yr plan: Unlimited releases; 0% commission
• $20/yr plan: single = $5 EP & Album = $19; 9% commission
• Free plan: single = $9 EP & Album = $29; 15% commission
• $15/single for copyrighted songs

CD Baby

• Basic plan: $9.95/single & $29/album; 9% commission
• Pro plan: $29.95/single & $69/album; 9% commission

RouteNote

• Free plan: $0/release; 15% commission
• Premium plan: $10/single & $20-$45/album; $10/year; 0% commission

Summary

Each of these four platforms have their own use cases.

RouteNote has a great free plan for those who are okay with the 15% service fee. Their premium plan could work for those who do not release a lot of albums per year, other the fee can add up quickly.

CD Baby is great for artists who don’t want to pay an out-of-pocket fee every month or year AND that don’t release a large amount of albums (since they charge per release). Two drawbacks to keep in mind are the 9% commission and the charge per UPC ($5/single) or $20/album)

Landr is great for those with multiple artists and/or for people looking for help with mastering their music. We also recommend it for people who make arrangements of copyrighted music. At the time of writing, their unlimited release plan’s pricing isn’t dependent on the number of artists (but this could change). They also have two other plans where they charge per-release and take a commission.

Distrokid is great for single artists because of their pricing model. However, if you have 7 or more artists/bands as part of your distribution plan, Landr’s pricing may be better for you.

Personal Experience with DistroKid and Landr

Full disclosure, we personally use DistroKid, Landr, and RouteNote. The customer service for Landr and RouteNote have been helpful. We haven’t had to reach out to anyone from DistroKid. Overall, we enjoy using Landr the most and recommend them because of their site design and cost. We started using RouteNote in 2017 and shifted to Landr and DistroKid in 2022 to keep more of our profits.

RouteNote tends to have more lax publishing requirements, however their track name requirement can be inconsistent.

Landr also has its issues, particularly with handling copyrighted music. At times, there were delays in securing the rights for the songs we arranged. They occasionally matched some songs to the incorrect artist. As always, it is important to keep an eye out on your metadata in platforms like Spotify and Apple Music.

Distrokid has been the fastest to approve albums and singles. Sometimes we have had to wait a few days, but at least half of our releases were approved within an hour (if not a few minutes). The biggest con for Distrokid is its website design. It could definitely use a makeover.

Conclusion

In today’s digital music landscape, a digital music distributor is an essential tool for artists and record labels to release their music and reach a global audience. It provides artists with the opportunity to distribute their music to popular streaming services and online platforms worldwide, retain control over their music and creative vision, generate revenue from their music, and access additional services to promote their music and grow their fan base. Digital music distribution has democratized the music industry, allowing artists of all sizes and budgets to release their music independently and on their own terms.

With its cost-effective, flexible, and adaptable nature, digital music distribution has become a vital component of an artist’s music career strategy, enabling them to thrive in the competitive digital music landscape. As the music industry continues to evolve, digital music distribution offers artists the opportunity to connect with their fans, generate revenue, and build a sustainable music career on their own terms. Whether you are an independent artist or a record label, partnering with a digital music distributor can provide you with the tools and resources you need to succeed in today’s dynamic music industry.

Additional Reading

Now that you’ve learn more about Distrokid, take some time to read our other articles. Want to know more about music business? Check out our article about Songtrust and SoundExchange to learn why you should sign up for both.

Here are also a few tips on how to run a successful record label.

In addition to publishing articles like these, Breve Music Studios publishes music to Spotify, YouTube Music, Amazon Music and more. Follow our pages on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and YouTube.

Listen to our ensembles: Breve Orchestra, Breve Music Ensemble, Breve Low Brass Ensemble, Breve Woodwind Ensemble, and Jermaine Harris on Spotify.