DistroKid vs. CD Baby: Which is the Better Distributor for You?
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DistroKid vs. CD Baby: Which is the Better Distributor for You?
CD Baby vsDistroKid
Think about this: you are about to put out your first album as a solo act. Names like CD Baby and DistroKid keep popping up. This means that your songs can be found on streaming services and online shops. However, you now need to decide which one to pick. Some important things make them different, but they do the same main job.
You can make an educated choice by reading this in-depth comparison of both music distributors.
It's 2024, and independent distribution is changing quickly. DistroKid now has AI tools and program support to help artists get more fans and grow. Even though CD Baby doesn't have AI features yet, it's still great for selling music and getting in touch with fans of music. Because both systems have good points, the best one for you will depend on your goals.
The ways that DistroKid and CD Baby set their prices are very different. You can add as many songs or records as you want to DistroKid for a one-time fee. There are three types of plans: Label, Musician, and Musician Plus. This plan is the cheapest, but it has some restrictions. You can't choose when your song will be released or see its statistics. There are other costs besides the annual fee. You have to pay for the Leave a Legacy choice if you delete your DistroKid account but still want your music to be safe. Songs are $29 each, and albums are $49. DistroKid also charges extra for things like making money on YouTube and Shazam.
On the other hand, CD Baby is not the same. Most of the services are already built into the price you pay per release. For artists who don't put out new songs very often, this setup works better. CD Baby does not charge a heritage fee like DistroKid does. Your music will stay up as long as you leave it there. If you don't put out many tracks, this will save you money in the long run.
Check out the list of the top 10 music distribution companies in Los Angeles here.
There is also a publishing service on CD Baby called CD Baby Pro Publishing that takes fees from publishers. The plan that comes with it costs less. Also, if you don't already have one, you can get a UPC code for each song for $5 and each album for $20. Here's how the prices break down:
(Standard) $9.95 and (Pro) $29.95 for a single
(Standard) Album costs $29; (Pro) Album costs $69
DistroKid could save you money if you have a lot of titles. But CD Baby is a better choice if you want to save money and have access to music for a longer time.
On the other hand, CD Baby pays you every Monday. When the amount you're owed is between $10 and $10,000, it's rounded up to the closest dollar. Artists can get paid through PayPal, Payoneer, cheque, or straight deposit into a bank account. You can't get all of your money back just by using one of these services. Join a performing rights organisation (PRO) like ASCAP to get all the money you deserve for your compositions. You must also join a publisher or a printing admin service.
This is something that CD Baby Pro Publishing can do for you, but DistroKid doesn't. It suggests that you use Songtrust instead to get your publishing earnings. So, both platforms can take basic royalties, but to get full earnings, you will need to do more work outside of their services.
It can take a few weeks for CD Baby to check each release before it goes live. DjKid skips this step and sends your songs straight to platforms. It sounds faster, but there are risks with that. In this case, you would be on your own if there was a problem with the file or copyright. There is also no way to set a release date if you are on DistroKid's cheapest plan. This could make it so that your song shows up on one site before the other, which would make promoting it even harder.
Both of them can connect to the most popular streaming sites and online stores. CD Baby does work with a few more, though. A great thing about CD Baby is that it sends your songs to SoundExchange for you. This lets you get income for sound recordings, but CD Baby takes a cut. DistroKid doesn't take care of this step, but you can sign up for SoundExchange on your own and keep the whole refund. So, CD Baby has more built-in help, while DistroKid is faster and gives you more freedom.
For their next releases, every artist should always use the best audio file they can find. You can use WAV, WMA, M4A, AIFF, FLAC, or MP3 files with DistroKid. Up to 96 kHz 24-bit WAV files can be uploaded as long as the file size is less than 1 GB. CD Baby takes WAV, FLAC, and MP3 files, but they highly advise against using MP3s. All of CD Baby's files must also be stereo, 16-bit, and have a 44.1 kHz sample rate in order to be sent out correctly.
It's true that both CD Baby and DistroKid help artists, but they do so in different ways. CD Baby gives you more tools to learn and grow professionally. It can connect you with real audio experts and do automated mastering for a low price. DIY Musician, a blog on CD Baby, is full of helpful tips for artists who want to grow and reach more people. The platform also works with Show.co to offer discounted advertising tools such as audio ads on Spotify and banner ads on websites like Rolling Stone. CD Baby makes both CDs and vinyl records in-house. You can now offer your songs in more formats, which helps you reach more people.
DistroKid, on the other hand, is more focused on community and digital growth. It has tools for artists to get in touch with each other and help each other out. One of these is Playlist Spotlight, which every week shows you clips of two songs by DistroKid acts. You can pick your favourite, and the winner will be on a Spotify mix put together by DistroKid. You can also send in one of your own songs to have it played. Every week, new songs are added to the playlists, which gives artists lots of chances to be heard.
In simple terms, CD Baby helps with learning, making sales, and connecting professionals. DistroKid is all about visibility, digital features, and promotion that is driven by the community. Pick the one that fits your job goals the best.
You can make an educated choice by reading this in-depth comparison of both music distributors.
A basic comparison -
DistroKid and CD Baby are both websites that help independent artists get their songs out there, but they do things a little differently. It feels like a social site, and artists can make profiles with their genre, inspirations, social links, and bios. This data is used in the community tools that DistroKid makes. But CD Baby doesn't have a social network or artist accounts. But its site looks better and is simpler to use when you want to check your tools and releases. DistroKid makes it easier to upload songs. It's all on one page. CD Baby has a lot of pages, and each one has a lot of specific steps that can be hard to keep track of. You're more likely to miss something there.It's 2024, and independent distribution is changing quickly. DistroKid now has AI tools and program support to help artists get more fans and grow. Even though CD Baby doesn't have AI features yet, it's still great for selling music and getting in touch with fans of music. Because both systems have good points, the best one for you will depend on your goals.
Affordability -
On the other hand, CD Baby is not the same. Most of the services are already built into the price you pay per release. For artists who don't put out new songs very often, this setup works better. CD Baby does not charge a heritage fee like DistroKid does. Your music will stay up as long as you leave it there. If you don't put out many tracks, this will save you money in the long run.
Check out the list of the top 10 music distribution companies in Los Angeles here.
There is also a publishing service on CD Baby called CD Baby Pro Publishing that takes fees from publishers. The plan that comes with it costs less. Also, if you don't already have one, you can get a UPC code for each song for $5 and each album for $20. Here's how the prices break down:
(Standard) $9.95 and (Pro) $29.95 for a single
(Standard) Album costs $29; (Pro) Album costs $69
DistroKid could save you money if you have a lot of titles. But CD Baby is a better choice if you want to save money and have access to music for a longer time.
Ways to collect and distribute royalties -
Both DistroKid and CD Baby let you connect the earnings that come from copies of your master recordings. You can keep all of the money you make with DistroKid. CD Baby takes a 9% cut of the income. If you choose CD Baby Pro Publishing, they will also take 15% of your publishing earnings. However, the way they pay you out is a little different. Every month, DistroKid pays through PayPal or Tipalti. Tipalti lets you pick between a cheque, a straight deposit or a wire transfer.On the other hand, CD Baby pays you every Monday. When the amount you're owed is between $10 and $10,000, it's rounded up to the closest dollar. Artists can get paid through PayPal, Payoneer, cheque, or straight deposit into a bank account. You can't get all of your money back just by using one of these services. Join a performing rights organisation (PRO) like ASCAP to get all the money you deserve for your compositions. You must also join a publisher or a printing admin service.
This is something that CD Baby Pro Publishing can do for you, but DistroKid doesn't. It suggests that you use Songtrust instead to get your publishing earnings. So, both platforms can take basic royalties, but to get full earnings, you will need to do more work outside of their services.
Distribution times and partners -
It can take a few weeks for CD Baby to check each release before it goes live. DjKid skips this step and sends your songs straight to platforms. It sounds faster, but there are risks with that. In this case, you would be on your own if there was a problem with the file or copyright. There is also no way to set a release date if you are on DistroKid's cheapest plan. This could make it so that your song shows up on one site before the other, which would make promoting it even harder.
Both of them can connect to the most popular streaming sites and online stores. CD Baby does work with a few more, though. A great thing about CD Baby is that it sends your songs to SoundExchange for you. This lets you get income for sound recordings, but CD Baby takes a cut. DistroKid doesn't take care of this step, but you can sign up for SoundExchange on your own and keep the whole refund. So, CD Baby has more built-in help, while DistroKid is faster and gives you more freedom.
Sound quality -
For their next releases, every artist should always use the best audio file they can find. You can use WAV, WMA, M4A, AIFF, FLAC, or MP3 files with DistroKid. Up to 96 kHz 24-bit WAV files can be uploaded as long as the file size is less than 1 GB. CD Baby takes WAV, FLAC, and MP3 files, but they highly advise against using MP3s. All of CD Baby's files must also be stereo, 16-bit, and have a 44.1 kHz sample rate in order to be sent out correctly.
Artist development resources -
It's true that both CD Baby and DistroKid help artists, but they do so in different ways. CD Baby gives you more tools to learn and grow professionally. It can connect you with real audio experts and do automated mastering for a low price. DIY Musician, a blog on CD Baby, is full of helpful tips for artists who want to grow and reach more people. The platform also works with Show.co to offer discounted advertising tools such as audio ads on Spotify and banner ads on websites like Rolling Stone. CD Baby makes both CDs and vinyl records in-house. You can now offer your songs in more formats, which helps you reach more people.
DistroKid, on the other hand, is more focused on community and digital growth. It has tools for artists to get in touch with each other and help each other out. One of these is Playlist Spotlight, which every week shows you clips of two songs by DistroKid acts. You can pick your favourite, and the winner will be on a Spotify mix put together by DistroKid. You can also send in one of your own songs to have it played. Every week, new songs are added to the playlists, which gives artists lots of chances to be heard.
In simple terms, CD Baby helps with learning, making sales, and connecting professionals. DistroKid is all about visibility, digital features, and promotion that is driven by the community. Pick the one that fits your job goals the best.