So you have created some songs that you want to share with the world. One of the first obstacles that you’ll face is that you’re not able to upload music to Spotify or Apple Music directly. Instead, independent artists and labels have to work with music distributors to upload songs on these streaming services.

One of the most popular distribution services out there is DistroKid. With over 2 million registered artists and musicians, DistroKid has become a household name in this business. DistroKid provides services for artists that make uploading music to various streaming services and tracking your revenue impressively easy. In another post, I have thoroughly reviewed DistroKid and laid out its advantages and drawbacks.

Once you register with DistroKid, you’ll realize that DistroKid offers three different plans for their services. Knowing which one is the right one for you is critical to ensure you make the right investment. These plans differ based on your needs, goals, and preferences as an artist or label. In this post, I’ll break down these three tiers and determine which one is the right choice for you.

Musician - $1.92/month

The most affordable tier that DistroKid offers is the “Musician Plan,” which covers the basics for independent artists. For $1.92 per month ($22.99 billed annually), you can publish unlimited songs and lyrics on various streaming services and keep 100% of the revenue. Moreover, you’ll get a verified badge on your Spotify artist profile.

On the other hand, you’re limited to uploading music under one artist name with this plan. Also, you’ll miss some other commercial and promotional features that are available on higher tiers.

I suggest opting for the Musician Plan only if you’re on a really tight budget and have just started releasing music. If you’re going to be marketing your music and investing time and money into building a fanbase, I would recommend going for higher tiers.

Musician Plus - $3.33/month

The “Musician Plus Plan” gives you access to all the services in the previous plan and much more. So, you can still upload unlimited songs and lyrics on Spotify and Apple Music and keep all your earnings. Moreover, you can upload music to two artist names instead of just one.

The additional services include synced lyrics for Instagram, which makes creating content with your music easier. Moreover, you’ll get daily sales stats that allow you to track your income and strategize your career as a musician better. Also, you can customize your label name and set release and pre-order dates, which are critical when advertising your music on social media. Finally, you can customize pricing for your singles and albums on the iTunes Store.

For $39.99 annually, DistroKid offers valuable services that artist who want to take their music career more seriously can take advantage of.

Ultimate - $7.50/month

As the names suggest, the previous plans are targeted at independent artists who work without a label, or the indie label they work with is not in charge of music distribution. However, if you want to use DistroKid’s services as a label, then the “Ultimate Plan” is for you.

The $7.50 per month ($89.99 annually) gives you access to up to five artist profiles on Spotify, plus many other tools and services designed for labels. If you want to upload music for more artists, then you’ll have to spend more.

For 10 artists, the price goes up to $157.99 per year (you’ll save 31%). The annual bill can go up to $1349.99 if you want to have as many as 100 artist profiles on Spotify and Apple Music.

With the Ultimate Plan, you still can upload unlimited songs and lyrics on streaming platforms. You’ll also have all the perks in the Musician Plus Plan, which are synced lyrics for Instagram, customizable label names, release dates, pre-order dates, and iTunes Store prices.

DistroKid Extras

After you choose your plan, DistroKid offers you seven extra add-ons that you can pay. While it depends on your goals and preferences as an artist or label, most of these add-ons are not essential tools and services to upload music and find an audience.

The YouTube Content ID & YouTube Creator Music is one add-on I suggest paying for. For $4.95 per year, DistroKid will add your music to YouTube’s Content ID database and continually scan for matches. This allows you to make revenue when other creators use your music in their YouTube videos. Moreover, creators can purchase a license for your tracks to use them.

On the other hand, the Social Phone Number add-on, which costs you $12.99, is something I definitely don’t recommend to newer musicians. If you’re more interested in learning about DistroKid’s extras, click here to read my in-depth post about each of these add-ons.

Final Thoughts

Choosing DistroKid Plans and extras heavily depends on your preferences, budget, and goals. However, I recommend at least opting for the “Musician Plus Plan” to get the most out of your investment, unless you’re on a budget and not sure if you want to continue making music as a source of income.

If you’re interested in using DistroKid services for distributing your music, you can click here to get a 7% discount on checkout.