r/MusicDistribution

Just looking for opinions on this

Best distro provider for blues/roots/jazz where at least half the songs are reimagined covers? DistroKid’s redundant licensing is BS when I’ve already bought mechanical cover licenses months ago, and they have crazy delays. Considering switching to LANDR, but want to get other opinions

Music distribution platforms come in all sizes and shapes. Some will steal your music, some will steal your earnings, some even get bribed and call them system bugs. Some are overpriced. What are the best high fidelity distributors in the game right now?

Hey everyone, I’m an independent artist preparing to release my first song.

I’m currently deciding between Ditto Music and CD Baby for distribution. Since this is my first release, I’m mainly looking for something reliable and beginner-friendly, with good distribution to Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, etc.

For artists who have used either one:

Which distributor would you recommend?

How’s the support and overall experience?

Any issues with releases, metadata, royalties, or takedowns?

Is CD Baby’s one-time payment better for a first-time artist, or is Ditto’s model worth it?

Would really appreciate some honest experiences and advice before I submit my first release. 🙏

Every time I search TooLost on Reddit it’s basically non-stop horror stories. People complaining about tickets getting ignored for weeks, random takedowns, zero customer support, etc.
At the same time, I keep seeing decent-sized indie artists and small label setups using them, especially their label plans and white-label tech. On paper, having built-in splits and Content ID included without paying extra per-track fees sounds pretty ideal for managing a roster of artists, but the reputation on here makes me nervous to touch it.

I’m trying to figure out if the bad rep is just bedroom producers on the cheapest plan getting flagged, or if the actual label backend is just as messy.

For anyone actually running multiple artists through them:

• Is support actually responsive once you’re on the label tiers, or is it still a ghost town?
• Are split payouts and YouTube Content ID claims working smoothly, or are you constantly fighting with them?
• Does their white-label setup feel solid, or is it just a reskinned basic dashboard?

Debating between trying them out or just sticking with another service. Would love to hear some real feedback from people actually using it for a roster.

i’ve been on the constant search for a new distributor for months and i’ve only gotten exhausted. every distributor i see, people label
it as a scam, their account got banned, they aren’t paying the artist, they had problems with releasing things, and the things go on, and on, and on. i legit don’t know where to look anymore, i don’t wanna stick to distrokid because of their limitations, but i don’t wanna go to another distributor where they will have me wait 14 days to release something.

is there one good distribution service that’s actually reliable?

I wanna put out an album (first time for any music) and need help deciding who I should distribute it with. I’ve heard bad things from pretty much every distributor but I can’t figure out what I should do. I’m in the US and don’t really want a subscription. Any help is appreciated!

Edit: I’m more wanting to distribute because it’s a passion of mine than making money off it

Hello I just saw that we can distribute music on soundcloud with the pro artist subscription

So I have the pro artist subscription and start distributing my songs

But it’s been more than 15 days since it’s been marked in treatment

My question is if people here distributed music with soundcloud and how long did it take to contribute to Distrokid for example?

So a few months ago I put an EP out through CD Baby, and I only found out later about the fact that they don’t support merging your personal YouTube channel and the auto-generated Topic channel, so I have no control over my music on YouTube. I had a theory on how to overcome this, but I’m not sure if it’s gonna work.

I used CD Baby because I don’t want to pay a monthly fee. I paid once and I know my songs will forever stay on streaming platforms. I have another song that I want to release, and if I do that through a different distributor that DOES support getting a YouTube OAC, I’ll overcome that problem. However - my concern is that any future song distributions through CD Baby will generate a Topic channel? I’m very new to this so I have no clue how it works behind the scenes. Thanks!

hi there! i’ve heard a lot of praise about symphonic distribution and was wondering if there was any downsides to their service. i was also curious if releasing a single w/ multiple primary artists was possible. thank you!! :D

Hey everyone, I'm looking for a solid music distributor. The main things for me are fast upload times, good customer support, and hassle-free payouts.
Does anyone have any good recommendations based on personal experience?

Honestly, I’ve tried DistroKid, but they were terrible. I also gave Ditto Music a shot about two weeks ago, but they are incredibly slow, so I’m planning to leave them and find something else. Has anyone else here actually tried Ditto Music? What was your experience like?

I was involved in a false infringement claim due to someone stealing my music and uploading on Spotify then reporting saying I got I stole their music which got my account which I spent over $100+ dollars on unusable and I can't upload music all because of a false claim. I contacted Spotify and they took down the claimaint but now distrokid can't do anything and the claimant won't respond to me at all. What should I do?

I need 2 things only

1. YouTube channel whitelisting (like Tunecore, too lost)

2. No Music take down after subscription ends and can still withdraw money doesn't matter if there any % cut (like LANDR, AMUSE)

thank u <3

How feasible would it be for a small group of purist music lovers to come together and create a streaming platform that works like twitch where instead of paying for an all round subscription you pay a subscription to the musician themselves to unlock their library for a smaller fee overall but channels more money to the artists instead of to the streaming service. I know it dont make sense to build a business that directly effects the profit margins negatively towards the business but I think it would greatly benefit smaller artists who struggle to make any substantial money for their work.

hi there! i recently got a email from a too lost a&r, wanting me to get on a video call to have my music considered being distributed with them. i also reached out to too lost support and they said the email was official. i was just wondering, if any one has got reached out from their a&r team, how was your experience with them, and the platform, and should i consider it?

1 - free content id (eg no extra payouts for it other than base subscription)

2 - custom release & pre-save dates

3 - reliable (doesnt take music down randomly etc)

4 - has a low payout withdrawal minimum

5 - doesnt take forever with approving releases

Can be paid.

I've just moved from RouteNote to Distrokid but am planning to possibly change again next July after my Distrokid plan runs out. Can anyone suggest any?

There are so many options. I’ve been a loyal Distrokid user (and referrer) for years. CDBaby before that.

DK sold to private equity firm though…Yikes. Skeptical, given what I’ve seen in tech with PE. There goes decent pricing, support, etc.

We’ll see what pans out, yet just in case: what other distribution services are folks liking?