DistroKid vs TuneCore vs Ditto Music: Which Distributor Should You Use in 2025?

TL;DR

DistroKid is cheapest for prolific releasers, TuneCore gives you the most control, and Ditto has the best artist development features for UK acts. But the real answer depends on how many tracks you release, whether you need sync licensing, and how much hand-holding you want.

The Big Three: Pricing Models Compared

Digital distribution has a pricing problem: every service structures their fees differently, making direct comparison deliberately difficult. Let's fix that.

DistroKid charges an annual subscription — currently £19.99/year for unlimited uploads with their Musician plan. That means whether you release 1 track or 100, you pay the same. They keep 0% of your royalties on the basic plan, though some add-on features have extra costs. If you stop paying, your music eventually gets pulled from stores, which is worth knowing.

TuneCore charges per release: about £9 per single per year and £30 per album per year, but you keep 100% of royalties. For artists releasing lots of singles, this adds up fast. However, they've introduced a flat-rate annual plan recently that competes more directly with DistroKid. Ditto Music offers a similar annual model to DistroKid at about £19/year, with no commission on royalties.

Features Beyond Basic Distribution

Distribution is becoming a commodity — everyone can get your music on Spotify. The real differentiators are the extras. DistroKid's standout features include Spotify for Artists access claims, YouTube Content ID monetisation (via their add-on), and their HyperFollow pre-save pages. Their split payment feature is also handy for collaborations.

TuneCore has invested heavily in publishing administration, which is a massive deal for songwriters. Their publishing service collects mechanical and performance royalties that most artists don't even know they're owed. They also have sync licensing partnerships and social media monetisation tools.

Ditto Music, being UK-based, has particularly strong A&R and artist development services. They've signed artists to their label arm, Ditto Records, and offer playlist pitching, PR services, and mentoring. For emerging UK artists specifically, this ecosystem is genuinely valuable. They also have a free tier now, though it takes a commission on streams.

The Hidden Gotchas Nobody Talks About

Here's where it gets real. DistroKid's 'unlimited uploads' comes with caveats — if you want features like YouTube monetisation, synced lyrics, or store-specific release dates, you're paying extra for each one. Their 'Leave a Legacy' add-on (£29 one-time) ensures your music stays up if you stop subscribing, which arguably should be a default feature.

TuneCore's per-release pricing means old catalogue costs money to maintain. If you released 20 singles over three years, you're paying annual fees on all of them. That creates a psychological pressure to either keep paying or lose your streaming history, which doesn't sit well with us.

All three services differ in how they handle takedowns, label transfers, and ISRC codes. Some make it easy to move your music if you switch distributors; others make it deliberately painful. Check the terms of service around this before committing — you want to own your ISRCs and be able to transfer your catalogue freely.

Our Recommendations by Artist Type

For bedroom producers releasing frequently — multiple singles a month, beat tapes, remixes — DistroKid's unlimited model is the obvious choice. The maths just works in your favour at high volume.

For singer-songwriters who release a few singles and an EP per year and care about publishing royalties, TuneCore's publishing administration makes it worth the higher per-release cost. Those uncollected mechanical royalties can add up to real money.

For emerging UK artists who want more than just distribution — who want genuine artist development support, playlist pitching, and potential label interest — Ditto Music's ecosystem offers the most value. Their team actively scouts from their distribution roster, which is a real pathway.

And honestly? There's nothing wrong with using multiple distributors for different projects. Some artists use DistroKid for their prolific output and TuneCore for their priority releases. The key is understanding what each platform actually does well and leveraging that.

What We'd Change About All of Them

No distributor has cracked fair, transparent pricing yet. We'd love to see a service that charges a simple flat fee, keeps your music up forever, includes all features as standard, and provides genuine transparency about where your streams come from and how payments are calculated. The current model of nickel-and-diming artists for basic features feels antithetical to an artist-first industry.

We'd also love to see better education from distributors. Most emerging artists don't understand the difference between distribution and publishing, don't know they need both, and end up leaving money on the table. The distributor that truly invests in artist education — not as marketing, but as genuine empowerment — will earn enormous loyalty.

At Noise, we believe distribution should be a utility, not a product. Your music should reach every platform with zero friction and zero hidden costs. We're not there yet, but the competition between these services is driving things in the right direction.