What DistroKid is (in plain English)

• DistroKid is a music distribution service that gets your songs into Spotify, Apple Music, TikTok, YouTube, and 150+ global platforms. You upload once, and they deliver everywhere while you keep 100% of your earnings. Most releases go live in about 2–3 days, which is very fast for the industry. (distrokid.com)

• Their pitch in a nutshell: unlimited uploads, a simple dashboard, and the claim that releases reach stores 10–20x faster than other distributors. (distrokid.com)

What you get at a glance

• Unlimited uploads on all plans, no per‑release fees. (distrokid.com)

• Built‑in promo tools like HyperFollow, Playlist Spotlight, Promo Cards, Mini Videos, and the Vizy video generator. (support.distrokid.com)

• Royalty Splits to automatically pay collaborators, plus recoupment so you can recover costs before splitting. (support.distrokid.com)

• Daily streaming stats and more control (custom release dates, label name, pricing) on higher‑tier plans. (distrokid.com)

• Optional music video distribution with DistroVid for Spotify, Apple Music, Vevo, Tidal, and Boomplay. (distrokid.com)

Why this matters for a solid Back Office

• Centralized catalog control: One place to manage releases, metadata, pricing (iTunes/Amazon), and timing, which reduces admin chaos across teams. (distrokid.com)

• Cleaner royalty accounting: Use Splits to route earnings automatically to bandmates, producers, or managers; add recoupments so advances/expenses are repaid first. This eliminates manual spreadsheets and awkward payout reconciliations. (support.distrokid.com)

• Tax compliance built in: DistroKid collects W‑9/W‑8BEN details and delivers 1099/1042 forms via Zenwork Tax1099, which helps your finance team close books accurately. (support.distrokid.com)

• Faster release ops: The quick distribution pace and custom release dates make it easier to hit marketing calendars and coordinate pre‑saves, press, and ads on schedule. (distrokid.com)

• Label‑friendly structure: The Ultimate plan supports multiple artists and advanced tools (analytics, playlist contact search, instant file sharing), which fits a growing roster without duct‑taped systems. (distrokid.com)

Built‑in promo tools that actually help

• HyperFollow: A single, auto‑updating link for pre‑saves and store links. It can collect fan emails and follower actions, which is great for CRM and retargeting. (support.distrokid.com)

• Playlist Spotlight: Submit tracks to head‑to‑head fan voting; winners land on DistroKid’s Spotify playlists—useful for low‑lift awareness spikes. (support.distrokid.com)

• Promo Cards and Mini Videos: Ready‑to‑share visuals that match your artwork and release info, saving design time. (support.distrokid.com)

• Vizy Video Generator: Quick, customizable music‑reactive clips for socials; currently priced per video, so you can scale content on demand. (support.distrokid.com)

Music videos with DistroVid

• If you also release videos, DistroVid distributes unlimited music videos for $8.25/month (billed annually at $99) and you keep 100% of video earnings. Great for unified audio + video reporting and planning. (distrokid.com)

Plans and pricing (United States)

• Musician: $24.99/year for 1 artist. Unlimited uploads and core features. (distrokid.com)

• Musician Plus: $44.99/year for up to 2 artists. Adds daily stats, custom release dates, pre‑orders, custom label name, and custom iTunes pricing. (distrokid.com)

• Ultimate: Starting at $89.99/year for 5+ artists. Includes everything in Plus, plus 1 TB instant file sharing, playlist contact search, and deeper analytics—ideal for small labels or multi‑project teams. (distrokid.com)

What “fastest” feels like day to day

• Expect typical releases to appear in major stores in about 2–3 days when everything’s in order (artwork, metadata, rights). That speed helps marketing, PR, and ads stay in sync with your release plan. (distrokid.com)

• DistroKid’s public messaging also claims 10–20x faster than other distributors, underscoring their speed focus. (distrokid.com)

Notes and small print to know

• The subscription covers distribution while you keep 100% of store royalties. Some optional “album extras” (e.g., Store Maximizer, Social Media Pack) have their own fees or revenue shares—factor those into budgets. (support.distrokid.com)

• For Splits, collaborators normally need a DistroKid account, but you can pay $10/year per collaborator so they can receive their share without a full subscription—handy for session players and ad‑hoc partners. (support.distrokid.com)

Bottom line

• If you want a lean, modern, and back‑office‑friendly distribution stack, DistroKid’s combo of unlimited uploads, fast delivery, automated payouts with Splits/recoupment, and ready‑made promo tools keeps both your release team and your finance ops moving smoothly. It’s a straightforward way to get music out widely while keeping admin tidy and predictable. (distrokid.com)