If you make music, distribution is the bridge between your song and the world. This guide explains it plainly — no jargon, no gatekeeping — so you can release with confidence and keep every penny you earn.
Streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music don't let independent artists upload directly. Instead, a distributor delivers your finished song and its details (the "metadata") to every store and platform, collects your streaming income, and pays it to you. Think of it as a global delivery service for your music.
A distributor handles three things: getting your release onto stores, keeping your metadata correct so it's discoverable, and collecting and paying your royalties. The difference between distributors comes down to what they charge, how much of your money they keep, and what rights you retain.
For years, distribution meant paying — either a yearly subscription (that removes your music if you stop paying) or a per-release fee, sometimes plus a commission on your streams. Newer platforms flipped the model: free distribution with 0% commission, where you keep 100% of your rights and earnings.
Here's the honest comparison:
| Free (0% commission) | Typical paid | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to release | Free, forever | Yearly fee or per-release |
| Commission on streams | 0% | Often 0–20% |
| Music stays up if you stop paying | Always | Often removed |
| Rights & masters | 100% yours | 100% yours (usually) |
| Stores reached | 150+ | 150+ |
Curious what the difference is worth to you? Run the numbers in our free savings calculator.
Before you commit, check that a distributor:
A good distributor delivers to 150+ services worldwide. The essentials are Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, Amazon Music, Deezer, Tidal, and social platforms like TikTok and Instagram. Just as important are the regional stores where your local audience actually listens — for example Anghami across the Middle East, Boomplay and Audiomack across Africa, JioSaavn in India, and LINE Music in Japan.
Releasing in a specific market? We have local guides for every country — pick yours to see exactly which stores matter there.
You earn money two main ways: recording (master) royalties from streams and downloads, and publishing royalties from the underlying composition. Your distributor collects your master royalties. If you keep 100% and pay 0% commission, all of that streaming income is yours.
Two terms worth knowing: your master is the actual recording you own; your publishing is the songwriting. If you wrote a song with others, agree the percentages in advance — our free split sheet generator makes it a two-minute job and prevents disputes later.
New to all this? Our short get-started walkthrough takes you from zero to live.
Yes — reputable free distributors charge no subscription and no per-release fee, and take 0% commission. You keep 100% of your royalties and rights.
With a true free distributor, yes — permanently. Be careful with subscription models that remove your music if you stop paying.
You should keep 100% of your master and publishing. If a distributor asks for a share of either, look elsewhere.
Usually a few days for stores to process, so upload at least a week or two before your target date.
Reach 150+ stores in 200+ countries with Mazufa — 0% commission, keep 100% of your rights.