TrackRiot vs DistroKid vs TuneCore

The short answer

DistroKid and TuneCore are pure distribution services — they move your audio file to Spotify, Apple Music, TikTok, and the rest of the streaming world, and that's it. Everything else (cover art, beat licensing, promotion, career guidance) you buy or build somewhere else.

TrackRiot is a different shape entirely. It's an operating system for independent artists: distribution is one of six tools, alongside AI cover art (RiotCover), beat search and licensing (TuneZeo, NationOfBeats), studio tools (SonicStu), and promo (MediaFamous). One login, one flat annual fee, no per-feature upsells.

If you only need to upload finished tracks and nothing else, DistroKid is the cheapest entry point. If you want every step of your career — from beat to cover art to distribution to promotion — in one place, TrackRiot is built for that.

Pricing breakdown

DistroKid

Cheapest starting point at $22.99/year for unlimited uploads. Royalties are 100% yours. Catches: cover art, label features, lyric publishing, and YouTube content ID all cost extra add-ons that stack on the base fee.

TuneCore

Starts at $14.99 for one single per year, $29.99 for an album. Royalties are 100% yours. Catches: per-release pricing means a prolific artist pays significantly more than DistroKid or TrackRiot over a year, and most career tools (promo, publishing admin) are sold separately.

TrackRiot

$29.99/year, unlimited releases, 100% royalties — and the price covers the entire ecosystem: AI cover art, beat licensing, songwriting tools, promo, and an AI manager. No per-release fees and no à-la-carte add-ons for the core artist workflow.

Who should pick which

Pick DistroKid if you already have cover art, your tracks produced, and a promo plan — and just want the cheapest possible upload pipe to streaming services.

Pick TuneCore if you release rarely (a couple of singles a year) and want a well-known brand with a long track record.

Pick TrackRiot if you want one workspace for everything an independent artist actually does — writing, beat shopping, cover art, distribution, and promotion — at one predictable price.

FAQ

Do any of these take a cut of royalties?

No. TrackRiot, DistroKid, and TuneCore all let artists keep 100% of their streaming royalties. Their revenue is the annual fee, not a percentage.

Can I switch distributors later?

Yes. You can move catalog between any of these services — usually by taking your releases down and re-uploading on the new platform. Streaming history (play counts, save data) persists with the song's ISRC.

Is there a free option?

All three charge for distribution. Free distributors exist (Amuse, RouteNote) but they typically take a percentage of royalties or limit features, which costs more long-term than a flat fee for any artist with consistent streams.