DistroKid raises pricing for 2026, what it means for your catalog
DistroKid's base plan is going from $22.99 to $24.99 a year. Small bump on the headline, but the add-on changes are where the real story is.
DistroKid is bumping its Musician plan from $22.99/year to $24.99/year starting July 1. The headline number is a small bump, but the rest of the pricing page got a quiet rework worth knowing about.
Key Takeaways
- Musician plan goes from $22.99 to $24.99 a year on July 1.
- Fast-edit feature is now $4.99 per edit on the base plan (previously free on Plus).
- DistroKid is still the cheapest unlimited-uploads option in the market.
- Single-release artists should compare against Amuse Free given the new pricing math.
What changed in DistroKid's 2026 pricing?
- Musician plan: $22.99 → $24.99/year, unlimited uploads (no change)
- Musician Plus plan: $39.99 → $42.99/year, adds split sheets for two artist names
- Label plans: restructured into "Label 5", "Label 10", "Label 25" tiers (was per-artist before)
- Leave a Legacy add-on (keeps your music live forever if you stop paying): $29 → $39
The fast-edit feature, which used to be free for Musician Plus members, is now $4.99 per edit on the base Musician plan. That's the one to watch.
Is DistroKid still the cheapest?
Yes. Even at $24.99, DistroKid is the cheapest unlimited-uploads option in the market. Amuse Pro is $59.99/year, TuneCore Unlimited is $89.99/year, and the per-release distributors (CD Baby, TuneCore Single) get expensive fast for prolific artists.
For a catalog of 10+ tracks, DistroKid's economics are still hard to beat.
Who should reconsider their DistroKid plan?
If you only release once or twice a year, the math gets closer. Amuse's free tier ($0/year, 15% royalty cut) plus a $24.99 baseline savings starts to look attractive. The break-even point is about $170/year in royalties, below that, free-with-royalty-share might beat flat-fee.
If you're already paying for Musician Plus and you use the fast-edit feature regularly, the new $4.99-per-edit policy will probably cost more than the $3 plan bump.
What should you do about the DistroKid price hike?
For most indie artists, this isn't a reason to switch. DistroKid is still the default and the $2 bump doesn't change that. But if you've been on the fence about Amuse for a low-release-volume project, the price gap just narrowed.
Related reading
FAQ
What did DistroKid increase in 2026?
The base unlimited-uploads plan rose from $24.99 to $29.99 per year. The Musician Plus and Label tiers also went up proportionally. Existing subscribers get the old rate locked in until their next renewal.
Is DistroKid still the cheapest distributor at the new price?
Yes for active artists. Unlimited releases for $29.99 a year still beats every per-release competitor once you cross three to four releases per year. Amuse Free remains the only cheaper option for hobbyists who release once or twice annually.
Should you switch distributors because of the DistroKid price hike?
Probably not. The $5 annual increase is smaller than the takedown-and-redistribute friction cost. Stay if you have 5 or more releases under DistroKid; consider switching only if you release fewer than three tracks per year.
What is the cheapest legitimate distributor in 2026?
Amuse Free for hobbyists (free with a 15 percent revenue cut), DistroKid for active artists ($29.99 per year unlimited), and CD Baby for sync-focused artists (per-release fee but active sync team). TuneCore lands above all three on cost-per-release.
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