Guides
Music release guides
Straight answers about distribution, streaming royalties and releasing music — written to be useful whether you sign up or not.
Releasing
Step by step
How to Get Your Music on Spotify in 2026 (Step by Step)
Spotify doesn't accept uploads from artists. Here's the exact route your song takes to get there — and how to avoid the mistakes that delay releases.
8 min read
How it works
Sony Music Distribution Explained: The Orchard, AWAL, and How Independents Get In
"Distributed through Sony" gets thrown around a lot. Here's what the Sony distribution ecosystem actually is, why its doors don't open by signup form, and what a label channel changes.
8 min read
Genre playbook
How to Release Metal Music Independently in 2026
Metal has its own rules: a scene that smells lazy presentation instantly, channels most genres ignore, and fans who actually buy music. A release guide that respects that.
9 min read
Promotion
Money
Royalties
How Much Does Spotify Pay Per Stream in 2026?
The honest answer: there is no per-stream rate. Here's how Spotify royalties actually work, what artists really earn, and what moves the number.
8 min read · Calculator included
Costs
The True Cost of DistroKid in 2026 (Calculator Included)
The $24.99 headline is real — and partial. Every DistroKid add-on priced from their own pages, and a calculator that shows what your catalog actually costs.
8 min read · Calculator included
Budget
How Much Does It Cost to Release a Song? The Honest Line-Item Math
The upload fee is the smallest number on the budget. Cover art, copy, video, campaign and posting hours — the whole budget, priced honestly.
7 min read
Costs
TuneCore Renewal Fees: The Real Yearly Math (2026)
Per-release renewals compound: what a 5, 10 and 20-release catalog actually costs per year, from TuneCore's own pricing pages, dated and linked.
7 min read
Comparisons
Written by us, held to one standard: the other side could read every fact and agree. Where a competitor fits you better, the guide says so.
Head-to-head
Audora vs DistroKid (2026): An Honest Comparison
Where DistroKid genuinely wins, where we do, and how to tell which fits you — made to be read without wincing on either side.
8 min read
Head-to-head
Audora vs TuneCore (2026): An Honest Comparison
TuneCore's tiers vs Audora's credits, the social-royalty fee nobody reads about until it bites, and an honest call on who should pick which.
8 min read
Head-to-head
Audora vs CD Baby (2026): An Honest Comparison
CD Baby's pay-once model vs Audora's credit plan, what the permanent 9% really costs, and what Universal's acquisition of CD Baby's parent means.
7 min read
Field guide
Best Music Distribution Services in 2026: An Honest Comparison
Nine distributors compared on pricing model, commission, and support — plus a decision framework for picking the one that fits how you release.
9 min read
Switching
DistroKid Alternatives in 2026: 7 Distributors Worth Considering
Thinking about leaving DistroKid? A fair look at seven alternatives, what each does well, and how to switch without losing your stream counts.
9 min read
Switching
Amuse Alternatives in 2026: What Changed and Where to Go
Amuse built its name on free distribution, then removed it. What Amuse costs now, the 25% catch when you cancel, and where ex-free-tier artists actually land.
8 min read
Switching
The playbook
How to Switch Music Distributors Without Losing Streams
The order of operations decides everything. Deliver first, take down second — and your streams, playlists and release history carry over.
9 min read
Exit guide
How to Leave DistroKid Safely (2026 Exit Guide)
What happens when you stop paying, what Legacy actually costs, what you keep — every policy linked to DistroKid's own pages, and the exit sequence in order.
8 min read
How it works
Who Owns Your ISRC Codes? The Plain Answer
An ISRC is an identifier, not property. Registrant vs assignee, what actually transfers when you switch distributors, and how to find your codes today.
7 min read
Routes
AWAL Alternatives: What to Do If You Don't Get In
A rejection from a selective service is a routing decision, not a review of your music. The routes that are actually open, compared by model.
8 min read