Guide
DistroKid vs Ditto Music: prices, stores and your codes
Ditto Music starts lower than DistroKid and lists SoundCloud. DistroKid has store alerts on its top plan and a one-time way to keep a release up. Here is how they line up.
Updated November 2, 2026
Short answer
Ditto Music starts at $19 a year and DistroKid at $24.99. You keep 100% of streaming income on either. Ditto has a dedicated SoundCloud delivery page, and DistroKid's store list doesn't name SoundCloud. Neither lets you bring an existing UPC. If you stop paying Ditto, releases are at risk of removal but aren't automatically taken down. DistroKid's top plan emails you about changes on Spotify and Apple Music.
What to do, in order
List the platforms you need
Check the store list for any platform your fans use. A service can be missing from one company's list and offered as an opt-in by another.
Work out what you'd pay over time
Compare the yearly price with any cut of your earnings, and with what each extra costs, such as Content ID.
Check what happens if you stop paying
Some services take music down, some keep it up for a bigger cut, and some charge per release to keep it up.
Check you can keep your codes
If you are moving music, ask whether you can bring your ISRCs and UPCs. Keeping the ISRC helps a store recognize the same recording.
DistroKid and Ditto Music side by side
Prices are in US dollars. Confirm the Labels price on Ditto's own page.
| Feature | DistroKid | Ditto Music |
|---|---|---|
| Yearly plans | Musician $24.99, Musician Plus $44.99, Ultimate from $89.99 | Starter $19 for 1 artist, Pro $59 for 2 artists, plus Labels |
| What you keep | 100% | 100% of streaming income |
| SoundCloud | Not on its list | Listed |
| Audiomack | Free opt-in | Listed |
| Content ID | Social Media Pack: $4.95 per single or $14.95 per album a year, plus 20% of ad revenue | Pro and Labels only |
| Your own ISRC | Musician Plus and Ultimate | Yes |
| Your own UPC | Not on any plan | No |
| If you stop paying | Music can be removed unless the release has Leave a Legacy | At risk of removal, but not automatically taken down; you can't release or withdraw royalties |
| Artificial streaming fee | Not described | Spotify fines per track are deducted from your balance |
| Store change alerts | Ultimate: Spotify and Apple Music | Not described |
Not on its list means the company's public store list doesn't name it. It doesn't prove the service can't deliver there.
What each is better for
The right one depends on your plan needs more than the headline price.
- Ditto Music suits you if you want the lower yearly start and SoundCloud on the list.
- DistroKid suits you if you want Content ID as a per-release extra, or a one-time fee to keep a release up.
- Ditto's Release Protection keeps music up, and it is included in Pro and Labels.
How Traxure helps
Traxure is not a distributor, and it works with whichever one you pick. If you have DistroKid Ultimate, Artist Profile Alerts already covers Spotify and Apple Music. Traxure checks your Spotify profile every 12 hours and your full catalog every day, and it also checks Apple Music, Amazon Music, YouTube Music, Deezer, TIDAL, SoundCloud and Pandora. It confirms a change with a second check, then emails you the before, the after and a note to your distributor ready to send. If you switch, Move Guard gives you your UPC, ISRCs and release details for the new distributor and tells you when it's safe to take the old upload down. Monitoring starts with a seven-day free trial.
Prices, store lists and terms were checked on each company's own pages on 2 November 2026. They change, so check before you decide.
Questions artists ask
Is Ditto Music cheaper than DistroKid?
At the entry level, yes. Ditto Starter is $19 a year and DistroKid Musician is $24.99 a year.
Does Ditto Music deliver to SoundCloud?
Yes. Ditto has a dedicated page for SoundCloud delivery.
What happens if I stop paying Ditto?
Ditto says releases are at risk of removal but aren't automatically taken down, and you can't release music or withdraw royalties.
Sources
Traxure
Know the same day, not weeks later.
Traxure checks your releases on Spotify and other platforms around the clock, confirms a change before alerting you and tells you what to do next. Seven-day free trial.
Pricing
Plans from $12 a month.
7-day free trial on every plan. Cancel anytime.
- Artist $12/mo
- Manager $69/mo
- Label $199/mo