Guide
DistroKid vs LANDR: prices, editing and what happens if you cancel
DistroKid and LANDR start at nearly the same yearly price. The big difference comes after you cancel: LANDR keeps your releases live for a commission, while DistroKid can remove them unless you paid to keep them up.
Updated November 2, 2026
Short answer
DistroKid starts at $24.99 a year and LANDR at $24 a year, and you keep your earnings on both while subscribed. If you cancel LANDR, your releases stay live and LANDR takes a commission. If you stop paying DistroKid, music can be removed unless the release has Leave a Legacy. Neither lets you bring an existing UPC. DistroKid's top plan also 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 LANDR side by side
Prices are in US dollars. LANDR's help pages list 15% after cancelling, while its Terms of Service list the greater of 15% of monthly net income or $4 a month.
| Feature | DistroKid | LANDR |
|---|---|---|
| Yearly plans | Musician $24.99, Musician Plus $44.99, Ultimate from $89.99 | Distribution Basic $24, Distribution Pro $45; LANDR Studio from $8.25 a month |
| What you keep while subscribed | 100% | 100% |
| After you stop paying | Music can be removed unless the release has Leave a Legacy | Releases stay live; LANDR takes a commission |
| Editing a live release | Replacing audio on Ultimate | Distribution Pro or Studio |
| SoundCloud and Audiomack | SoundCloud not on its list; Audiomack free opt-in | Not on its list, which names only some platforms |
| Your own ISRC | Musician Plus and Ultimate | Yes, and required when moving a release |
| Your own UPC | Not on any plan | No; a new one is generated |
| Artificial streaming | Removal, unpaid royalties, a warning or account closure | Takedowns and withheld royalties; StreamScan shows flags for Spotify and Apple Music |
| 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
Think about where you will be in a few years, not just this release.
- LANDR suits you if you want your catalog to stay up without keeping a subscription, and accept the commission.
- DistroKid suits you if you want a one-time fee on specific releases, or Audiomack delivered.
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
Does LANDR take a cut of my royalties?
Not while you are subscribed. After you cancel, your releases stay live and LANDR takes a commission. Its help pages say 15%, and its terms say the greater of 15% of monthly net income or $4 a month.
Can I keep my UPC if I move to LANDR?
No. LANDR generates a new UPC. You do need your existing ISRCs when moving a release.
Can I edit a live release on LANDR?
Editing live releases is on Distribution Pro or LANDR Studio.
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