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Music · head to head

BandLab vs CD Baby

BandLab logo

BandLab

Music

Free, browser and mobile-based collaborative DAW, with optional Pro and Max membership tiers for sample libraries and extras

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
CD Baby logo

CD Baby

Music

Music distribution charging an upfront per-release fee plus a permanent 9% commission on royalties, now owned by Universal Music Group

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only BandLab has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: BandLab mixing and mastering depth is shallower than desktop DAWs like Pro Tools or Ableton Live, so serious production work eventually outgrows it.; CD Baby the 9% commission is permanent and cannot be bought out, so an artist with growing streaming income pays CD Baby more every year indefinitely, unlike a flat subscription fee.
  • They diverge on capability: BandLab covers Browser-based DAW, CD Baby covers One-time per-release fee.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which BandLab and CD Baby actually diverge.

Attributes where BandLab and CD Baby differ
AttributeBandLabCD Baby
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelPer user per yearOne-time purchase plus ongoing commission
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, iOS, Android, macOS, WindowsWeb, iOS, Android

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Music).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in BandLab

  • Browser-based DAW
  • Real-time collaboration
  • Cloud project storage
  • Sample and loop library
  • Social publishing feed
  • SongStarter AI

Only in CD Baby

  • One-time per-release fee
  • Permanent royalty retention
  • CDB Boost
  • Royalty collection
  • Social monetisation
  • DIY musician tools

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

BandLab

  • A mobile-first artist who wants to record, edit and publish a track entirely from a phone or tabletnot CD Baby
  • A remote collaboration between musicians in different locations working on the same project in real timenot CD Baby
  • A beginner who wants a fully functional DAW without buying a computer capable of running Pro Tools or Logic Pronot CD Baby
  • A creator using SongStarter to break through writer’s block with an AI-generated starting pointnot CD Baby

CD Baby

  • An artist who releases rarely and wants to pay once with no risk of losing distribution over a missed renewalnot BandLab
  • A musician comfortable trading a permanent 9% royalty cut for the certainty of never facing a subscription lapsenot BandLab
  • An artist wanting publishing administration and sync submission bundled through the optional CDB Boost add-onnot BandLab
  • A legacy CD Baby user with an existing catalogue who prefers not to migrate to a subscription-based competitornot BandLab

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

BandLab

  • Mixing and mastering depth is shallower than desktop DAWs like Pro Tools or Ableton Live, so serious production work eventually outgrows it.
  • Being browser-based, it depends on a stable internet connection for cloud sync and collaboration in a way desktop DAWs do not.
  • Pro and Max pricing steps up sharply after the first-year introductory rate (from $99 to $149, and $199 to $299), which is easy to miss when signing up.
  • Third-party plugin support is far more limited than a native desktop DAW, restricting sound design options for advanced producers.
  • The social publishing feed and artist-services framing mean the product is partly built around community engagement rather than purely production, which is not what every user wants from a DAW.

CD Baby

  • The 9% commission is permanent and cannot be bought out, so an artist with growing streaming income pays CD Baby more every year indefinitely, unlike a flat subscription fee.
  • It is now owned by Universal Music Group following the 2026 Downtown Music Holdings acquisition, which sits awkwardly against its original positioning as an independent alternative to major labels.
  • Sync placements CD Baby secures on an artist’s behalf carry up to a 40% commission, among the highest cuts in the category.
  • Social platform monetisation is commissioned at 30%, higher than DistroKid’s or TuneCore’s 20%.
  • The one-time fee model looks cheaper upfront than a subscription, but for any artist with meaningful and growing streaming revenue the compounding 9% cut typically costs more over a few years.

Pricing, plan by plan

BandLab

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Full DAW functionality, no track limits
    • 20 sample downloads per month
  • Pro$99/year
    • First-year introductory price, renews at $149/year
    • 100 sample downloads per month
    • Artist services and platform perks
  • Max$199/year
    • First-year introductory price, renews at $299/year
    • 500 sample downloads per month
    • Expanded artist services

CD Baby

On request
  • Single$9.99/month
    • One-time upfront fee per single
    • 9% commission on digital royalties, permanent
  • Album$14.99/month
    • One-time upfront fee per album
    • 9% commission on digital royalties, permanent
  • CDB Boost$39.99/month
    • Optional per-release add-on for publishing and sync submission

Which should you pick?

Choose BandLab if

  • You need browser-based daw.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android, macOS, Windows.
  • You also want real-time collaboration.
BandLab review

Choose CD Baby if

  • You need one-time per-release fee.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want permanent royalty retention.
CD Baby review

Questions people ask

Is BandLab or CD Baby better?
Neither clearly leads. BandLab starts at Free and CD Baby at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, BandLab or CD Baby?
BandLab has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for BandLab and On request for CD Baby.
Does BandLab or CD Baby run on more platforms?
BandLab runs on Web, iOS, Android, macOS, Windows. CD Baby runs on Web, iOS, Android.
Can I use BandLab for free?
Yes. BandLab has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. CD Baby starts at On request.
What is BandLab best used for?
BandLab is most often used for a mobile-first artist who wants to record, edit and publish a track entirely from a phone or tablet, a remote collaboration between musicians in different locations working on the same project in real time, a beginner who wants a fully functional daw without buying a computer capable of running pro tools or logic pro, a creator using songstarter to break through writer’s block with an ai-generated starting point. Of those, a mobile-first artist who wants to record, edit and publish a track entirely from a phone or tablet and a remote collaboration between musicians in different locations working on the same project in real time are not what CD Baby is typically brought in for.
What can BandLab do that CD Baby cannot?
BandLab covers Browser-based DAW, Real-time collaboration, Cloud project storage, Sample and loop library. CD Baby covers One-time per-release fee, Permanent royalty retention, CDB Boost, Royalty collection.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

BandLab: Is BandLab really free with no functionality limits?

Core recording, mixing and publishing are free with no track caps; paid tiers mainly add sample download quotas and artist services.

CD Baby: Does CD Baby ever take a subscription fee?

No, it charges a one-time upfront fee per release, but keeps a permanent 9% commission on royalties with no way to remove it.

BandLab: What renewal price should I expect on Pro or Max?

Both renew higher than the first-year price: Pro from $99 to $149, Max from $199 to $299.

CD Baby: Who owns CD Baby now?

Universal Music Group, following its February 2026 acquisition of Downtown Music Holdings, CD Baby’s previous owner.

BandLab: Can I use BandLab without installing anything?

Yes, it runs fully in a web browser, with mobile and desktop apps also available.

CD Baby: What happens if I never pay again after the initial fee?

Releases stay distributed since there is no recurring distribution fee; the ongoing 9% commission is deducted automatically from royalties as they are earned.

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