Softwr

Music · head to head

CD Baby vs Roku

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
Roku logo

Roku

Entertainment

Streaming made simple

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Roku has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: 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.; Roku roku takes a 20 percent cut of all revenue channel publishers receive through Roku Pay (purchases, subscriptions, ads), paying out the remaining 80 percent no later than 60 days after the end of the month the payment was received, with non-US partners restricted to PayPal or wire transfer (ACH/direct deposit is US-only) and bank fees applying to wire and ACH payouts (archived developer documentation, 2 May 2021)
  • They diverge on capability: CD Baby covers One-time per-release fee, Roku covers Streaming aggregation.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where CD Baby and Roku differ
AttributeCD BabyRoku
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelOne-time purchase plus ongoing commissionfreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidRoku-devices, Smart-tv, Ios, Android
CategoryMusicEntertainment
FoundedUnknown2002

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

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 CD Baby

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

Only in Roku

  • Streaming aggregation
  • Free content
  • Voice search
  • Private listening
  • All major streaming apps
  • Smart home
  • PIN protection
  • Parental controls

What people use each for

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

CD Baby

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

Roku

  • TV streamingnot CD Baby
  • Content discoverynot CD Baby
  • Free entertainmentnot CD Baby

Where each one falls short

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

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.

Roku

  • Roku takes a 20 percent cut of all revenue channel publishers receive through Roku Pay (purchases, subscriptions, ads), paying out the remaining 80 percent no later than 60 days after the end of the month the payment was received, with non-US partners restricted to PayPal or wire transfer (ACH/direct deposit is US-only) and bank fees applying to wire and ACH payouts (archived developer documentation, 2 May 2021)

Pricing, plan by plan

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

Roku

Free
  • FreeFree
    • The Roku Channel
    • Free content
    • Ad-supported

Which should you pick?

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

Choose Roku if

  • You need streaming aggregation.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Roku-devices, Smart-tv, Ios, Android.
  • You also want free content.
Roku review

Questions people ask

Is CD Baby or Roku better?
Neither clearly leads. CD Baby starts at On request and Roku at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, CD Baby or Roku?
Roku has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for CD Baby and Free for Roku.
Does CD Baby or Roku run on more platforms?
CD Baby runs on Web, iOS, Android. Roku runs on Roku-devices, Smart-tv, Ios, Android.
Can I use Roku for free?
Yes. Roku has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. CD Baby starts at On request.
What is CD Baby best used for?
CD Baby is most often used for an artist who releases rarely and wants to pay once with no risk of losing distribution over a missed renewal, a musician comfortable trading a permanent 9% royalty cut for the certainty of never facing a subscription lapse, an artist wanting publishing administration and sync submission bundled through the optional cdb boost add-on, a legacy cd baby user with an existing catalogue who prefers not to migrate to a subscription-based competitor. Of those, an artist who releases rarely and wants to pay once with no risk of losing distribution over a missed renewal and a musician comfortable trading a permanent 9% royalty cut for the certainty of never facing a subscription lapse are not what Roku is typically brought in for.
What can CD Baby do that Roku cannot?
CD Baby covers One-time per-release fee, Permanent royalty retention, CDB Boost, Royalty collection. Roku covers Streaming aggregation, Free content, Voice search, Private listening.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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.

CD Baby: Who owns CD Baby now?

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

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.

Share

Related pages

More on CD Baby

More on Roku

Keep looking

Other head to heads