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Music · head to head

CD Baby vs Soundtrap

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
Soundtrap logo

Soundtrap

Music

Spotify-owned browser-based DAW and podcast studio, sold on separate Music Maker and Storytellers subscription tracks

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Soundtrap 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.; Soundtrap the free tier limits export quality and recording time enough that any real, publishable project needs a paid plan.
  • They diverge on capability: CD Baby covers One-time per-release fee, Soundtrap covers Browser-based multitrack editor.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where CD Baby and Soundtrap differ
AttributeCD BabySoundtrap
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelOne-time purchase plus ongoing commissionPer user per month
Free tierNoYes

Identical on both: platforms (Web, iOS, Android), 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 CD Baby

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

Only in Soundtrap

  • Browser-based multitrack editor
  • Real-time collaboration
  • Podcast-specific tools
  • Loop and instrument library
  • Spotify Premium bundle
  • Direct publishing

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 Soundtrap
  • A musician comfortable trading a permanent 9% royalty cut for the certainty of never facing a subscription lapsenot Soundtrap
  • An artist wanting publishing administration and sync submission bundled through the optional CDB Boost add-onnot Soundtrap
  • A legacy CD Baby user with an existing catalogue who prefers not to migrate to a subscription-based competitornot Soundtrap

Soundtrap

  • A podcaster wanting browser-based multi-track voice recording with automatic leveling and noise reductionnot CD Baby
  • A musician collaborating remotely with bandmates in real time without sharing large project files manuallynot CD Baby
  • A Spotify Premium subscriber taking advantage of the bundled discount on a Soundtrap plannot CD Baby
  • A creator who wants access to both music and podcast production tools and picks the Complete tiernot 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.

Soundtrap

  • The free tier limits export quality and recording time enough that any real, publishable project needs a paid plan.
  • Music Maker and Storytellers are marketed as distinct products despite sharing the same underlying editor, which can lead a buyer to pay for the wrong track or duplicate features across two subscriptions.
  • Production depth, plugin support and mixing precision remain behind desktop DAWs such as Pro Tools or Logic Pro, limiting it for professional mastering work.
  • As a Spotify-owned product, roadmap priorities are set by a streaming company, and features that primarily benefit Spotify’s ecosystem (like direct publishing) get more attention than deep audio engineering tools.
  • Reliance on a stable internet connection for cloud-based recording and collaboration makes it a poor fit for fieldwork or unreliable-connectivity environments compared with a local desktop DAW.

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

Soundtrap

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Basic recording and editing
    • Limited export quality and recording time
  • Music Maker Premium$9.99/month
    • Full-quality export
    • Extended recording time and loop library access
  • Music Maker Supreme$14.99/month
    • Expanded instrument and loop library
    • Higher-tier collaboration limits
  • Storytellers$14.99/month
    • Podcast-specific auto-leveling and noise reduction tools

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 Soundtrap if

  • You need browser-based multitrack editor.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want real-time collaboration.
Soundtrap review

Questions people ask

Is CD Baby or Soundtrap better?
Neither clearly leads. CD Baby starts at On request and Soundtrap at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, CD Baby or Soundtrap?
Soundtrap has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for CD Baby and Free for Soundtrap.
Does CD Baby or Soundtrap run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, iOS, Android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Soundtrap for free?
Yes. Soundtrap 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 Soundtrap is typically brought in for.
What can CD Baby do that Soundtrap cannot?
CD Baby covers One-time per-release fee, Permanent royalty retention, CDB Boost, Royalty collection. Soundtrap covers Browser-based multitrack editor, Real-time collaboration, Podcast-specific tools, Loop and instrument library.

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.

Soundtrap: Is Soundtrap free to use?

A free tier exists but with limited export quality and recording time; most real projects require a paid Music Maker, Storytellers or Complete plan.

CD Baby: Who owns CD Baby now?

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

Soundtrap: What is the difference between Music Maker and Storytellers?

Music Maker is aimed at musicians with a loop and instrument library; Storytellers focuses on podcast tools like auto-leveling and noise reduction, though both run on the same core editor.

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.

Soundtrap: Who owns Soundtrap?

Spotify, which acquired it in 2017 and now bundles it with Spotify Premium subscriptions at a discount.

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