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Music · head to head

DistroKid vs LANDR

DistroKid logo

DistroKid

Music

Flat annual subscription music distribution where artists keep 100% of streaming royalties

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
LANDR logo

LANDR

Music

AI mastering and music distribution, sold as separate mastering, distribution and bundled Studio subscriptions

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: DistroKid if the annual fee is not paid, DistroKid can pull releases from stores, and only releases with the separate Leave a Legacy add-on are protected from that.; LANDR mastering and distribution are separate subscription lines, so a producer wanting both is typically paying for two products, not one, unless they specifically choose the bundled Studio plan.
  • They diverge on capability: DistroKid covers Unlimited uploads, LANDR covers AI mastering.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which DistroKid and LANDR actually diverge.

Attributes where DistroKid and LANDR differ
AttributeDistroKidLANDR
Pricing modelOne-time purchasePer user per month, separate mastering and distribution subscriptions
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWeb

Identical on both: starting price (On request), free tier (No), 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 DistroKid

  • Unlimited uploads
  • 0% royalty commission on streaming
  • Scheduled release dates
  • Leave a Legacy
  • Songwriter splits
  • YouTube Content ID

Only in LANDR

  • AI mastering
  • Digital distribution
  • 100 percent royalty retention
  • Pay-per-track mastering
  • Sample packs and plugins
  • Collaboration tools

What people use each for

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

DistroKid

  • A working artist releasing multiple singles a year who wants to keep 100% of streaming royalties above a flat annual feenot LANDR
  • A songwriter needing automated collaborator splits handled at the point of releasenot LANDR
  • A small label managing several artists under one account using a Label tiernot LANDR
  • An artist who wants their catalogue to survive a lapsed subscription and pays for Leave a Legacy on key releasesnot LANDR

LANDR

  • An independent producer wanting fast, low-cost mastering for demos or lower-stakes releasesnot DistroKid
  • A self-releasing artist who wants distribution to Spotify and Apple Music without a label or aggregator contractnot DistroKid
  • A producer wanting to pay for a single mastered track without committing to a subscriptionnot DistroKid
  • An artist who wants sample packs, mastering and distribution bundled together under one Studio plannot DistroKid

Where each one falls short

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

DistroKid

  • If the annual fee is not paid, DistroKid can pull releases from stores, and only releases with the separate Leave a Legacy add-on are protected from that.
  • The 0% royalty claim applies to streaming stores only; social platform monetisation through TikTok, Instagram and YouTube is charged at a 20% commission.
  • Publishing administration, if used, carries its own 20% commission on top of the base subscription.
  • Extra artist profiles beyond the one included per plan cost an additional $14.99 a year each, which adds up for artists running side projects.
  • Customer support is primarily self-serve and ticket-based rather than a dedicated account manager, which some artists moving from CD Baby’s more service-heavy model find thin.

LANDR

  • Mastering and distribution are separate subscription lines, so a producer wanting both is typically paying for two products, not one, unless they specifically choose the bundled Studio plan.
  • AI mastering is generally regarded by working audio engineers as producing a less considered, more generic result than a human mastering engineer for a release meant to matter to an artist career.
  • The lowest mastering tier caps output at lower-resolution MP3, so getting WAV and HD WAV masters requires the more expensive Pro tier.
  • Distribution plans are billed annually, which is a less flexible commitment than platforms offering month-to-month or per-release distribution pricing.
  • Frequent promotional discounting on LANDR pricing makes the real ongoing renewal price harder to predict from marketing pages alone.

Pricing, plan by plan

DistroKid

On request
  • Musician$24.99/year
    • Unlimited uploads, 0% royalty commission on streaming stores
    • No custom release scheduling
  • Musician Plus$44.99/year
    • Scheduled release dates, daily stats
    • Custom label name, multiple artist names
  • Ultimate$89.99/year
    • Everything in Musician Plus
    • Higher-tier support and additional artist management features
  • Label plans$undefined/year
    • Label 5, Label 10 and Label 25 tiers for multiple managed artists

LANDR

On request
  • Mastering Basic$4/month
    • Unlimited lower-resolution MP3 masters
    • Digital distribution not included
  • Mastering Pro$25/month
    • Unlimited WAV and HD WAV masters
    • Highest mastering resolution tier
  • Distribution Basic$24/year
    • Distribution to major streaming platforms
    • Billed separately from mastering plans
  • Distribution Pro$45/year
    • Higher-tier distribution features
    • 100 percent royalty retention

Which should you pick?

Choose DistroKid if

  • You need unlimited uploads.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want 0% royalty commission on streaming.
DistroKid review

Choose LANDR if

  • You need ai mastering.
  • You also want digital distribution.
LANDR review

Questions people ask

Is DistroKid or LANDR better?
Neither clearly leads. DistroKid starts at On request and LANDR at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, DistroKid or LANDR?
DistroKid starts at On request and LANDR at On request.
Does DistroKid or LANDR run on more platforms?
DistroKid runs on Web, iOS, Android. LANDR runs on Web.
What is DistroKid best used for?
DistroKid is most often used for a working artist releasing multiple singles a year who wants to keep 100% of streaming royalties above a flat annual fee, a songwriter needing automated collaborator splits handled at the point of release, a small label managing several artists under one account using a label tier, an artist who wants their catalogue to survive a lapsed subscription and pays for leave a legacy on key releases. Of those, a working artist releasing multiple singles a year who wants to keep 100% of streaming royalties above a flat annual fee and a songwriter needing automated collaborator splits handled at the point of release are not what LANDR is typically brought in for.
What can DistroKid do that LANDR cannot?
DistroKid covers Unlimited uploads, 0% royalty commission on streaming, Scheduled release dates, Leave a Legacy. LANDR covers AI mastering, Digital distribution, 100 percent royalty retention, Pay-per-track mastering.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

DistroKid: Does DistroKid really take 0% of royalties?

On core streaming store royalties, yes. It takes 20% on social platform monetisation (TikTok, Instagram, YouTube) and 20% on publishing administration if used.

LANDR: Do mastering and distribution cost the same subscription?

No, they are billed as separate plans; a bundled Studio plan combines them along with sample packs and plugins.

DistroKid: What happens if I stop paying?

Your releases can be removed from stores. Leave a Legacy is a per-release add-on that keeps specific releases live regardless of subscription status.

LANDR: Do I keep 100 percent of royalties through LANDR distribution?

Yes, artists retain full royalties from tracks distributed through LANDR.

DistroKid: Is there a free tier?

No. Every tier is a paid annual subscription; there is no free plan.

LANDR: Can I master a single track without a subscription?

Yes, a pay-per-track option is available for around 9.99 USD per master.

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