CDBaby and Ditto Music are two music distributors that aim to the independent artists as their target users. Thereby, being an artist in this situation, which distributor should you go with? What are the differences between the features of those two services? Which is the suitable distributor for you? Let’s find it out through this article! In addition, you can also check our article on Top 4 Music Distribution Service 2023 to find out more options and price ranges in distributing music. Pricing CDBaby offers pay-per-release music distribution, meaning you pay a one-time fee for each release you distribute. Ditto Music, on the other hand, provides a pay-per-year service. With a yearly subscription, you can distribute an unlimited number of songs and albums within that year, and you'll need to renew your subscription annually to keep your music online. So, for a young independent musician, CDBaby may be a more economical choice for your initial releases. Instead of paying a yearly subscription for Ditto Music, which is only cost-effective if you’re releasing a large amount of music each year. CDBaby charges a one-time fee to keep your music on streaming platforms. This way, you can save money and make your music accessible to listeners without worrying about subscription fees. CDBaby CDBaby's standard package offers distribution and sync licensing services for TV, films, and games. However, it does not include publishing features. If you opt for the pro package, you'll get a worldwide publishing royalty collection in addition to distribution and sync licensing services that are also included in the standard option. Here's an overview of CDBaby's pricing and packages: Standard Single: $9.99 Standard Album: $9.99 Pro Single: $49.99 Pro Album: $49.99 If you're an independent artist planning to distribute your music online, CDBaby's Standard options are an excellent choice. With an affordable fee, you can easily distribute your music across various online platforms without worrying about growing costs to maintain your music's availability online. However, if you want to sign up your music for publishing royalties, you should consider CDBaby's Pro package. While the package offers a worldwide publishing royalty collection, the cost can be quite high, including commissions that CDBaby takes. But, it's important to note that signing up for publishing royalties can be a smart investment for artists looking to maximize their revenue streams and gain exposure. Ditto Music Ditto Music's packages offer the same features across the board, with the only variation being the maximum number of artists that can participate in each package. If you're part of a group of artists working together, it's best to choose a package that offers group distribution to make the most of your budget. Here are the specific plan and prices that they have: Artist Plan: $19/year Professional Plan: $29/year/ 2 artists Label Plan: $69/year/ 5 artists It's important for artists to understand that while distributors like Ditto Music offer a range of features, these are not necessarily comprehensive. For example, Ditto Music's standard package doesn't include publishing services or the ability to sign up for royalties. Artists who want these additional features will need to purchase them separately. Distribution features CDBaby CDBaby packages will include both the distribution service and music publishing for artists. Moreover, the Pro package will also give you the option to release your album in physical form. However, CDBaby takes a lot of commissions on your revenue, so make sure that you are aware of those before purchasing their packages: For the Standard option: 30% on Youtube, TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram revenues. For the Pro option: 15% of publishing royalties 40% on sync placements Ditto Music In addition to the core music distribution service, Ditto Music offers artists the option to purchase additional features to enhance their music career. One such feature is Music Publishing, which costs $49/per year. By signing up for Music publishing, artists can have their music registered with royalties collections and syncs their track with TV, films and gaming opportunities. Ditto Music takes a commission of 10% on the royalties revenue and 20% on your sync licensing. Customer Service CDBaby CDBaby has established a strong reputation within the independent music distribution industry. While they provide customers with various support channels, some users have reported inadequate problem resolution based on their experiences. LaVilla from the US, posted on March 1, 2023, on TrustPilot: “I DO NOT RECOMMEND CD BABY AT ALL!! I'm trying to contact them and it is impossible, you just have a chat to try to talk to them and that never happen, their phone does not work, in my last release they made a thousand mistakes, putting my music on other profiles and after 4 days not even my music is not even on instagram, Facebook, tik tok, what??? And I was so happy with them, well not anymore!!” Ditto Music Overall, Ditto Music has received mostly positive reviews online. Users have praised the company for being supportive and highly responsive. However, a minority of reviewers have reported not receiving any response from Ditto Music. Therefore, it's important to consider the potential risk of not receiving the necessary support before signing up with Ditto Music. Abe from the US, posted on March 5, 2023, on TrustPilot: “Sent like 12 messages in my support… Sent like 12 messages in my support threads. Never got a response. Customer service sucks at Ditto” Conclusion Why go with CDBaby In conclusion if you are an independent artist who just wants to try and distribute your music without thinking about gaining the revenues back yet. CDBaby should be a suitable choice for you because of their one-time payment to keep the music online. Additionally, if you are artists that want to distribute your music on CD or Vinyl, CD Baby is the only place that is offering this service for you! Why go with Ditto Music On the other hand, if you are artists that are planning to distribute a large amount of music then Ditto Music will be more suitable for you since they provide an unlimited distribution per year for artists and will take zero commissions on your distribution revenue. However, since Ditto Music’s main package doesn’t include any publishing plan, you should be able to prepare yourself an extra budget if you want to go professional and register your music with the royalties collection. Knowing the difficulty young artists have to face with, finding the right distribution service to promoting their music and gain recognition in today’s rapidly changing music industry can be a daunting task. Base For Music is a complimentary service to assist artists in promoting their music after the distribution process. We understand the importance of reaching the right audience and building a successful music career, which is why Base For Music offer targeted advertising campaigns across popular streaming platforms such as Spotify, Apple Music, Youtube, Tiktok, and more. With Base For Music, you can elevate your music career to the next level and achieve the recognition you deserve. Sign up for your free account with Base For Music now!