Which digital aggregator is best for independent artists?

It depends on your release volume and needs. DistroKid is popular for prolific artists due to unlimited uploads for a flat annual fee. CD Baby is good for single releases with its one-time fee model. TuneCore offers robust features but charges annually per release. Consider your release frequency, need for additional services, and pricing model preference.

Can I switch digital aggregators?

Yes, but you'll need to take down your releases from the old aggregator and re-upload through the new one. This can cause a temporary gap in availability and may reset your streaming counts on some platforms. Plan the transition carefully to minimize disruption.

distribution

Digital Aggregator

A service that delivers music to multiple digital streaming platforms and online stores on behalf of artists and labels.

What it means

A digital aggregator (also called a digital distributor) is a company that serves as the intermediary between music creators and digital streaming platforms/download stores. Since most streaming services like Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon Music do not accept direct uploads from individual artists, aggregators provide the essential service of encoding, delivering, and managing music across dozens of platforms simultaneously. Popular digital aggregators include DistroKid, TuneCore, CD Baby, LANDR, Amuse, and RouteNote. Each has a different business model: some charge flat annual fees (DistroKid), some charge per-release fees (TuneCore, CD Baby), and some take a percentage of revenue in exchange for free distribution (Amuse, RouteNote's free tier). Beyond basic distribution, many aggregators now offer additional services such as YouTube Content ID registration, publishing administration, sync licensing opportunities, playlist pitching, advance funding, and analytics dashboards. For ambient and meditation music creators, the choice of aggregator is particularly important because of the high volume of releases typical in these genres. An ambient producer might release 50-100+ tracks per year across multiple albums and singles, making unlimited distribution models more cost-effective than per-release pricing. Additionally, features like automated Content ID registration can help protect ambient tracks that are frequently used without permission in YouTube videos and social media content.

Technical details

Digital aggregators operate through direct integration with each streaming platform's content delivery system. They submit DDEX (Digital Data Exchange) formatted metadata alongside high-quality audio files (typically WAV or FLAC, 16-bit/44.1kHz minimum, with 24-bit preferred). The DDEX standard ensures consistent metadata formatting across platforms and includes fields for ISRCs, UPCs, songwriter credits, publisher information, and territorial restrictions. Aggregators handle the royalty collection pipeline: platforms report usage data and pay royalties to the aggregator, who then passes payments through to the artist minus their fee. Payment schedules vary — some aggregators pay monthly, others quarterly, with reporting delays of 1-3 months. Many aggregators also generate and assign ISRCs and UPCs on behalf of artists. The aggregator relationship is typically non-exclusive for the distribution service itself, meaning artists can switch aggregators between releases, though each individual release should only be distributed through one aggregator to avoid duplicate listings.

Frequently asked questions

Where to go next

Guide: next steps Genre landing DistroKid vs. TuneCore: The Best Distributor for Ambient Music Creators Catalog Value Calculator

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