Most people choose a distribution plan by looking at the price and nothing else. The price matters, but it only makes sense next to a few other answers: how much you'll release, for how many artists, on what terms, and what you'll see afterwards. Go through these questions before you pay, whichever service you're looking at.
How many releases will you really put out?
Be honest, not optimistic. Look at the last twelve months and at what's actually finished or nearly finished now. Ruby Hale, for example, plans six singles this year and maybe an EP. That's seven releases, not "lots".
Remember that versions count. A remix, an acoustic version or a radio edit released separately is usually a release of its own. So is a deluxe edition. Ask each service how it counts releases: is a single the same as a twelve-track album, and does a re-release count again?
Then add a margin. If you expect seven releases, a plan that allows exactly seven leaves no room for an unplanned remix or a collaboration that comes together in autumn.
If you're releasing for the first time, you may not know the answer yet, and that's fine. Your pace after the first two or three releases will tell you more than any plan you make today.
How many artist profiles do you need?
A solo artist with one name needs one profile. But many people have more than that: a side project under another name, a duo, a producer alias, or a small label releasing several artists.
Count the names that will appear as primary artists on your releases. Ask how featured guests are handled and whether they take up a profile slot. A small label like Northside Tapes with five artists needs room for at least five profiles from day one, plus space for the next signing.
What happens to your rights?
This is the question to read carefully, not skim. A distribution service delivers your music; it shouldn't own it. Check that the terms say clearly that you keep your rights, and look at what you grant the service and for how long.
Also check the other side. Every service will ask you to confirm that you own or have permission for the audio, artwork and other materials you submit. If you work with leased beats, samples or AI tools, make sure your paperwork supports that before you sign up anywhere.
Finally, ask what happens to releases that are already live if you stop paying or move to another service. The answer differs between services, and it's better to know it now.
What will reporting show you?
You need more than a total. Useful reporting shows streams by platform and by country, for a clear period, with a note on where the figures come from. Ask how often reports appear and how long after the period ends.
In the CULT dashboard, for instance, streams by platform and country appear each reporting period once partner reports are checked, and every report shows its source and period. Whatever service you choose, look for that level of clarity. Without it, you can't tell whether your work in a certain country or on a certain platform is paying off.
Who checks your release, and how do you reach them?
A review before delivery can feel like a delay, but it catches the problems that would otherwise get your release rejected by a platform later: wrong artwork size, title mistakes, missing credits. Ask whether releases are checked, how requested changes are shown to you, and how you can ask questions when something is unclear.
Think about language too. Being able to write in a language you're comfortable with, and to get an answer you fully understand, is not a small detail, especially on your first releases. One misunderstood change request can hold a release back for days.
The yearly cost, worked out honestly
Now look at the price, but calculate it per release you'll actually make, not per release the plan allows.
CULT's plans are an example of how to do the maths. Every plan includes unlimited releases, and what changes is the number of artist profiles: 1 on Solo Artist, 2 on New Artist and 10 on Professional Artist. You can pay monthly or yearly, and paying yearly gives you two months free. The current prices are on the plans page of cult.az, shown in your currency, so do the sum there: multiply the monthly price by twelve, compare it with the yearly price, then divide by the number of releases you actually expect.
- Ruby, with seven releases and one name, fits Solo Artist. She will be releasing all year, so paying yearly costs her less than paying month by month, and since releases are unlimited, every extra one she puts out brings her cost per release down.
- Northside Tapes, with five artists and around forty releases a year, would outgrow the smaller plan quickly. The larger one covers its profiles and volume with room to spare.
Don't buy capacity you'll never use, and don't squeeze yourself into a plan you'll outgrow by spring. The right plan is the one that fits the year you're actually going to have.