The Most Powerful Music Distributors in 2024

Visibility is crucial for every artist trying to get in the spotlight and make their tracks heard. Effective music distribution allows you to find a targeted audience and effectively increase engagement regardless of what platform you use to upload your music (Apple Music, Spotify, SoundCloud, etc.). However, relying only on digital platforms is not enough. The competitiveness level rises all the time as thousands of tracks are released daily, and new players join the party extremely fast.

That's why you should find the best music distribution company for yourself. Today, the music community can name dozens of distribution companies where every independent artist can get help and resources to move to glory. Some musicians focus only on social media promotion, creating personal brands from scratch and pushing them to the top. The power of music distribution is underestimated and today we are going to prove it.

What is Considered Music Distribution?

Recently, musicians used record labels to highlight their music and make it stand out from the crowd. This option is still on the table, but music distribution services turn the tables and give more options to share content. Music distribution companies have more resources and power to find targeted audiences, give artists the needed tools to customize promotion, and enter top charts within a short time. Still, nobody said about giving up paid digital promotion. You still share new tracks on social media, and transfer your music from Spotify to SoundCloud to increase overall engagement, and have a stronger presence across digital platforms.

When music distribution is performed by related agencies and companies, it becomes more effective due to a higher number of resources and options to share content. Today, music distributors are responsible for:

• Releasing tracks to online platforms. Long-term contracts with Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, and other platforms, as well as small music services and access to social media, allow them to effectively share music targeting genre fans and encouraging new listeners.
  
• Transferring royalties from the streaming platform to the author or music copyright holder. This is not a free option, as well-known distribution companies pay a fee for such services. Still, well-known musicians use such an option and do not worry about their royalties.
  
• Supporting and promoting releases. This service is not common among the industry players, but several music distribution companies offer complex support for musicians. First-class distributors like Ditto offer various services to help musicians promote their content. For example, you can order pre-save links, chart registration, playlisting, and a full-scale promotion campaign. 

Music distribution becomes effective when you work with several digital platforms and release your music simultaneously. It requires time and effort that can be spent differently. Moreover, you can get detailed data about your listeners to improve your approach and develop a better marketing strategy. Still, what each music distribution company can offer? Let's dig in and find out.

Ditto - Brand for Global Music Distribution

The company stands out as the one that provides global digital music distribution. It's well known for its cooperation with Ed Sheeran, Sam Smith, AJ Tracey, and other tier-1 musicians. Those who start working with this brand can easily get their songs on Spotify, YouTube, Deezer, Vevo, Tidal, Apple Music, and other major platforms. Ditto Music has one major advantage - all earned royalties go straight into your pocket. The service claims artists' independence as the top priority.

When picking the package for your needs, you have three options: for beginners, professional musicians, and labels. The starter pack is free and offers a basic number of tools and allows you to understand how everything works. Moreover, you don't limit yourself to a desktop version as there is a mobile app. Ditto has access to a global network with offices in 15 countries on 6 continents. 

UnitedMasters - A Boost to the Top of the Mountain

UnitedMasters is a big player in the area of music distribution. It's more than just a tool for music promotion. When you start working with this company, you get access to 50+ music services and the ability to cover management tasks. For example, there's no need to take responsibility for marketing campaigns and generate ideas for promotion. Specialists take care of you and distribute your music in the best possible way. Platforms like Spotify, SoundCloud, Apple Music, and others will be covered in your promotion campaign. 

Moreover, UnitedMasters are those who connect artists with top brands, so they can get their songs streamed regularly and perform live on the biggest stages sponsored by stakeholders. Another advantage of working with this distribution company becoming a part of a community. Creators from different genres work with UnitedMasters and help newcomers get on track. Moreover, you have options to collaborate. This is not just to release tracks together but to perform on one stage. Just like the previous distribution service, this one also has a music application, so digital distribution becomes easy.

CD Baby - Simplicity in Music Distribution

CD Baby goes as far as its competitors and maximizes distribution capabilities for users. With it, musicians are capable of sharing their tracks on more than 150 streaming services worldwide. The complete list of digital partners includes less common names like InProduction, Qobuz, JOOX, AMI, and others. Besides getting your music straight to the digital music platforms, you can sell it on iTunes, license cover songs, receive detailed analytics about your promotion, and even make CDs. Moreover, there's no paid subscription. You pay for music release and there are no hidden fees. 

Distrokid - The Easiest Way to Distribute Music Online

Distrokid has all the general advantages we've seen on previous distribution platforms. There are a few other things worth attention. The first one is called HyperFollow and it allows you to create custom web pages to present your music. These pages include media, links to songs, references to official music videos, etc. You can also create superb visual cards for promotion and share them on social media. Last but not least is Vizy Video Generator - a tool where you can create videos related to your tracks without the permission of hiring a videographer or other specialist. The service offers an annual subscription, and after payment, you are allowed to distribute an unlimited amount of content using all the available tools. 

Access to various music platforms, reasonable pricing schedules, and simplicity of use make these platforms one of the best options to implement your marketing strategy and make your music heard.