# Music distribution in India: 6 services compared (2026)

> Music distribution in India means paying a distributor to send your songs to Spotify, JioSaavn, Apple Music and other apps, and to collect your streaming money. TuneCore India and Madverse price in rupees. DistroKid, CD Baby and Ditto price in US dollars. Compare the yearly cost, the share of royalties kept, and the stores listed.

Canonical: https://airtune.in/learn/guides/music-distribution-india/
Updated: 2026-11-08
Publisher: Airtune (https://airtune.in/?utm_source=learn&utm_medium=markdown&utm_campaign=music-distribution-india)

Music distribution in India is how an independent artist gets songs onto Spotify, JioSaavn, Apple Music, YouTube Music and other apps. You upload to a distributor, and it delivers the song, tracks the plays and pays you. Spotify's own help page says to work with a distributor to get your music on Spotify.

**In short**

- **Price models differ:** yearly plans, monthly plans or a one-time fee per release.
- **Check the royalty share:** some keep 0% of store income, others keep a cut.
- **Check Indian stores:** only some pricing or home pages list JioSaavn and Gaana.

## What is music distribution in India?

Music distribution in India is the service of delivering your recorded songs to streaming apps and stores, then collecting the money they pay. Apps like Spotify do not take uploads from most artists directly. They work with distributors and labels, who send the audio, cover art and song details in the format each app needs.

A distributor does three jobs. It delivers your release on the date you pick. It reports streams and earnings from each app. And it pays you, after any fee or commission in your plan.

Spotify's help page says most distributors charge a fee or a commission, and that each service is different. That is why two artists with the same streams can take home different amounts. Before you choose, you also need the rights to your song, including a licence for the beat. A distributor can ask you for proof. Our guide to [beat licensing in India](/learn/licensing/beat-licensing-india/) explains what that proof looks like.

## Which is the best music distribution service in India?

The best music distribution service in India depends on how often you release and how you want to pay. For rupee prices and Indian stores named on the page, TuneCore India and Madverse stand out. For a low yearly price in dollars, DistroKid and Ditto are strong. For one song with no yearly fee, CD Baby fits.

No single service wins on everything. Some keep 0% of your store royalties but charge every year. CD Baby charges once per release but keeps 9% of digital distribution revenue. TuneCore India and Madverse take 20% of social video income from TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube.

The table shows what each service's own page said on 8 November 2026. Prices and offers change, so check the page before you pay. Where a page did not state something, we say so instead of guessing.

| Service | Price shown (checked 8 Nov 2026) | Royalty share, as stated | India points |
|---|---|---|---|
| TuneCore India | Rising Artist ₹1,599 a year, Breakout Artist ₹2,799 a year, Professional ₹4,499 a year; "Applicable GST charges will be added to cart" | Pricing page lists a 20% fee on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube earnings; it does not state a cut on store income | Prices in ₹; home page names JioSaavn and Gaana |
| Madverse | Emerging Artist ₹299 a month; Professional ₹3,999 a year (₹2,999 sale price on 8 Nov) | "Madverse takes 0% of your royalties"; 20% commission on social video income; share drops to 50% if a Professional plan is not renewed | Prices in ₹; free collaborator accounts to receive splits |
| DistroKid | Musician $24.99, Musician Plus $44.99, Ultimate $89.99, billed yearly | "Keep 100% of earnings" | Prices in $; pricing page does not mention Indian stores |
| Ditto | Starter $19 a year, Pro $59 a year | "100% of your streaming income is yours on every plan"; 15% on publishing and sync (Pro and Label) | Prices in $; pricing page does not mention Indian stores |
| CD Baby | $9.99 per single, $14.99 per album, one time | Keeps 9% of digital distribution revenue, you get 91% | Prices in $; no yearly fee |
| Amuse | From $23.99 a year (Amuse's own comparison table) | "Keep all your earnings" after currency conversion and service fees; 25% commission if your plan lapses | Prices in $; "120+ stores" |

## Is there free music distribution in India?

Free music distribution in India is rare among the services we checked. Amuse's pricing page says plainly that it does not offer free music distribution. You can build a draft release for free, but you need a plan to send it to stores. TuneCore, DistroKid, Ditto, CD Baby and Madverse all charge a fee to release.

RouteNote's pricing page carries the title "Release your music worldwide for free". When we checked on 8 November 2026, the page did not show plan details we could read, so read its current terms before you sign up. A free plan usually means the service keeps a share of your royalties instead of charging up front.

Some "free" parts are real, though. Madverse says collaborator accounts are free, so a producer can receive a royalty split without a paid plan. Free is not always cheapest. A 15% or 20% cut on a song that grows can cost more than a ₹1,599 yearly plan.

> **Watch out:** read what happens when you stop paying. Amuse says it charges a 25% commission without an active plan. Madverse says the share drops to 50% if a Professional plan is not renewed.

## How much does music distribution cost in India?

Music distribution in India costs anything from a monthly fee to a yearly plan or a one-time fee per song, depending on the model. Rupee plans on 8 November 2026 started at ₹299 a month (Madverse Emerging Artist) and ₹1,599 a year (TuneCore India Rising Artist, GST added at cart). Dollar plans started at $19 a year (Ditto Starter).

Your real cost depends on how many songs you release and how long you keep them live. A yearly plan with unlimited releases gets cheaper per song the more you release. A one-time fee suits an artist with one or two songs a year.

Also count the share of royalties kept. A 9% cut means you keep 91% of what the stores pay. A 0% cut means you keep it all, but you pay every year. The worked example below compares one year of releases.

**Worked example (prices as shown on 8 Nov 2026):** you release six singles in one year.

- **TuneCore India, Rising Artist:** ₹1,599 for the year, plus GST, unlimited releases.
- **Madverse, Emerging Artist:** 12 × ₹299 = ₹3,588 for the year, paid monthly.
- **DistroKid, Musician:** $24.99 for the year, unlimited releases.
- **Ditto, Starter:** $19 for the year, unlimited releases for one artist.
- **CD Baby:** 6 × $9.99 = $59.94 once, and CD Baby keeps 9% of digital distribution revenue.

## What should you check before choosing a music distributor in India?

Before choosing a music distributor in India, check five things: the price model, the royalty share, the stores it delivers to, what happens if you stop paying, and how you get paid. These decide your real income more than the headline price does.

Stores matter if your listeners are in India. TuneCore India's home page names JioSaavn and Gaana. DistroKid's and Ditto's pricing pages do not mention Indian stores, so check their full store lists before you rely on them for Indian listeners.

Also check splits. If a producer or co-writer is owed a share, a distributor with split payments saves you sending money by hand each month. TuneCore, Ditto and Madverse all list royalty splits on their pricing pages. Our guide to [releasing a song on Spotify in India](/learn/guides/release-song-on-spotify-india/) walks through the upload itself.

1. **Price model:** yearly, monthly or per release.
2. **Royalty share:** 0%, 9%, 15% or 20%, and on which income.
3. **Stores:** JioSaavn, Gaana, Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music.
4. **If you stop paying:** does your music stay up, and on what share?
5. **Payouts:** currency, minimum and fees to your Indian bank.

## Next steps

1. Make sure your beat is licensed: read [how to buy beats online in India](/learn/guides/buy-beats-online-india/).
2. Follow the upload steps in [how to release a song on Spotify in India](/learn/guides/release-song-on-spotify-india/).
3. Understand the money after release in music royalties for producers in India.
4. Find a beat with a signed licence PDF on [Airtune Explore](https://airtune.in/explore?utm_source=learn&utm_medium=markdown&utm_campaign=music-distribution-india).

---

Find your next beat. Licence it in minutes. Browse beats from Indian producers, preview them, and pay in rupees or US dollars. https://airtune.in/explore?utm_source=learn&utm_medium=markdown&utm_campaign=music-distribution-india

## Sources

- [TuneCore India pricing (₹ plans, GST note, 20% social fee)](https://www.tunecore.com/en-in/pricing) (checked 2026-11-08)
- [TuneCore India home page (stores listed)](https://www.tunecore.com/en-in) (checked 2026-11-08)
- [DistroKid pricing](https://distrokid.com/pricing/) (checked 2026-11-08)
- [CD Baby pricing guide (fees and 9% share)](https://cdbaby.com/cd-baby-cost/) (checked 2026-11-08)
- [Ditto Music pricing](https://dittomusic.com/en/pricing) (checked 2026-11-08)
- [Madverse pricing](https://www.madverse.co/pricing) (checked 2026-11-08)
- [Amuse pricing](https://www.amuse.io/en/release/pricing) (checked 2026-11-08)
- [RouteNote pricing](https://routenote.com/pricing) (checked 2026-11-08)
- [Spotify for Artists: Getting music on Spotify](https://support.spotify.com/in-en/artists/article/getting-music-on-spotify/) (checked 2026-11-08)
- [Airtune licensing page (licence PDF as proof for distributors)](https://airtune.in/licensing?utm_source=learn&utm_medium=markdown&utm_campaign=music-distribution-india) (checked 2026-11-08)