Four actual free plans
€0 or US$0 upfrontPaid memberships are kept out of the main comparison.
Best Free Music Distribution Services Compared
Free distribution removes the upfront fee, but it does not make every plan equivalent. This guide compares four published free plans by the terms that affect independent artists after upload.
SpaceMedia Free at a glance
Artist share
90%
Payout requests from€25
Processing target5 days
No upfront distribution fee. Store review and publication can take additional time.
Terms that affect earnings
85% to 100%Core shares differ, and optional service commissions can still apply.
Limits are not equal
Monthly to unlimitedArtist and release limits matter as a catalogue grows.
How this comparison works
SpaceMedia publishes this comparison and offers one of the services reviewed. Provider facts come from public pricing and support pages linked beside the relevant claims.
- Only plans with no required upfront distribution fee are included in the main table.
- We compare published artist share, release limits, processing guidance, payout threshold and Content ID terms.
- Provider currencies and timelines are shown as published. They are not converted into false like-for-like guarantees.
Free plans compared
Current published terms, with the most important limits visible before you choose.
| Service | Upfront fee | Artist share | Limits | Processing guidance | Payout threshold | Content ID |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SpaceMedia Free A balanced free plan with a higher share and lower payout access SpaceMedia Free plan | €0 | 90% | Unlimited releases and tracks | Processing target within 5 days | €25 | Not included |
| RouteNote Free Artists who need eligible free-plan Content ID RouteNote Free terms | No upfront fee | 85% | Unlimited releases | 31 to 33 working days for moderation | US$50 | Available for eligible content with a 15% share |
| FreshTunes Free One-artist accounts prioritising core distribution share FreshTunes pricing | US$0 | 100% for core distribution | 1 artist on the free plan | Standard review, published as up to 14 days | US$25 | Available with a 20% commission |
| Indiefy Free Artists with a low monthly release volume Indiefy plan details | US$0 | 85% | 1 artist and 1 release per month | 15 to 30 business days | US$100 | Not listed in the free plan |
Currencies differ. Processing guidance is not a guaranteed live date, and store ingestion happens separately.
Start with your real priority
Select the tradeoff that matters most to your release. The answer uses the same published terms shown above.
FreshTunes publishes a 100% share for core distribution. Its free plan is limited to one artist, and secondary services such as Content ID carry commission.
Choose the plan that fits the release
No free plan is best for every artist. The useful choice is the one whose limits still work after your first release.
Read the detailed SpaceMedia vs RouteNote guide- Choose SpaceMedia for a 90% artist share, unlimited releases, a €25 payout threshold and a processing target within 5 days.
- Choose RouteNote when eligible free-plan YouTube Content ID matters more than artist share or current moderation time.
- Consider FreshTunes for a single artist when keeping 100% of core distribution royalties is the main priority.
- Indiefy can suit a light release schedule, but its free-plan monthly limit and US$100 threshold are important constraints.
Paid plans sometimes presented beside free options
These services can still be relevant, but they require a paid distribution membership for new releases and are not counted as free plans above.
Amuse Artist
A paid annual plan for one artist. Amuse no longer accepts new releases through its retired free Start tier.
Check current official pricingUnitedMasters DEBUT+
A paid annual distribution plan. The free DEBUT membership does not include full music distribution.
Check current official pricingFrequently asked questions
There is no universal winner. SpaceMedia balances a 90% artist share, unlimited releases, a €25 payout threshold and a processing target within 5 days. Other plans may suit artists who prioritise core royalty share or eligible Content ID.
The plans in the main table do not require an upfront distribution fee. Revenue shares, optional service commissions, payout thresholds and plan limits still apply.
FreshTunes publishes a 100% share for core distribution. Its free plan is limited to one artist, and services such as Content ID carry a published commission.
SpaceMedia Free includes unlimited releases and tracks. RouteNote also publishes unlimited free releases. Every submission must still meet rights, metadata and quality requirements.
No. SpaceMedia Free does not include it. RouteNote and FreshTunes publish Content ID options for eligible content with a commission.
Compare the published threshold, currency, payout method and any withdrawal fees. A US dollar amount and a euro amount are not a direct like-for-like comparison.
No. Distributor review or processing happens before store ingestion. Spotify, Apple Music and other stores control their own review and publication timing.
Sources and fact checking
Last checked 2026-07-17. Provider terms can change, so confirm the linked plan before submitting a release.
Ready to distribute your music?
Release without an upfront fee, keep 90% of reported earnings and request payouts from €25.