Artyfile Free music distribution
is never quite free.
Free distributors earn from your royalties instead of your card. That can be the right deal — or the most expensive one. Here is how to tell, with numbers checked on the providers’ own pages.
Is there free music distribution?
Yes — but fewer than you think, and none are free of cost. As of October 2026, RouteNote Free distributes to Spotify and other stores with no upfront or yearly fee and keeps 15% of your revenue. Amuse and UnitedMasters no longer list a free plan on their pricing pages. “Free” means you pay with a share of every stream, forever. Against a $24.99-per-year subscription, a 15% commission only becomes more expensive once you earn roughly €167 a year from streaming (counting $ and € 1:1).
Updated: October 2026
Which distributors are still free in 2026?
Free tiers have been shrinking. Here is what the official pricing pages say, as of October 2026:
| Distributor | Free option? | What you pay instead |
|---|---|---|
| RouteNote | Yes — RouteNote Free | No upfront or yearly fee; you keep 85% of streaming and download revenue |
| Amuse | No free plan listed | Artist plan from $23.99/year |
| UnitedMasters | No free plan listed | DEBUT+ $19.99/year; SELECT $59.99/year with 0% commission |
| Soundrop | Free account, paid releases | $4.99 per track, no yearly fee, 15% commission |
| DistroKid | No | From $24.99/year, 0% commission |
| CD Baby | No | $9.99 per single, $14.99 per album, once; keeps 9% |
So if you search for “free Spotify distributors”, the honest short list today is RouteNote Free. Everything else is either a subscription, a one-time fee, or both plus a commission. Check the provider’s page before you sign up — these offers change often.
What “free” really costs
- ✓A commission that never ends. 15% sounds small on €10. It is the same 15% on your best year, and on every year after.
- ✓Upsells inside paid plans, too. Amuse’s Artist plan, for example, lists a $9.99 “Store Sync” fee per release and a 15% fee on YouTube Content ID income; TuneCore lists a 20% fee on social platform earnings (TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube). Read the comparison table, not just the headline price.
- ✓Payout thresholds and fees. Some distributors only pay out above a minimum balance or charge for transfers. With small earnings, money can sit in your account for months. Check this before you upload.
- ✓Fewer features. Free and entry tiers often leave out things like higher-resolution audio, team access or faster support.
- ✓Lock-in. Moving later means re-delivering your releases. Keep your ISRCs and identical metadata so your streams carry over — see switching distributor.
Free vs paid: the break-even
The question is simple: at what income does a commission cost more than a fixed fee? Assumption: an average external payout of about €0.0035 per stream. Real rates vary by country, platform and subscription type.
| Your yearly streaming revenue | Streams (≈ €0.0035 each) | 15% commission | Subscription at $24.99/year (counted 1:1) |
|---|---|---|---|
| €20 | ≈ 5,700 | €3 | $24.99 |
| €100 | ≈ 28,600 | €15 | $24.99 |
| €167 | ≈ 47,600 | €25 — break-even | $24.99 |
| €500 | ≈ 143,000 | €75 | $24.99 |
Below about 46,000 streams a year, a free tier with commission is cheaper than a subscription. Above it, a 0% subscription wins — as long as you keep paying, every year. A one-time fee changes the math again: you pay once and then nothing for the years in which a song earns little. Our Spotify royalty calculator lets you plug in your own numbers, and the no-subscription guide compares the long run.
Artyfile is not free — here is what is different
To be clear: Artyfile costs €9.90 per track or €39 for up to 10 tracks, once, and also takes 15% — only on revenue Artyfile generates. For pure Spotify distribution, that makes Artyfile more expensive than RouteNote Free. What you get for the difference:
- ✓Sync marketplace: your track can be licensed for film, TV and advertising (average license €96.90); you receive 85%.
- ✓Artyfile Stream: a Hi-Fi streaming app paying €0.03–€0.20 per stream, alongside 150+ platforms including Spotify and Apple Music.
- ✓Curation: a person reviews every track; AI-generated music is not accepted. Your music sits in a catalogue that is listened to, not a pile of uploads.
- ✓It stays online: no yearly fee, so no takedown for an expired card.
- ✓100% of your masters, non-exclusive ownership; only streaming distribution runs through Artyfile while a track is active.
- ✓Optional Fan Limited Editions: up to 20 numbered 1% shares per track at €69.90 each, sold to fans as co-owners; you receive 85% upfront — at most €1,188.30 per track — and always keep at least 80%.
When free is the better choice: you only want your song on Spotify, you don’t need sync or fan editions, and you want to spend €0 today. Then RouteNote Free is a sensible start. When a 0% subscription is better: you release often and earn well above the break-even. Artyfile is for artists who want fewer, better-placed releases that earn on more than one channel.
Questions about free distribution
Can I put music on Spotify for free?
Yes, through a free distributor tier such as RouteNote Free, which charges no upfront or yearly fee and keeps 15% of your revenue (as of October 2026). You cannot upload to Spotify directly; you need a distributor.
What is the best free music distribution?
As of October 2026, RouteNote Free is the main fully free option for major stores. Amuse and UnitedMasters no longer list free plans on their pricing pages. Compare commission, payout rules and what happens to your releases if you switch.
Is free distribution cheaper than DistroKid?
Up to roughly €167 of streaming revenue a year (about 47,600 streams at €0.0035), a 15% commission costs less than DistroKid’s $24.99 yearly fee. Above that, DistroKid’s 0% commission is cheaper — as long as you keep paying the subscription.
Does Amuse still have a free plan?
Amuse’s pricing page lists no free plan as of October 2026; its cheapest plan, Artist, costs $23.99 per year.
Is Artyfile free?
No. Applying is free, but releasing costs €9.90 per track or €39 for up to 10 tracks, once, plus 15% only on revenue Artyfile generates. In return you get sync, Artyfile Stream payouts of €0.03–€0.20 per stream, curation and music that stays online without a yearly fee. Payouts are monthly once your balance reaches €50.
What are the hidden costs of free music distribution?
A permanent commission, payout minimums or transfer fees, paid add-ons for features like YouTube Content ID or store updates, and the work of moving your catalogue later. Read the full plan comparison, not just the price.
Keep reading
Distribution without subscription
Subscription, one-time fee or commission-only: the three pricing models compared, with who each one suits.
Pricing: €9.90 once
Every cost of releasing with Artyfile on one page, plus a 5-year comparison with subscription distributors.
How to put music on Spotify
Distributor, file specs, artwork, release date, Spotify for Artists and pitching — plus what each pricing model really costs.
Not free. Fair.
Send one track for A&R review. If it fits, you pay €9.90 once, keep 100% of your master and earn on more channels than Spotify.