DistroKid
American digital music distribution service founded in 2013, providing direct distribution to streaming platforms for independent artists with headquarters in New York City.
Company Type
public
Founded
2013
Headquarters
New York City, New York, USA
About DistroKid
Who owns DistroKid?
DistroKid is primarily owned by its founder Philip Kaplan, who retains majority ownership and control. Spotify acquired a minority stake in 2018, and Silversmith Capital Partners and other investors hold additional minority stakes.
DistroKid is primarily owned by its founder Philip Kaplan, who retains majority ownership and control. Spotify acquired a minority stake in 2018, and Silversmith Capital Partners and other investors hold additional minority stakes.
Is DistroKid publicly traded?
No, DistroKid is not publicly traded. The company is privately held by Philip Kaplan and its minority investors.
No, DistroKid is not publicly traded. The company is privately held by Philip Kaplan and its minority investors.
Does Spotify own DistroKid?
Spotify owns a minority stake in DistroKid, acquired in 2018. However, Philip Kaplan retains majority ownership and operational control. DistroKid operates independently and distributes music to all major streaming platforms, not just Spotify.
Spotify owns a minority stake in DistroKid, acquired in 2018. However, Philip Kaplan retains majority ownership and operational control. DistroKid operates independently and distributes music to all major streaming platforms, not just Spotify.
How much does DistroKid cost?
DistroKid's individual artist plan starts at approximately $22.99 per year, allowing unlimited music uploads with 100% royalty retention. Higher tiers and label plans are available at higher price points.
DistroKid's individual artist plan starts at approximately $22.99 per year, allowing unlimited music uploads with 100% royalty retention. Higher tiers and label plans are available at higher price points.
When was DistroKid founded?
DistroKid was founded in 2013 by Philip Kaplan as a digital music distribution service for independent artists.
DistroKid was founded in 2013 by Philip Kaplan as a digital music distribution service for independent artists.
How does DistroKid make money?
DistroKid generates revenue through annual subscription fees paid by artists and labels, and through optional add-on services including music publishing administration, YouTube content ID, and sync licensing. Unlike some competitors, DistroKid does not take a percentage of artists' streaming royalties.
DistroKid generates revenue through annual subscription fees paid by artists and labels, and through optional add-on services including music publishing administration, YouTube content ID, and sync licensing. Unlike some competitors, DistroKid does not take a percentage of artists' streaming royalties.
History of DistroKid
DistroKid was founded in 2013 by Philip Kaplan, a technology entrepreneur who had previously founded several technology companies including Fucked Company (a website tracking dot-com failures) and PatientsLikeMe (a health data platform).
Kaplan founded DistroKid with a simple but powerful insight: independent musicians needed a fast, affordable way to get their music onto streaming platforms, and the existing services were too expensive and too slow. The dominant digital distribution services at the time, such as TuneCore and CD Baby, charged per-release fees that could add up quickly for prolific artists.
DistroKid's innovation was a flat-fee subscription model: artists pay a single annual fee (initially $19.99 per year) and can upload unlimited music, keeping 100% of their royalties. This model was dramatically more affordable for artists who released music frequently.
The company launched in 2013 and grew rapidly, attracting millions of independent artists who appreciated the simplicity, affordability, and speed of the service. DistroKid developed a reputation for fast distribution (often getting music onto streaming platforms within a few days) and a user-friendly interface.
In 2018, Spotify acquired a minority stake in DistroKid. The acquisition was notable because Spotify, as the world's largest music streaming platform, was investing in the infrastructure that feeds music to its platform. The deal gave Spotify a financial interest in the success of independent music distribution and provided DistroKid with capital and a strategic relationship with the world's largest streaming platform.
Philip Kaplan retained majority ownership and control of DistroKid following the Spotify investment. The company continued to operate independently, maintaining its artist-friendly approach.
DistroKid has grown to become one of the largest digital music distributors in the world, with millions of artists using the platform. The company distributes a significant percentage of all new music released on major streaming platforms.
In 2021, DistroKid raised additional funding from a group of investors including Silversmith Capital Partners, which acquired a minority stake. The funding was used to expand the company's services and technology.
DistroKid has expanded its services beyond basic distribution to include music publishing administration, YouTube content ID and monetization, sync licensing, and other artist services.
Brands Owned by DistroKid
DistroKid owns 0 brands in our database.
DistroKid Ownership: Pros & Cons
Advantages
- +Flat-fee subscription model with 100% royalty retention is highly attractive to independent artists
- +One of the largest digital music distributors in the world, with millions of artists using the platform
- +Spotify's minority stake provides a strategic relationship with the world's largest streaming platform
- +Fast distribution speed (often within a few days) is a competitive advantage
- +Expanding service portfolio (publishing, YouTube monetization, sync licensing) increases revenue per artist
Considerations
- -Customer service has been criticized by some artists for being slow or difficult to reach
- -Spotify's minority stake raises potential conflict of interest questions
- -Competition from TuneCore, CD Baby, and other well-established distributors
- -Fraudulent streams and fake artists create ongoing quality control challenges
- -Private company structure limits transparency about financial performance
Frequently Asked Questions About DistroKid
Who owns DistroKid?
DistroKid is primarily owned by its founder Philip Kaplan, who retains majority ownership and control. Spotify acquired a minority stake in 2018, and Silversmith Capital Partners and other investors hold additional minority stakes.
Is DistroKid publicly traded?
No, DistroKid is not publicly traded. The company is privately held by Philip Kaplan and its minority investors.
Does Spotify own DistroKid?
Spotify owns a minority stake in DistroKid, acquired in 2018. However, Philip Kaplan retains majority ownership and operational control. DistroKid operates independently and distributes music to all major streaming platforms, not just Spotify.
How much does DistroKid cost?
DistroKid's individual artist plan starts at approximately $22.99 per year, allowing unlimited music uploads with 100% royalty retention. Higher tiers and label plans are available at higher price points.
When was DistroKid founded?
DistroKid was founded in 2013 by Philip Kaplan as a digital music distribution service for independent artists.
How does DistroKid make money?
DistroKid generates revenue through annual subscription fees paid by artists and labels, and through optional add-on services including music publishing administration, YouTube content ID, and sync licensing. Unlike some competitors, DistroKid does not take a percentage of artists' streaming royalties.
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