CD Baby has been around since 1998 — longer than almost any other indie distributor. It pioneered the idea that independent artists could sell music online without a label deal, and for a long time it was the default recommendation for anyone releasing their first record.
But a lot has changed. CD Baby is no longer independent. It's now owned by Universal Music Group, the largest major label in the world, following UMG's $775 million acquisition of Downtown Music Holdings in early 2026. The founder left years ago. The publishing arm was killed. Physical distribution was discontinued. And the 9% commission they take on every dollar you earn? That never stops.
If you're searching for CD Baby's pricing in 2026, here's everything — the real numbers, the add-on costs, and what the UMG ownership change actually means for artists still on the platform.
What CD Baby Charges in 2026
CD Baby uses a pay-per-release model with a permanent revenue commission. Here's the current pricing:
Base Distribution Fees (one-time, per release)
- Single: $9.99
- Album: $14.99
Commission
9% of all digital distribution revenue — forever. There is no way to remove or reduce this commission. Every stream, every download, every dollar your music earns through CD Baby, they keep 9 cents of every dollar. Permanently.
CDB Boost Add-On: $39.99 per release (one-time)
- US mechanical royalty collection via The MLC
- SoundExchange registration for non-interactive streaming royalties
- Sync licensing consideration (not guaranteed — your tracks enter a library alongside hundreds of thousands of others)
FastForward: $24 per release
Priority inspection and support for one year.
What's No Longer Included
- Physical distribution (vinyl and CD) — discontinued June 2023
- CD Baby Pro Publishing — discontinued August 2023. Artists must now register with ASCAP, BMI, or SESAC independently
- The original support team — key personnel including long-time community figures Kevin Breuner and Chris Robley have departed
The Real Cost: How the 9% Commission Compounds
The one-time fee looks cheap. $9.99 for a single seems like a bargain compared to DistroKid's annual subscription or TuneCore's yearly renewal. But the 9% commission is where CD Baby actually makes its money — and it never ends.
Here's what that looks like over time for an artist earning $500/month in streaming revenue:
| Timeframe | Streaming Revenue | CD Baby's 9% Cut | You Keep |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | $6,000 | $540 | $5,460 |
| Year 3 | $18,000 | $1,620 | $16,380 |
| Year 5 | $30,000 | $2,700 | $27,300 |
| Year 10 | $60,000 | $5,400 | $54,600 |
After just one year at $500/month, you've paid $540 in commission — far more than any annual subscription model. After five years, $2,700. And unlike a subscription you can cancel, the 9% commission is baked into every release permanently. The only way to stop paying it is to pull your music and re-upload through a different distributor.
For comparison, DistroKid's annual subscription costs $22.99–$49.99/year with no commission. TuneCore charges a flat annual fee with no commission. Both are cheaper for any artist earning more than a few hundred dollars per year.
CD Baby Is Now Owned by Universal Music Group
This is the part most artists miss when evaluating CD Baby in 2026.
In February 2026, UMG completed its $775 million acquisition of Downtown Music Holdings, which included CD Baby, FUGA, and Songtrust. CD Baby is now part of the same corporate structure as Universal Music Group — the largest major label on the planet.
What does that mean in practice?
Your data sits with a major label. Every stream, every listener demographic, every geographic trend from your catalog is now accessible to UMG's infrastructure. The European Commission actually forced UMG to divest Curve (Downtown's royalty accounting platform) because of data sensitivity concerns — but CD Baby and FUGA were not divested. That data stays with Universal.
Your distributor's parent company is your competitor. UMG's primary business is signing and promoting its own roster of artists. Your distribution data flows into the same system that helps UMG decide which trends to capitalize on, which genres to invest in, and which independent artists might be worth acquiring.
The service quality trajectory matters. Since the Downtown acquisition in 2019, CD Baby has discontinued physical distribution, killed its publishing arm, lost key staff, and multiple reports cite declining support response times. The pattern at acquired platforms is consistent — the acquirer's priorities reshape the product over time.
For a full breakdown of which major label owns which distributor, see our complete ownership map.
How CD Baby Compares to Other Distributors
| Feature | CD Baby | DistroKid | TuneCore |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing Model | Per-release ($9.99–$14.99) | Annual ($22.99–$49.99/yr) | Annual ($14.99–$29.99/yr) |
| Commission | 9% forever | 0% | 0% |
| Unlimited Releases | No (pay per release) | Yes | Yes |
| Owner | UMG (major label) | Private (sold to Insight Partners 2023) | Believe (publicly traded) |
| Publishing Collection | Removed (was Pro, killed 2023) | Not offered | Available via TuneCore Publishing |
| Physical Distribution | Removed (killed June 2023) | Not offered | Not offered |
All three of these platforms do the same fundamental thing: they put your files on Spotify, Apple Music, and other streaming services. The differences are in pricing structure, ownership, and what happens to your data.
But here's the question none of them answer: what happens with the fans who actually listen?
The Bigger Question: Distribution vs. Direct-to-Fan
Whether you use CD Baby, DistroKid, or TuneCore, the economics of streaming distribution are the same. You upload files to DSPs. The DSPs pay fractions of a cent per stream. You never find out who listened, where they are, or how to reach them again.
The average independent artist earns $0.003–$0.005 per stream on Spotify. At those rates, 1,000 streams earns you roughly $3–$5. To make $1,000/month, you need around 250,000 streams — every month, indefinitely.
Direct-to-fan flips this entirely. Instead of renting access to anonymous listeners through a platform, you sell directly to fans who choose to support you. One fan buying a $10 album is worth the same as 2,500+ Spotify streams. A fan subscribing at $5/month is worth more than 12,500 streams — every single month.
The math isn't close. And unlike streaming revenue, direct-to-fan revenue comes with something streaming never provides: the fan's identity. Their email. Their purchase history. A direct relationship you own and can build on.
This isn't about abandoning streaming — it's about not depending on it as your only revenue source. The artists building sustainable careers in 2026 are the ones who treat streaming as discovery and direct-to-fan as the business.
ALERA: Built for Direct-to-Fan, Not Distribution
ALERA isn't a distributor. We don't put your music on Spotify — there are plenty of services that do that for a few dollars a year.
ALERA is a direct-to-fan platform. You sell music, merch, and exclusive content directly to your fans through your own release pages. Fans pay you. You keep the revenue. You own the relationship.
What ALERA costs:
- Free ($0/month, forever): Smart Bio, Fan CRM, Private Music Library — 7% platform fee on sales
- Plus ($6.99/month): Unlimited releases, analytics, email campaigns — 5% platform fee
- Pro ($19.99/month): Full suite including merch, fan subscriptions, tip jar — 0% platform fee
No commissions on your streaming revenue. No major label parent company. No middleman between you and the people who actually want to support your music.
Start selling directly to your fans →
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does CD Baby cost per song?
CD Baby charges $9.99 per single as a one-time fee, plus a permanent 9% commission on all digital revenue that release generates. The optional CDB Boost add-on costs an additional $39.99 per release.
Does CD Baby take a percentage of royalties?
Yes. CD Baby keeps 9% of all digital distribution revenue permanently. This commission cannot be removed or reduced, and it applies for as long as your music is distributed through CD Baby.
Is CD Baby owned by a major label?
Yes. CD Baby is owned by Universal Music Group (UMG) following UMG's $775 million acquisition of Downtown Music Holdings, completed in February 2026. CD Baby, FUGA, and Songtrust are all now part of UMG's corporate structure.
Is CD Baby better than DistroKid?
It depends on your release pattern and revenue. CD Baby's per-release pricing suits very infrequent releasers, but the 9% permanent commission makes it more expensive than DistroKid for any artist earning more than a few hundred dollars per year. Both are now owned by outside investors — neither is truly independent.
Can I switch from CD Baby to another distributor?
Yes. You can migrate releases to another distributor, though you'll need to coordinate the transition carefully to avoid losing streaming history. See our guide to switching distributors for the full process.