Whether you’re new to releasing music or have been at it for a while, you’ve likely spent some time considering whether to use Ditto Music to get your songs on streaming platforms. Skimming through a bunch of long online reviews might not cut it for clearing up the questions buzzing around in your head about Ditto Music. We get it. In this Ditto Music review, we’re going to dig deep and give you the lowdown on how Ditto Music really works, so you can figure out if they’re the right fit for you. Let’s get into it.
What Is Ditto Music?
Ditto Music is a digital music distribution company located in Liverpool, United Kingdom. Since its start in 2005, Ditto initially focused on sending music to various streaming platforms. Over time, it has grown to distribute music to over 60 online stores, including those for streaming, downloading, or both.
Ditto Music has played a role in the rise of several well-known artists like Ed Sheeran, Sam Smith, and Jaz Karis, and it proudly showcases these artists in its Hall of Fame on its website. Although it might feel a bit overwhelming to see already famous artists featured in Ditto’s Hall of Fame, it’s also a reminder that with dedication to your music, you could find your name there too one day!
How Does Ditto Music Work?
Ditto Music makes its distribution process easy for artists. All they have to do is sign up on Ditto Music’s website and then follow the steps below to start using its services.
Step 1: You Create a New Release
To put out a new song with Ditto, first sign in to your Ditto account and go to your dashboard. If your song is EDM (Electronic Dance Music), find the “Electronic dance music release” section and click “create.” For any other type of music, look for “Standard release” and click “create.” Then, follow the steps provided to finish setting up your new release:
a) Provide Release Details
Enter the details for your music track, such as the track’s name, genre, sub-genre, the artist’s name you’re releasing it under, and the cover image for the song, among other information. Be sure to carefully select the genre and sub-genre because incorrect choices can misplace your track in the wrong music category on online stores. This could make it difficult for potential listeners to discover your track.
b) Provide the Track List
The track list is essentially a collection of files associated with the song you wish to release. This includes the audio file of the song, ideally in .wav format. If your song includes any copyrighted material, you need to have written permission from the copyright owner to use this material in your song. You also need to upload a document that shows you have this permission to Ditto.
c) Schedule the Release
Ditto usually takes at least 10 days from when you submit your song to release it, and sometimes it can take longer. This means there isn’t a guaranteed release date, which might impact your promotion plans. If 10 days is too long for you, Ditto offers a faster option: for an additional $25, you can set your song to be released just 72 hours after you submit it.
d) Plan How You Want the Music to be Distributed
Here, you’ll let Ditto Music know which online stores you want your track sent to and how much to charge each listener for either streaming or downloading the track. You have the option to set the price as low, medium, or high.
Step 2: Ditto Gives You a Free SmartLink
If Ditto approves the song you’ve submitted for distribution, they will send you a customizable link for free. This link takes fans to a landing page where they can pre-save your song on different streaming services and digital stores before it’s officially released to everyone.
Step 3: You Earn Royalties
Ditto Music doesn’t take any portion of artists’ earnings from its platform. However, it’s important to note that Ditto doesn’t calculate the royalties from music streaming. Instead, the digital stores where the music is distributed handle this calculation, and it can take them up to six months to finalize the current royalties owed to an artist.
Sometimes, the royalties you receive might be lower than expected, based on your track’s streams and monthly listeners. This discrepancy can occur because digital stores thoroughly review streaming data and may exclude any streams that appear unusual before they calculate your royalties.
Step 4: Try Ditto Plus
Ditto Music primarily focuses on distributing music, but that’s not all they do. If they think your music stands out, Ditto could sign you up for Ditto Plus, giving you additional chances to promote your music.
Ditto Music Review
After walking you through how Ditto Music functions, you’re probably curious about its performance. Is it up to par? Are there any issues? We’ve put together five critical criteria to judge a music distribution service like Ditto Music. Seeing how Ditto stacks up against these benchmarks will help you figure out if it’s a match for you. Here’s an overview of these criteria and Ditto Music’s performance in each area.
1) Distribution Reach and Platforms Covered
Ditto Music distributes music tracks to over 200 digital stores worldwide. Here are some of the music stores where Ditto Music distributes release tracks to:
- iTunes
- Shazam
- Apple Music
- Spotify
- Amazon
- Napster
- Huawei Music
- Audible Magic
- Broadtime
- ViaPath Technologies
- JPay
- Keefe
- Styngr
- 7digital
- Soundtrack Your Brand
- Snapchat
- Musixmatch
- ROXi
- Stationhead
- Soundmouse
- Canva
- Rdio
- Pandora
- I Heart Radio
- Deezer
- Tidal
- KKBox
- SoundCloud
- Saavn
- AWA Music
- Anghami Music
- Claro Musica
- Yandex
- YouTube Music
- Netease Cloud Music
- Taobao
- QQ Music
- Kugou
- Kuwo
- WeSing
- Music Island
- Melon
Ditto Music offers its services to artists globally, so no matter where you are, you can use them. However, not every country has access to a free trial of Ditto’s platform. If you’re in a country where the free trial isn’t available, you can directly subscribe to one of Ditto’s paid plans to start distributing your music.
2) Costs and Revenue Model
Instead of taking a cut of your earnings, Ditto Music charges a yearly fixed fee for its music distribution services. This means you keep all the money you make from your music. However, this approach has a downside. If you’re not already well-known, you might not earn enough from your music in the first year to cover the subscription fees, leading to a loss.
3) Support and Resources for Artists
Oh, Ditto Music has about everything you need to make it as an independent artist. Let’s take a look at some of the additional services that Ditto Music provides besides music distribution:
a) Music Publishing
Ditto Music works to ensure that songwriters and composers receive payment when their compositions are used commercially—whether the music is downloaded, streamed, performed live, or broadcasted. They handle licensing, collect royalties from various sources (like radio plays, streaming services, and live performances), and may also support the artists in promoting their music and finding opportunities for their compositions to be used in films, TV shows, and advertisements.
When you subscribe to Ditto Pro, Ditto registers your music worldwide, so that you can be compensated for your work whenever and wherever it’s used. Ditto takes 10% of publishing royalties, while you keep 90%.
b) Ditto Sync
Ditto Sync offers a platform for artists to pitch their music for use in movies, TV shows, advertisements, and more. With years of experience in securing major features for artists of all sizes, Ditto Music’s Sync Pitching Dashboard provides access to the latest sync briefs across various media.
The process for artists includes joining Ditto Plus, browsing sync opportunities, and pitching their music, with Ditto reviewing every track to find the best fits. This service aims to help artists from all genres and backgrounds find new audiences and revenue streams by integrating their music into a wide range of media projects.
c) Promo
Ditto Promo is a backstage pass for artists looking to shine in the crowded music scene. Ditto’s team comes up with custom strategies that put the artist’s music in the spotlight, from buzzing social media campaigns to getting the press to talk about your tunes. In other words, Ditto helps you make noise in the right places, ensuring fans old and new tune in. This service costs $300.
d) Chartbreaker
Chartbreaker by Ditto Music is designed to help artists make their mark on the music charts. It includes strategic tools like pre-release campaigns and chart registration worldwide, coupled with a spot on Ditto’s own Spotify playlist for added exposure.
Additionally, it offers resources to polish an artist’s online presence, including social media graphics and an electronic press kit, plus a guide to handling your own PR. This suite arms musicians with the necessary tools to increase their visibility and chart performance. Luckily, Chartbreaker costs only $99.
e) VEVO Video Music Distribution
Ditto Music’s Vevo video music distribution service allows artists to establish an official Vevo channel and upload their music videos, maintaining full control over their royalties. This service aims to maximize artists’ earnings from streaming, offering visibility on one of the premier platforms for music videos. You don’t pay any extra cent to be able to use the VEVO video music distribution service, because it’s subsumed inside your original subscription plan.
f) Beatport Label Creation
Ditto Music’s Beatport Label service helps electronic music creators get their music on Beatport easily. This service includes features like creating an official Beatport label, releasing music directly to the platform, and access to promotional tools to enhance visibility. And Ditto ensures artists keep 100% of the royalties they earn from the distribution of their electronic music tracks on Beatport.
4) Promotional Tools
When we talk about “promotional tools,” we mean activities like marketing on social media, public relations campaigns, and getting your music on playlists. Unfortunately, Ditto Music doesn’t provide these services.
However, if you buy their Promo package for $300, you’ll receive a lot of public relations guidance, two press releases written by professionals that will be featured on leading blogs, and a four-week plan for content to post on your Instagram page.
5) Ease of Use
Ditto Music is designed to be user-friendly. Even if you’re new to distributing music, you can quickly upload your tracks and have them ready for distribution.
PROS
- Ditto Music is more affordable than many other music distribution services.
- It offers a unique Promo package that helps artists get noticed, which isn't available on other platforms.
- Unlike other services, Ditto Music includes features like VEVO video distribution in even its basic subscription, saving you money on add-ons.
CONS
- One downside is that Ditto Music can be slow to review and approve new music. This is because they take extra care to thoroughly check each song before distributing it.
- Additionally, Ditto Music tends to be slow in paying out royalties to artists. This delay is often attributed to the time it takes for online music stores to pay Ditto Music, which then affects when artists receive their earnings.
Comparison of Ditto Music with Alternatives
Ditto Music is a great music distribution company, but how does it compare to other music distribution platforms? Let’s see if it can hold its own.
Ditto Music vs. DistroKid
Like Ditto Music, DistroKid plays a role in getting music tracks onto various online platforms, such as iTunes, Spotify, Anghami, TikTok, and more. However, there are a few key differences between the two services. Ditto Music allows artists to distribute music videos to VEVO for free, whereas with DistroKid, artists need to subscribe to Distrovid at a cost of $99 per year to distribute music videos. This subscription not only covers VEVO but also extends to Apple Music, TikTok Music, and Tidal, offering unlimited music video distribution.
When it comes to pricing, Ditto Music comes out as the more affordable option compared to DistroKid. Additionally, Ditto Music provides paid music promotion services to help artists get their music noticed, a feature that DistroKid lacks. Instead, DistroKid offers free tools like a Meme Generator and Synced Lyrics to assist artists in promoting their videos on their own.
In terms of distribution speed, Ditto Music tends to take longer to get music tracks onto online stores, making DistroKid the faster choice for artists looking to quickly distribute their music.
Ditto Music vs. CD Baby
CD Baby started as a company distributing music physically back in 1998, but in June 2023, it shifted to focus entirely on digital music distribution. Now, it distributes music to over 150 platforms, including Spotify, Pandora, iTunes, Amazon, and YouTube. Let’s compare CD Baby with Ditto Music to see how they stack up.
CD Baby charges a one-time fee of $9.99 to release a single or an album, whereas Ditto Music has an annual fee of at least $14, allowing you to release an unlimited number of tracks. While CD Baby’s upfront cost might seem higher, this fee ensures your music stays on all platforms forever without additional payments. In contrast, Ditto Music requires an ongoing subscription to keep your music available online.
While Ditto Music doesn’t assist in getting your tracks on playlists, CD Baby offers help with playlist placements.
Ditto Music lets you keep all your distribution royalties, but CD Baby takes a 9% cut, leaving you with 91%.
Ditto Music’s Promo package includes marketing support like press releases and social media content for four weeks. CD Baby, on the other hand, provides a Managed Ads program that offers broader advertising opportunities at a lower cost.
Ditto Music vs. Symphonic Distribution
Symphonic Distribution provides a wide range of music services, including digital and physical music distribution, video distribution, music marketing, and music production. Let’s see how Symphonic compares to Ditto Music in various aspects.
Ditto Music’s annual subscription starts at $14, whereas Symphonic’s starts at $19.99. This makes Ditto Music the more affordable option.
While Ditto Music mainly focuses on distributing music and some video content, Symphonic offers comprehensive services covering music production, distribution, and marketing.
Ditto Music can take 10 days or longer to approve track releases, but Symphonic gets your music out within 5 business days.
In terms of royalties, Ditto Music allows you to keep 90% of your publishing royalties, while Symphonic offers 85%.
Ditto Music Pricing
Ditto Music requires users to pay an annual subscription fee. Below are Ditto’s pricing plans and their costs:
- Starter: $14 yearly
- Pro: $39 yearly
- Label: $59 to $219 yearly
FAQs
How does Ditto Music pay?
Ditto Music transfers royalty payments into your Ditto account. It’s important to note that these royalties aren’t coming directly from Ditto itself. Instead, they come from royalty collection societies and other similar sources. Once Ditto receives these royalties, they deposit them into your Ditto account.
How long does it take to get paid on Ditto?
Ditto usually pays artists their earned royalties every 30 days. However, there are times when it takes longer for Ditto to receive the royalties, which means artists may have to wait longer than usual to get paid.
Does Ditto accept PayPal?
Yes, Ditto supports PayPal. To get your royalties from Ditto through PayPal, go to the payouts section on your dashboard and link your PayPal account.
What famous artists use Ditto?
Artists like Chance the Rapper, Ed Sheeran, Stormzy, and Sam Smith, among other well-known musicians, have used Ditto in the past to distribute some of their music tracks. For a complete list of famous artists who have worked with Ditto, you can visit the Ditto Hall of Fame.
Conclusion
Ditto Music is a reliable music distribution platform. However, to make the most of their services, you need to strictly follow their terms and conditions and submit your music track roughly two months before you plan to release it. We’re suggesting this because Ditto Music can sometimes experience significant delays, which can be quite frustrating if you’re caught off guard by their slow pace.
