Rex says
Money math without the spreadsheet headache. Plug in your numbers and I'll show you exactly where the dollars land.
Try a scenario
Click to load — tweak from there.Inputs
Result
Cheaper model for you
Flat fee
Net with flat-fee distributor
$778.00
Net with percentage distributor
$680.00
Difference in your pocket
$98.00
Revenue where they're equal
$146.67
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How to use this
- 1Enter projected annual streaming revenue ($).
- 2Enter flat distributor annual fee ($).
- 3Enter percentage distributor cut (%).
- 4Read your cheaper model for you on the right — it updates as you type.
- 5Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone.
About this calculator
Flat-fee distributors (DistroKid, TuneCore, Amuse Pro) charge an annual subscription and keep 0% of royalties. Percentage-based distributors and label services take a cut of every dollar but usually charge nothing upfront. Which is cheaper depends entirely on your revenue volume — a bedroom artist with $50 a year in streams loses money on a $20/year flat plan relative to a free 15%-cut service, while an artist earning $5,000 a year comes out far ahead paying the flat fee. This calculator runs both models against your projected annual streaming revenue so you pick the actual cheaper option instead of the one with better marketing.
Worked example
Using the values the calculator loads with:
Inputs
- Projected annual streaming revenue: 800 $
- Flat distributor annual fee: 22 $
- Percentage distributor cut: 15 %
Results
- Cheaper model for you: Flat fee
- Net with flat-fee distributor: $778.00
- Net with percentage distributor: $680.00
- Difference in your pocket: $98.00
- Revenue where they're equal: $146.67
What each field means
Inputs
- Projected annual streaming revenue ($)
- The projected annual streaming revenue used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 800 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Flat distributor annual fee ($)
- The flat distributor annual fee used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 22 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Percentage distributor cut (%)
- The percentage distributor cut used in the calculation, measured in %. Starts at 15 % so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 0–50 %.
Results
- Cheaper model for you
- Returned as a plain value and shown as the headline result. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Net with flat-fee distributor
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Net with percentage distributor
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Difference in your pocket
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Revenue where they're equal
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
FAQ
Is a flat-fee distributor always better long-term?
Only once your revenue exceeds the breakeven point shown above. Below that revenue level, you're paying more in subscription fees than you'd lose to a percentage cut, which matters for artists just starting out with a handful of releases and low stream counts.
What about multi-year subscription costs?
Flat-fee plans usually bill annually per artist or per unlimited-release plan, so multiply the annual fee by however many years you plan to keep music live before comparing. A three-year commitment triples the flat-fee side of this math.
Do any distributors charge both a fee and a cut?
Yes — some label services and 'plus' tiers charge an upfront fee plus a reduced percentage cut for extra services like playlist pitching or sync licensing support. Model those as a percentage distributor with the effective combined cost as your cut rate.
Accuracy and limitations
- Results are estimates before tax, fees, and inflation unless an input explicitly covers them.
- Rates are treated as fixed for the whole period — variable-rate products will drift from this projection.
- This is educational maths, not financial advice. Check anything contractual with the lender or your accountant.
Related tools
Cite this calculator
Writing about this topic? Grab a citation — every link helps keep these tools free.
RevenueLab. (2026). Music Distribution Cut Calculator. Retrieved from https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/distribution-cut-calculator
<p>Source: <a href="https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/distribution-cut-calculator" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Music Distribution Cut Calculator — RevenueLab</a> (2026).</p>
Source: [Music Distribution Cut Calculator — RevenueLab](https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/distribution-cut-calculator) (2026).