MUSIC
Comparing Melokid vs DistroKid: (An Unbiased Evaluation)
In this article, I’ll provide a fair comparison between Distrokid vs Melokid, two important players in the music distribution platform arena. Drawing from my personal experience of releasing music on both Melokid and DistroKid, I’ll offer insights into each platform. Additionally, I’ll incorporate findings from online research to provide a comprehensive overview.
To ensure a structured and cohesive review, I propose dividing the assessment into five distinct categories. We will analyze and compare Melokid and DistroKid across the following dimensions: Customer Service, cost and distribution.
What does music distribution entail?
Let’s swiftly ensure everyone is on the same page regarding the concept.
A music distribution service is a company that takes your finalized song and shares it across various global streaming platforms. Typically, these services include uploading your song to popular platforms such as Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, Amazon, Tidal, Deezer, TikTok, Instagram, and other major music streaming services.
Can you directly upload your song to platforms like YouTube and SoundCloud? Well, for many other significant music streaming services such as Spotify and Apple Music, it’s not that straightforward. You have to go through an intermediary, which is where a music distributor becomes essential.
Utilizing a music distributor involves a cost, typically in the form of an annual fee, and this holds true for both DistroKid and Melokid. However, certain other distributors, like CD Baby, operate on a one-time fee model.
Moreover, certain music distributors provide free distribution services but, in exchange, take a percentage of your music royalties. For instance, CD Baby deducts a 9% share from royalties, and newcomers to the music distribution scene, such as Ditto and TuneCore, also follow a model of free distribution coupled with a percentage deduction from music royalties.
In contrast, both Melokid and DistroKid require an annual fee but, in return, ensure artists receive 100% of their music royalties – a topic we’ll delve into later.
Beyond facilitating the upload of your music to various streaming platforms, music distributors offer an array of features to assist with your music marketing efforts. Examples include Spotify pre-save landing pages, music admin publishing, YouTube content ID tracking, artwork design generators, and video generators.
With a shared understanding of what a music distributor entails, let’s now thoroughly examine and compare Melokid and DistroKid. The pivotal questions to address are: which one is superior? Is Melokid a worthwhile choice? Is DistroKid a valuable option? Let’s explore and uncover the answers.
- Customer service
Now, let’s delve into our final comparison aspect between TuneCore and DistroKid, focusing extensively on customer service. This aspect held significant weight for me, particularly in the early stages of selecting a music distributor. As an emerging indie artist, a plethora of questions arises. Examples include: How to claim a Spotify artist page? I already have an ISRC code; what do I do? What’s the process for switching music distributors?
Numerous other questions emerge along the way, and obtaining prompt and accurate answers is crucial. As a more seasoned professional in releasing music, customer service holds a diminished priority for me now that I’ve gained experience in the industry.
Customer Support at Melokid
Melokid seamlessly integrates customer service into its pricing structure. If you opt for the Unlimited plan priced at $19.99 per year, you can be confident in receiving a customer service response within 24 hours. This assurance is particularly valuable when you require assistance. Even with the Record deal plan, you can enjoy an impressive customer service response time of just 1 business day. That level of responsiveness is truly remarkable !
I have interacted with the Melokid customer service team on a few occasions, and I’ve consistently been impressed with their prompt responses. When I released my song and required the Spotify URI code for a Spotify pre-save landing page—an aspect I was unfamiliar with—I reached out, and their swift response provided me with the necessary information.
Customer Support at DistroKid
Unlike Melokid, DistroKid doesn’t incorporate customer service directly into its pricing plans, which may be less reassuring for new artists unsure about their access to assistance when needed.
Nevertheless, DistroKid does maintain a customer service center, and you can submit requests through their designated channel. It’s worth noting that response times can vary, typically ranging from 3 to 7 business days. The complexity of your request may also play a role, with simpler queries likely receiving faster responses.
Melokid emerges as the victor in this aspect due to the inclusion of guaranteed response times in their pricing plan for customer service. While DistroKid maintains an amiable support team, the uncertainty regarding when you might receive a response leaves users in the dark.
2. Cost
When evaluating the costs associated with both of these distributors, there are numerous factors to take into account. Each platform imposes an annual fee for uploading your music, accompanied by distinct features within their plans.
Consider which features are most relevant to you. For independent artists assessing costs, features such as a Scheduled Release Date, Customizable Label Name, and Customer Support hold particular importance. It is crucial to comprehend the features necessary for your musical career success before settling on a music distributor. This understanding will guide you in determining which distributor aligns best with your needs.
The aforementioned three features carry significance for me due to the following reasons:
- Release Date: Having the ability to select a future release date is essential for planning Facebook or Instagram marketing campaigns around my releases. This ensures that I can inform my audience about the upcoming release in advance.
- Label Name: The option to choose my own label name holds importance. For instance, I prefer not to see Melokid or DistroKid displayed on Spotify when viewing the song credits.
- Customer Support: Timely responses to my queries are crucial to prevent any sense of being left in the dark, especially for new artists navigating the music industry.
Now armed with a clearer understanding of the pivotal features, let’s proceed to compare the costs of Melokid and DistroKid.
What is the cost of DistroKid?
DistroKid offers three pricing plans, each catering to different needs. Let’s examine each plan with a focus on the features that matter to us. Unfortunately, I cannot provide a direct link to the DistroKid pricing plan; you need to sign up to DistroKid to access it, which can be a bit inconvenient. Here’s a breakdown of the plans:
Musician Plan – $22.99 USD/year : this is the entry-level plan, priced at $22.99 USD per year, offering unlimited releases at an affordable rate. However, it may not be suitable for me as it lacks the specific features I require. If the features align with your needs, this plan could be an ideal choice, emphasizing the importance of considering features beforehand.
Musician Plus Plan – $35.99 USD/year: priced at $35.99 USD per year, this second-tier plan includes everything in the Musician Plan and more. Upon reviewing the features, it covers everything crucial to me, except for customer service, which isn’t explicitly mentioned.
Label Plan – $79.99 USD/year: as the most expensive plan at $79.99 USD per year, the Label Plan appears tailored for independent labels. However, as an indie musician, the extensive features catering to 5-100 artists are more than I need. I’ll be passing on this one. Customer service details are still absent, but we’ll delve into that further in the customer service section.
What is the cost of Melokid?
Here are the pricing details for the available plans:
Unlimited Plan – $19.99 USD/year: priced at $19.99 USD per year, the Unlimited Plan encompasses all the features crucial to me. Notably, it includes splits, customer support and the ability to customize the label name. The label name is the designation visible in the song credits, ensuring a personalized touch. For instance, on Spotify, without a custom label name, it would display Melokid or DistroKid instead.
RECORD DEAL Plan – $49.99 USD/year: Melokid’s top-tier plan is the RECORD DEAL Plan, costing $49.99 USD per year. Loaded with every feature one might desire, this plan is comprehensive in meeting my specific needs. It goes beyond by offering advances, splits, a customer service response time of 1 business day with video call assistance, and opportunities for record deals—an exceptionally valuable package.
By examining the pricing pages, it’s evident that Melokid is the more affordable choice. Their initial pricing tier begins at $19.99. In comparison, DistroKid’s first-tier pricing plan is $22.99. Consequently, Melokid emerges as the more cost-effective option.
III. Music Distribution
Which platform, Melokid or DistroKid, excels in distributing your music? Let’s explore the distribution landscape for each and see how they compare. If your goal is to upload your song to major streaming services such as Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, Amazon Music, TikTok, Instagram, Tidal, Deezer, and Pandora, rest assured that both DistroKid and Melokid will facilitate the upload to all these platforms seamlessly.
For those seeking distribution to more niche platforms, a bit of investigation is required to ascertain if either platform caters to your specific streaming service preferences. For instance, Deezer is a French music streaming service. Upon investigation, it becomes evident that both DistroKid and Melokid will upload your music to Deezer.
Melokid provides a list of the streaming services they upload to, while information about DistroKid’s supported platforms wasn’t readily available in my search.
In all likelihood, both Melokid and DistroKid are likely to be on par in terms of distribution capabilities, given that they both cover all major platforms.
Katika wimbo wao mpya wenye mchangamsho “Play Your Clarinet!”, Into the Blood wanaunganisha midundo ya kielektroniki inayoshika kwa urahisi na mgeuko wa kusisimua: solo la klaneti lenye mionjo ya jazz kutoka kwa Peter Fuglsang. Uchezaji wake unaongeza mguso wa uchezaji wa moja kwa moja unaokamilisha msingi wa kidijitali wa wimbo huu, na kuunda tukio la kipekee kabisa la kusikiliza.
Wimbo huu utazinduliwa kimataifa tarehe 22 Novemba katika lugha 11 tofauti—ikiwemo Kiswahili, Kifaransa, Kiingereza na Kichina n.k.—pamoja na toleo lisilo na sauti za kuimba.
Jiunge nasi katika safari ya kimataifa
Acha “Play Your Clarinet!” ikupeleke kuvuka mipaka, sauti na tamaduni. Wimbo mmoja. Lugha kumi na moja. Utasikika kwenye majukwaa yote makubwa ya kusikiliza muziki mtandaoni, na video za maneno ya wimbo zitapatikana kwenye YouTube. Jifunge mkanda na ufurahie safari!
Orodha ya video za “Play Your Clarinet!” – video za maneno ya wimbo katika lugha zote 11 kwenye YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLuQcCz0vhEKyPigEcJ1-Du7YhrzZdLrex
“Destination 11” – video ya muziki:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8l72BtPBd8
Kuhusu Into the Blood
Duo la Into the Blood—Jens Brygmann (sauti za kuimba na ngoma za kidijitali) na Carsten Bo Andersen (kinanda na sintesa)—imekuwa ikifanya kazi tangu mwaka 2016. Muziki wao umekuwa ukipigwa kwenye vituo mbalimbali vya redio duniani, vikiwemo vya Uingereza, Australia na Ufaransa.
Toleo la asili la “Play Your Clarinet!” pia linapatikana kwenye rekodi ya vinili ya inchi 12 kama sehemu ya mradi wao mkubwa wa Destination 11, unaojumuisha video ya muziki ya dakika 11. Video hiyo imewahi kuonyeshwa katika matamasha mbalimbali ya kimataifa ya filamu fupi, na hadi sasa tayari imeshinda tuzo mbili nchini India, kufikia hatua ya fainali kwenye East Village New York Film Festival na Las Vegas International Film & Screenwriting Festival, nusu fainali kwenye Seattle Film Festival na robo fainali kwenye Synergy Film Festival huko Los Angeles.
Mradi wa Destination 11 umefadhiliwa na White City Consulting na Custom Coaching.
Upakuzi kupitia Dropbox – Hapa unaweza kupakua nyenzo za promosheni:
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/sai0udu4imfwdmktxf5cj/ADqWOKnmQZjDm3PsXL3yzvs?rlkey=75i1ctld2guy8tcp6snp112j9&st=jtgfu546&dl=0
Salamu za muziki kutoka
Into the Blood
Jens Brygmann & Carsten Bo Andersen 📧 [email protected]
Into the Blood – mitandao ya kijamii:
https://linktr.ee/intotheblood
MUSIC
Van Hechter’s “Boy Problems” Is a Deep and Danceable Bilingual Anthem for Anyone Tired of Lukewarm Love
Montreal-based pop sensation and LGBTQ activist Van Hechter is back with “Boy Problems,” a stunning new single. The track merges his signature upbeat charm with rare emotional depth. Hechter, known for hits like “Disco Brother,” “Hot Damn,” and “Love Elastic,” reveals a new side to his magnetic electro-pop personality, offering a message that is both radiant and raw.
At 4 minutes and 24 seconds, “BoyProblems” is a bilingual (French & English) eruption of glitter, melancholy, and empowerment. It’s built on irresistible synths, glossy production, and pulsing basslines. The song invites listeners into a world where heartbreak beats in rhythm with liberation. The melodies feel euphoric on the surface, yet are stained with a haunting vulnerability, proving that dancing and deep feeling can exist together.
At its core, the song is a manifesto about refusing to settle for half-love. Van delivers lyrics that make you sway, smile, and suddenly pause; the truth stings. If love isn’t loud, real, and fully given, he’d rather walk away. It’s a reminder wrapped in rhythm: loving yourself means refusing the small version of what you deserve.
Filled with Hechter’s signature humor, glamour, and optimism, “Boy Problems” is a club anthem and a soul-stirrer all at once. The bilingual lyrics expand its emotional reach. The track feels at home anywhere, from Parisian dance floors and New York rooftops to headphones on a bus or speakers at Pride.
This is a jam that makes you feel like you’re flying, free from pretense. It’s definitively dance-pop and unmistakably Van Hechter, though the smile has a real heartbeat underneath. Listeners will hear that signature flair; he’s still cheeky, stylish, and unapologetically queer. His artistry is simply sharpened with new emotional honesty. This is a growth moment, delivered with a wink and a synth hook.
“Boy Problems” is a significant step beyond a simple catchy single. It’s a toast to self-worth. A glittering rebellion against lukewarm love. A reminder that the dance floor can be a place to heal. This sonic centerpiece belongs on your playlist, and on your friends’ too.
Catch Up With Van Hechter on:
MUSIC
TR Craze brings his South Sudanese story to the gritty drill anthem “Tule Tule” with Jamaican-UK rapper Caine Marko
Sometimes a song shows up like that friend who kicks open the door without knocking, grinning and saying, “get your shoes, we’re leaving.” “Tule Tule,” the new single from South Sudanese artist TR Craze featuring Jamaican-UK rapper Caine Marko, moves exactly like that. The track is bold and charged, carrying the weight of lived experience while stomping over a dark, menacing drill beat that feels built for the streets as much as the club.
TR Craze’s backstory reads like a movie script Hollywood studios would fight over. He was born in South Sudan, shaped by the trauma of civil war, and pushed into the harsh realities of refugee life. He literally survived the treacherous routes through Libya and across the Mediterranean Sea to reach Europe. This man distills survival into rhythm. On “Tule Tule,” you can feel that heart, that urgency, and that fire in his delivery, channelled into a raw, assertive drill performance that cuts through even if you don’t understand a single word of the opening verse. At its core, “Tule Tule” is a raw, assertive drill track that isn’t afraid to bare its teeth.
The word “Tule” comes from Nuer. It refers to youth games and the electric thrill of chasing something, whether that’s victory, joy, or destiny. TR Craze uses that spirit like a drumbeat beneath his voice. The choruses hit with a communal, call-and-response warmth but here that playfulness is flipped into a gritty, chant-like hook – “Tule Tule” – that feels like the rallying cry of a crew on the move. Even without translating the lyrics, the tone tells you everything. This is about motion, pursuit, celebration, and refusing to stay stuck in the past, all wrapped in an unapologetic, high-adrenaline atmosphere. Lyrically, the track leans into street life, dominance and crew loyalty, matching the tension in the beat.
Behind them, producer Kyxxx builds a dark, tense soundscape, stitching drill drums with Brazilian bounce and Bhangra-flavoured rhythmic elements that keep the track constantly on edge. The result is a gritty, energetic and unapologetic atmosphere that pulls you straight into their world.
Then Caine Marko slides in for the second verse, and the whole energy pivots into a sharp, swagger-heavy bounce. His flow is clean but gritty, confident and confrontational, shifting between braggadocio and sly charm.
“She knows I’m a wolf and I run the pack,” he starts, classic alpha talk, but delivered with a laid-back grin. “She come first like running track,” he continues, flipping between affection and athletic metaphors like a man who’s too used to moving fast.
Then he opens up the verse more: “Doing dirt and getting with a bitty, I only pretty… then back to the city. Got me some liquor then it got me some weed.” It’s lifestyle rap, but the reckless, unapologetic kind. It’s the messy, outside-at-night, live-in-the-moment vibe that balances TR Craze’s more grounded narrative. When he ends with “you going to hang with the gang,” the energy snaps into a group-hyped finale, a reminder that music like this isn’t meant to be consumed alone, underlining the crew-first loyalty at the heart of the record.
“Tule Tule” works because it blends worlds without softening its raw, street-hardened edge. It merges East African emotion, Caribbean-UK swagger, drill and hip-hop grit, Brazilian and Bhangra textures in Kyxxx’s production, diaspora storytelling, and a spirit of joy that refuses to be dimmed by pain.
Let “Tule Tule” run while you’re walking, cooking, texting, or plotting big dreams – or getting ready to step out with your crew.
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