Horus Music vs CD Baby

Horus Music8.9Visit CD Baby8.6Visit

Higher score Horus Music #5 in Music Distribution Platforms 8.9/10 Paid ✓ 2 of 2 features Visit Horus Music

vs

CD Baby #8 in Music Distribution Platforms 8.6/10 Paid ✓ 2 of 2 features Visit CD Baby

• Horus Music fits best

  Artists and small labels wanting full royalties

• CD Baby fits best

  Artists preferring one-time release fees

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Side by side

Feature	Horus Music 8.9/10 Visit ↗	CD Baby 8.6/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	8.9	8.6
Ranking	#5 in Music Distribution Platforms	#8 in Music Distribution Platforms
Best for	Artists and small labels wanting full royalties	Artists preferring one-time release fees
Pricing model	Paid	Paid
Starting price	£20/yr	—
Free plan	—	—
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Cloud	Cloud
Platforms	Web	Web
Support	Email, Phone	Tickets, Docs
Integrations	7 integrations	150+ integrations
Built for	Solo, Small business, Mid-market	Solo, Small business, Mid-market
Features Horus Music 2/2 · CD Baby 2/2
Publishing administration	✓	✓
YouTube Content ID	✓	✓
Specs
Artist limit	One	Not checked yet
Release limit	Unlimited	Per_release
Royalty model	Full	Shared
Store count	100 stores	150 stores (best)
Payout schedule	Monthly	Not checked yet
Our review
Pros	100% royalties on the artist distribution package Unlimited releases with delivery to more than 150 platforms Royalty splits, label profiles, publishing and sync licensing	Worldwide distribution to 150+ digital, streaming, and social partners YouTube Content ID, social video monetization, and artist tools Optional mechanical royalty collection and SoundExchange registration
Cons	No free plan; annual and one-time paid options only Artist & Label Services is invite-only with bespoke revenue sharing The service is available through the web platform	No free plan; releases use paid per-release pricing CD Baby retains a percentage of certain royalty revenues Access is provided through the web platform
Our verdict	Horus Music is a paid music distribution, publishing and label-services company for independent artists, bands, DJs, producers, songwriters and record labels. Its distribution offering covers unlimited singles, EPs and albums, with… Read the review →	CD Baby is a music distribution platform for independent musicians and labels. Artists can upload singles or albums for worldwide delivery to streaming, download, and social platforms, with distribution across 150+ partners. Its core tools… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• Horus Music — where it wins

  • 100% royalties on the artist distribution package
  • Unlimited releases with delivery to more than 150 platforms
  • Royalty splits, label profiles, publishing and sync licensing

  Where it doesn't

  • No free plan; annual and one-time paid options only
  • Artist & Label Services is invite-only with bespoke revenue sharing
  • The service is available through the web platform

• CD Baby — where it wins

  • Worldwide distribution to 150+ digital, streaming, and social partners
  • YouTube Content ID, social video monetization, and artist tools
  • Optional mechanical royalty collection and SoundExchange registration

  Where it doesn't

  • No free plan; releases use paid per-release pricing
  • CD Baby retains a percentage of certain royalty revenues
  • Access is provided through the web platform

• Horus Music8.9/10 · Paid

  A paid distribution service with full royalties, label tools and publishing options.

  Visit Horus MusicFull verdict →
• CD Baby8.6/10 · Paid

  A mature, one-time-fee distributor with broad reach and optional rights services.

  Visit CD BabyFull verdict →