Comparison

Spotify for Artists vs DistroKid

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Spotify for Artists

This official app provides artists and their teams with free tools to grow their fanbase and manage their music business on Spotify. Understand your audience, update your profile, and track your music's performance in real-time from anywhere.

Highlights
  • Audience insights
  • Real-time listener stats
  • Profile management
  • Playlist and follower milestones
  • Canvas visuals for tracks
  • Artist roster management
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Spotify for Artists gives you free tools to reach your goals on Spotify. Built for artists and their teams, Spotify for Artists lets you understand your audience, manage your artist profile, upload videos & visuals, and celebrate new releases and milestones. With our app, you can make updates and see your stats from anywhere – in the studio, on tour, or when planning your next release. With Spotify for Artists, you can: • Understand who’s listening and where you’re being heard through your song, playlist, and audience insights. • See a real-time count of how many listeners around the world are streaming your music at any moment. • Celebrate your successes with real-time stats for new releases, updates when you’ve been added to a playlist, and follower milestones. • Control your presence on Spotify by editing your profile, playlists, and Artist Pick. • Showcase your creativity by adding a short looping visual to each of your tracks with Canvas. • Easily switch between artists to keep track of your entire roster’s new releases, stats, and profiles. • Learn the latest tips and tricks with access to our latest articles, product updates, and videos. • Share feedback with us and get answers to your questions. We’re here to support you. Connect with us: Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/spotifyforartists/ Follow us on X: https://twitter.com/spotifyartists Follow us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@spotifyforartists Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/spotify-for-artists/

About

DistroKid

This app simplifies music distribution, allowing artists to upload unlimited songs to over 150 streaming platforms. Artists retain 100% of their earnings and can manage their official artist accounts, track stats, and create promotional materials on the go.

Highlights
  • Unlimited music uploads
  • 100% earnings retention
  • Access to official artist accounts
  • Create promo cards
  • Real-time streaming stats
  • Seamless earnings withdrawal
Features
Read full description

DistroKid is the easiest way to get your music on 150+ streaming platforms, including Spotify, Apple Music, TikTok, YouTube Music & more. Keep 100% of your earnings and upload as many songs as you want. Over 4 million independent artists worldwide trust DistroKid as their music distribution service. Features: · Enjoy easy, fast, unlimited uploads right from the app · Keep 100% of your earnings · Access your official artist accounts including Spotify for Artists, TikTok Artist Account, YouTube, and more · Create Promo Cards to share your release on socials · Get push notifications when you have earnings to claim and withdraw them seamlessly · Check your streaming stats on the go · Edit your releases anytime Log in with your existing DistroKid account or sign up to share your music with the world. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Spotify for Artists4 screens
DistroKid4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: DistroKid at 64% against Spotify for Artists's 18%. DistroKid also leads on rating (4.9 vs 2.9) and ratings volume (27K vs 1.8K). Spotify for Artists's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 5) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 5 weeks). On price and ads there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. DistroKid sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $24.99 per year. Spotify for Artists asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

DistroKid holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 2.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: DistroKid has 27K ratings behind it against 1.8K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 18% of Spotify for Artists's written reviews are positive against 64% of DistroKid's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Spotify for Artists ships an update fortnightly, DistroKid every 5 weeks. Both last shipped on November 1, 2026.

Scorecard9 real differences · 2 level
Spotify for Artists versus DistroKid: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSpotify for ArtistsDistroKid
PriceFreeFree
Rating2.9 (1.8K ratings)4.9 (27K ratings) — better
Positive reviews18.2% of reviews64.1% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1.8K27K — better
Update frequencyFortnightly — betterEvery 5 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterSubscription
Best chart rank#142#15 — better
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS26.015.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size53 MB106 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperSpotifyDistroKid Holdings, LLC

Customer experience

Spotify for Artists

All ratings1,781 ratings
Positive41.9%
Neutral10.5%
Negative47.6%
Written reviews1,076 reviews
Positive18.2%
Neutral14.2%
Negative67.6%

DistroKid

All ratings27,208 ratings
Positive97.1%
Neutral1.0%
Negative1.8%
Written reviews1,031 reviews
Positive64.1%
Neutral4.3%
Negative31.6%

User reviews

Spotify for Artists

From 1.8K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Easy to use
  • 📊 Helpful analytics
  • 🎨 Customizable profile
  • 🚀 Smooth performance

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Bugs and glitches
  • 🔒 Login issues
  • 📉 Inaccurate or missing data
  • 🚫 Lack of features for smaller artists

DistroKid

From 27K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Quick distribution
  • 👍 User-friendly interface
  • 💡 Affordable pricing
  • 🚀 Fast and efficient
  • 👍 Easy to use

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Withdrawal issues
  • 🐛 Accounts being deleted without notice
  • 🐛 Delayed customer support response
  • 💰 Expensive additional features
  • 🐛 Inability to edit artist profiles

Bugs and requests

Spotify for Artists

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Inability to update profile images and bio
  • App crashing or not loading
  • Streams and listener counts not updating properly
  • Forced updates requiring newer iOS versions

Requested features

4 requests
  • Ability to see all-time stream counts for songs under 1,000 streams
  • More granular date range options for analytics
  • Integration with other streaming platforms
  • Tools for interacting with fans

DistroKid

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Subscription plan issues
  • Inability to log in or access account
  • Incorrect file uploads
  • Unresponsive customer support

Requested features

6 requests
  • Add draft option for uploads
  • Expand genre options
  • Improve credit management during uploads
  • Reevaluate pricing structure
  • Integrate music video distribution
Show 1 more
  • Provide more detailed earnings reports

In-app purchases

None

Spotify for Artists

No in-app purchases

5 purchases

DistroKid

Subscriptions5
  • Musician Plan$24.991 Year
  • Musician Plus$44.991 Year
  • Ultimate - 5$89.991 Year
Show 2 more
  • Ultimate - 10$157.991 Year
  • Ultimate - 20$269.991 Year

Questions

Is Spotify for Artists free?
Spotify for Artists is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is DistroKid free?
DistroKid is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Spotify for Artists or DistroKid?
DistroKid is rated higher. Spotify for Artists averages 2.9 out of 5 from 1.8K ratings, while DistroKid averages 4.9 from 27K ratings.
Do Spotify for Artists or DistroKid have ads?
Neither Spotify for Artists nor DistroKid shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Spotify for Artists or DistroKid?
Spotify for Artists ships an update fortnightly, and DistroKid every 5 weeks. Most recently, Spotify for Artists was updated on November 1, 2026 and DistroKid on November 1, 2026.
Which is more popular, Spotify for Artists or DistroKid?
Spotify for Artists currently peaks at #142 in the App Store charts, and DistroKid at #15. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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