Comparison

DistroKid vs ASCAP

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

Head to head
About

DistroKid

This app allows independent artists to distribute their music to over 150 streaming platforms. It offers unlimited uploads, keeps 100% of artist earnings, and provides tools for promotion and earnings management.

Highlights
  • Unlimited music uploads
  • 100% earnings retention
  • Access to artist accounts
  • Create promo cards
  • Earnings notifications and withdrawals
  • Streaming stats on the go
  • Edit releases anytime
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/

About

ASCAP

This app helps ASCAP members manage their music catalog, register new works, and track royalty distributions. It also offers tools for finding collaborators, accessing educational resources, and discovering industry events.

Highlights
  • Manage music and metadata
  • Register new music
  • Scan catalog for data health
  • Check royalty distributions
  • Find collaborators
  • Access music industry education
  • Discover events
Features
Read full description

If you're an ASCAP songwriter, composer or music publisher, you've come to the right place. The ASCAP app connects you to your ASCAP account, with innovative tools to help you get the most out of your membership, and boost your music career. Think of it as a music manager in your pocket. With the ASCAP app you can: - Manage your music and metadata to make sure you’re set up to get paid for your creative work - Add to your ASCAP catalog with our step-by-step guided or quick registration options - Take a work registration quiz for guidance on how to register your new music - Scan your entire catalog with our data health check, and quickly add any missing metadata to help ASCAP get you paid - Check up on your latest ASCAP royalty distributions - Find new collaborators and mentors with the ASCAP Connections messaging platform - Educate yourself on how the money flows in the music industry, and learn how to sustain your music career, whether you’re an experienced creator or just starting out - Find workshops, competitions and networking events near you What is ASCAP? ASCAP is the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, a performing rights organization (PRO) representing over 1.1 million of the greatest songwriters, composers and music publishers in the world. We’re the only PRO in America operating on a not-for-profit basis, and the only one that puts creators first. We get you paid when your music is played ASCAP’s main job is to pay you royalties when your music is played publicly by the businesses we license. And we’re really good at what we do! In 2024, we achieved revenues of $1.835 billion, and distributed $1.696 billion to our songwriter, composer and publisher members. We put music creators first We pay our members all of the music licensing revenue we take in, minus our operating expenses (among the lowest in the industry). Our governing documents require us to pay music creators first – a claim that only ASCAP can make. We’re led by music creators like you ASCAP is the only PRO in the US founded and governed by songwriters, composers and music publishers. Every decision about how we operate is made by music creators like you – not broadcasters, corporations and investors, like our competitors. We innovate ASCAP offers the most advanced data processing systems of any PRO, to ensure that you get paid fairly and accurately. Our ASCAP Lab explores how new technologies and new business approaches can drive value for our members and the businesses that use their music.

Screenshots

DistroKid4 screens
ASCAP4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: ASCAP at none against DistroKid's 5. DistroKid's advantage is ratings volume (25K vs 32) and rating (4.9 vs 4.6). On price, review sentiment, update cadence 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. ASCAP asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

DistroKid holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: DistroKid has 25K ratings behind it against 32, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 65% of DistroKid's written reviews are positive against 70% of ASCAP's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

DistroKid ships an update every 5 weeks, ASCAP monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
DistroKid versus ASCAP: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDistroKidASCAP
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (25K ratings) — better4.6 (32 ratings)
Positive reviews64.5% of reviews70.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings25K — better32
Update frequencyEvery 5 weeksMonthly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
Best chart rank#15 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.1 — better16.1
Further details — not scored
Size106 MB66 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperDistroKid Holdings, LLCASCAP

Customer experience

DistroKid

All ratings25,484 ratings
Positive97.2%
Neutral1.0%
Negative1.8%
Written reviews975 reviews
Positive64.5%
Neutral4.2%
Negative31.3%

ASCAP

All ratings32 ratings
Positive90.6%
Neutral6.3%
Negative3.1%
Written reviews10 reviews
Positive70.0%
Neutral20.0%
Negative10.0%

Bugs and requests

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

ASCAP

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

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
None

ASCAP

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is DistroKid free?
DistroKid is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is ASCAP free?
ASCAP is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, DistroKid or ASCAP?
DistroKid is rated higher. DistroKid averages 4.9 out of 5 from 25K ratings, while ASCAP averages 4.6 from 32 ratings.
Do DistroKid or ASCAP have ads?
Neither DistroKid nor ASCAP shows ads.
Which is updated more often, DistroKid or ASCAP?
DistroKid ships an update every 5 weeks, and ASCAP monthly. Most recently, DistroKid was updated on October 17, 2026 and ASCAP on October 8, 2026.

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