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Comparison / CD Baby

SongPilot vs CD Baby: One-Time Fees vs a Full Release Team

CD Baby charges once per release and keeps 9% of digital revenue. SongPilot takes a 5% store fee on streaming and download royalties, distributes to all major global streaming platforms, download stores, social/video networks, and regional services worldwide, and builds the mix, master, artwork, music video and campaign around every release.

Taking your CD Baby catalog with you

  • Your codes are the history. Each song has an ISRC and each release a UPC. Stores attach your plays to those, not to CD Baby.
  • SongPilot delivers first. Your releases go out again with the same codes while CD Baby still has them live.
  • Then remove the CD Baby copies. Once the SongPilot versions are up, take down the CD Baby ones and stop paying the revenue share.

Who each one is for

C

CD Baby

Best for: Pay-once-per-release distribution with a share of digital revenue

CD Baby suits artists who release rarely and like paying once per release instead of a yearly fee. Releases stay up without renewals, and CD Baby still offers short-run CD manufacturing if you want discs to sell at shows.

  • You release once or twice a year and prefer a one-time fee
  • You want short-run CDs made for shows
  • Everything apart from delivery is already done
S

SongPilot

Best for: Distribution with a 5% store fee, plus production, visuals and campaigns

SongPilot suits artists who release regularly. There is no per-release charge, the store fee is 5% on streaming and download royalties, you keep 100% of your rights, and the subscription covers far more than delivery: the Producer mixes and masters, the Visual Director makes the cover and the video, and campaigns post to Instagram, TikTok and YouTube.

  • You want a lower store fee and no charge per release
  • You release often and want artwork, videos and posts each time
  • You want your stems mixed and mastered
Side by Side

SongPilot vs CD Baby, feature by feature

Distribution

Both

CD Baby

✓ The major global platforms, paid once per release

SongPilot

✓ All major global streaming platforms, download stores, social/video networks and regional services, including Anghami, Boomplay, JioSaavn and KKBOX, with a release readiness checklist before you submit

Store fee

SongPilot

CD Baby

⚠ Keeps 9% of digital revenue, plus a fee per release

SongPilot

✓ 5% store fee on streaming and download royalties, no per-release charge

Physical products

CD Baby

CD Baby

⚠ Short-run CD manufacturing; physical distribution ended in 2023

SongPilot

✗ Digital only

Mixing and mastering

SongPilot

CD Baby

✗ Not offered

SongPilot

✓ Mix from stems and master with a free before and after preview

Artwork

SongPilot

CD Baby

✗ None

SongPilot

✓ Generated covers with a layered editor and PSD export

Music videos

SongPilot

CD Baby

✗ None

SongPilot

✓ Storyboarded videos, AI scene clips and lip-sync

Campaigns

SongPilot

CD Baby

✗ No post scheduling

SongPilot

✓ Campaign timelines posting to Instagram, TikTok and YouTube

Public artist page

SongPilot

CD Baby

✗ None

SongPilot

✓ songpilot.ai/@yourname with full-song streaming, videos and press photos

Pricing

What You'll Pay

CD Baby

One-time fee per release ($9.99 single, $14.99 album) with no annual fee. CD Baby keeps 9% of digital revenue.

SongPilot

  • Starter : $10/month, 500 credits
  • Creator : $39/month, 5,000 credits
  • Pro Label : $99/month, 15,000 credits
  • Enterprise : $299/month, 40,000 credits

Every plan includes distribution, the eight AI specialists, catalog, releases, campaigns and social. A 5% store fee on royalties, and you keep 100% of your rights.

Decision Guide

Which One Is Right for You?

C Choose CD Baby If...

  • You release once or twice a year and prefer a one-time fee
  • You want short-run CDs made for shows
  • Everything apart from delivery is already done

S Choose SongPilot If...

  • You want a lower store fee and no charge per release
  • You release often and want artwork, videos and posts each time
  • You want your stems mixed and mastered
  • You want to move your CD Baby catalog with its codes
Advantages

What Makes SongPilot Different

Key benefits you'll only find here

A 5% store fee and no per-release charge; you keep 100% of your rights

Mixing, mastering, covers and music videos in one workspace

Campaigns that post to Instagram, TikTok and YouTube

Catalog transfer that keeps ISRC and UPC codes

Eight AI specialists that know your songs

SongPilot vs CD Baby: common questions

Does CD Baby still distribute CDs and vinyl?

CD Baby ended physical distribution in June 2023. It still offers short-run CD manufacturing.

Does SongPilot take a percentage like CD Baby?

SongPilot takes 5% of streaming and download royalties and 20% of YouTube Content ID and social platform earnings, with no per-release charge. CD Baby keeps 9% of digital revenue on top of its per-release fee. You keep 100% of the rights to your music.

Can I move my CD Baby releases without losing streams?

Yes. SongPilot redelivers each release with its existing ISRC and UPC codes while the CD Baby versions are still live, so play counts stay with the songs.

Summary

The Bottom Line

CD Baby is a pay-once distributor that keeps 9% of every digital sale. SongPilot takes 5% of streaming and download royalties and does far more: mix, master, cover, video and campaign. Move your catalog with its codes and the streams stay put.

Keep your rights and every stream

Join the waitlist for early access and bring your CD Baby catalog over.

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View Pricing Explore Features

Keep reading

How far in advance to plan a music release

Split sheets explained for bands and co-writers

Help: create your first release

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