The Brutal Truth About "Free" Music Distribution (That Nobody Wants to Tell You)

You've just finished your album. You're broke. And the idea of getting your music on Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon without dropping a dime sounds like hitting the lottery...

But here's what nobody's telling you about "free" music distribution...

It's Like Getting a "Free" Car That Costs You Gas Money Forever

Picture this: You're Alex, sitting in your bedroom studio at 2 AM, scrolling through music forums. Your tracks are fire, but your bank account? Not so much...

Then you see it... "Upload to ALL platforms for FREE!"

Your heart skips a beat. This is it. Your big break without the big expense...
But hold up...

Here's the Math That'll Make Your Head Spin

Let's say your music actually takes off (because it's awesome, obviously). You make $1,000 in royalties...

With that "free" service keeping 10% of your earnings, you just handed them $100...

Now imagine you make 10,000. They just pocketed 1,000 of YOUR money...

Meanwhile, that "expensive" 20/year service? You'd pay 20 and keep $9,980...

The "free" service just cost you $980 more...

Ouch.

But Wait... There's More (And It Gets Worse)

These free platforms love to hit you with surprise charges:

• Want faster uploads? That'll be $15.
• Need better analytics? Another $10/month.
• Customer support that actually responds? Premium feature, buddy.

Before you know it, you're paying more than the "expensive" services... while still giving away chunks of your royalties...

The Real Kicker?

Some of these platforms bury clauses in their terms that basically say "we own your music now."

Not kidding.

You could wake up one day unable to move your own songs to a better platform...

So What's a Broke Musician to Do?

Look, I'm not here to crush your dreams. Free distribution CAN work if:

• You're just testing the waters
• You're not expecting significant earnings yet
• You're okay with basic features and limited support

But if you're serious about making money from your music? Do the math. That 20/year investment pays for itself the *moment* you earn 200 in royalties...

So...

Free distribution is like that friend who offers to help you move but shows up empty-handed and eats all your pizza...

Sure, it's "free"... but you end up paying more in the long run...

Your music deserves better. And so do you.

The choice is yours: Keep 90% of something, or 100% of everything.

Choose wisely.