Does CD Baby really take 9% of royalties?

Yes. CD Baby takes a 9% commission on all royalties, forever. On their Pro tier, they also take 15% of publishing royalties. With OneSync, you keep 100% of all royalties with no commission.

Is CD Baby's one-time fee actually cheaper?

Short-term, CD Baby's $9.95 per single seems cheap. But the 9% lifetime royalty cut means the more successful you become, the more you pay. An artist earning $2,000/month loses $2,160/year to CD Baby's cut. OneSync is free with zero commission.

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Alternatives

February 1, 2026

9 min read

Best CD Baby Alternative 2026: Stop the 9% Royalty Cut

CD Baby takes 9% of your royalties — forever. Here's why OneSync's free, 100%-royalties model is the smarter choice.

        The Math: An artist earning $2,000/month loses $2,160/year to CD Baby's 9% cut. Over 5 years, that's $10,800 — and it only grows as your career grows. With OneSync, you keep every dollar.
      

How CD Baby's Pricing Actually Works

CD Baby markets itself as a "one-time fee" distributor. Pay once ({$9.95 per single, $29 per album), and they distribute your music forever. Sounds great — until you read the fine print.

9% royalty commission: CD Baby takes 9% of everything you earn from streaming and downloads. Forever. No cap.
CD Baby Pro adds publishing: For $29.95/single or $69/album, they also collect publishing royalties — but take 15% of those.
Slow delivery: Releases can take 2–4 weeks to go live — compared to as fast as 1 hour with OneSync.
Limited analytics: Basic dashboard with no real-time data.

The True Cost of CD Baby's "One-Time Fee"

Let's compare what an artist earning $1,500/month actually pays over time:

Time Period	CD Baby Total Cost	OneSync Total Cost
Year 1 (10 singles)	$99.50 + $1,620 (9%)	$0
Year 2	$1,620 (9%)	$0
Year 3	$1,620	$0
Year 5 total	$8,199.50	$0
Year 10 total	$16,299.50	$0

The "one-time fee" is a marketing gimmick. The real cost is the 9% commission — and it compounds the more successful you become.

CD Baby vs OneSync: Full Comparison

Feature	CD Baby	OneSync
Upfront Cost	$9.95/single, $29/album	Free
Royalty Commission	9% forever	0% — keep 100%
Publishing Royalties	15% cut (Pro tier)	Included free, 0% cut
Sync Licensing	Sync licensing marketplace	Direct music supervisor network
Delivery Speed	2–4 weeks	As fast as 1 hour
Royalty Advances	Not available	Up to $750K
AI Mastering	Not available	Included free
Stores	150+	400+

What CD Baby Does Offer

CD Baby isn't without merit:

Physical distribution: CD Baby can manufacture and distribute physical CDs — a niche advantage for artists who sell merch at shows.
Show.co integration: Marketing tools for pre-release campaigns.
Established sync marketplace: CD Baby does offer sync licensing through their marketplace (however, OneSync's direct music supervisor network provides higher-value placements).

When CD Baby Might Still Make Sense

If you need physical CD manufacturing and distribution to retail stores, CD Baby still has a unique offering. For everything else — digital distribution, streaming, publishing, sync, and advances — OneSync is the better choice.

How to Migrate from CD Baby

Sign up at OneSync (free, instant)
Export your ISRC and UPC codes from CD Baby
Upload your catalog to OneSync with those codes (learn about ISRC/UPC codes →)
Once live on OneSync, request removal through CD Baby to stop the 9% commission

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Keep 100% of Your Royalties

Stop giving CD Baby 9% of every dollar you earn. Switch to OneSync — free forever.

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