Free vs Paid Distribution Plans
The arithmetic behind free, annual and per-release pricing for Indian artists.
DistroKid was built for Western markets — but Indian artists need caller tunes, Indian stores, INR pricing and Hindi support. That is exactly what T9music was built for.
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Quick answer: DistroKid was built for Western markets, and three gaps matter for an Indian release: no CRBT caller tune delivery to Jio, Airtel, Vi or BSNL, USD-only pricing with the foreign exchange cost that follows, and no Hindi-language support. T9music covers all three, starting free, with the artist keeping 100% of their music rights.
DistroKid is one of the world's biggest distributors — but it was designed for Western markets. For artists building a career in India, several gaps matter a lot: no CRBT caller tune support for Jio, Airtel, Vi or BSNL, pricing charged in USD, YouTube Content ID as a paid add-on (as listed publicly, $4.95 per song/year plus a 20% share), and no Hindi-language support.
In India, caller tunes are a massive revenue and discovery channel — millions of paid CRBT subscriptions are active across Jio, Airtel, Vi and BSNL. If your distributor cannot deliver caller tunes, you are leaving both money and promotion on the table.
| What Indian artists need | T9music | DistroKid | TuneCore |
|---|---|---|---|
| CRBT caller tunes (Jio/Airtel/Vi/BSNL) | ✔ Included (6–14 days) | ✘ Not offered | ✘ Not offered |
| Indian stores (JioSaavn and Gaana) | ✔ Included | Partial coverage | Partial coverage |
| Pricing currency | ₹ INR (from ₹0) | $ USD only | $ USD only |
| YouTube Content ID | Included in Pro | Paid add-on + revenue share | Available on paid plans |
| Social platform royalties | 100% on Pro | 100% | 80% (20% kept, as published) |
| Hindi support | ✔ Native | ✘ | ✘ |
| Experience with Indian regional music | 16+ years (Ahirani, Marathi, Hindi & more) | — | — |
Competitor details based on publicly listed pricing/features on their official websites as of July 2026. Trademarks belong to their respective owners.
T9music offers what DistroKid does not: CRBT caller tune distribution on Jio, Airtel, Vi and BSNL, reliable delivery to Indian stores like JioSaavn and Gaana, INR pricing starting free, YouTube Content ID included in Pro, and native Hindi support with 16+ years of Indian market experience.
No. DistroKid does not offer CRBT caller tune distribution for Indian telecom networks. T9music delivers caller tunes to Jio, Airtel, Vi and BSNL in 6–14 business days.
Yes. Upload your existing catalog to T9music, and once live, remove it from your old distributor — your Spotify streams and followers stay with your artist profile. Our team guides you through the switch at no charge.
T9music starts completely free (90/10 split). Pro Artist is ₹1,999/year with 100% royalties, Content ID and CRBT included — and you always own 100% of your music rights. DistroKid lists from $22.99/year (~₹1,900+) but charges extra for Content ID and offers no caller tunes.
Yes. Indian stores are first-class destinations at T9music, not an afterthought. Your release reaches JioSaavn and Gaana alongside all global platforms.
Join 3500+ labels and thousands of independent artists distributing with T9music since 2010.
The arithmetic behind free, annual and per-release pricing for Indian artists.
How a song reaches Jio, Airtel, Vi and BSNL as a caller tune, and what it earns.
IPRS, PPL, streaming, YouTube and CRBT income — who pays what, and when.
File specs, metadata, ISRC, timelines and the full release process for Indian artists.