Octiive vs CD Baby: a one-time fee, or 100% of your royalties

CD Baby charges once per release ($9.99 a single, $14.99 an album), has no yearly fee, and then keeps 9% of your store and streaming income for as long as the music is out, plus 30% of what your music earns on YouTube, TikTok and Meta. Octiive charges a plan ($5 a month or $29 a year for one artist, unlimited uploads) and you keep 100% of your rights and royalties. If you release more than one or two songs a year, or expect your catalog to keep earning, Octiive costs less over time. If you have one album and want to pay once and forget it, CD Baby's up-front price is lower.

How CD Baby charges you

1. A one-time fee per release.

   CD Baby's model is simple: $9.99 for a single, $14.99 for an album, paid once. There is no subscription and no annual fee. UPC and ISRC codes are free. That is the part CD Baby advertises, and it is true.

2. Then 9% of everything, for as long as the music is out.

   The second part is the commission. CD Baby keeps 9% of your digital distribution revenue, so you get 91% of what the stores pay. This does not stop after a year. It applies to every stream and download of that release for as long as it stays on CD Baby. A single you paid $9.99 for in 2026 is still paying CD Baby 9% in 2030.

3. YouTube, TikTok and Meta cost more than the stores.

   YouTube monetization (Content ID) is included in the one-time fee, but CD Baby keeps 30% of social video monetization income from YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. On Octiive, Content ID is $5 per release one time.

4. Mechanicals, SoundExchange and sync are a paid add-on.

   CD Baby closed its Pro Publishing service to new releases in August 2023. The replacement is CDB Boost at $39.99 per release, which registers your songs with the MLC for mechanicals (CD Baby keeps 15%), collects the SoundExchange label share, and enters the release into CD Baby's sync program (CD Baby keeps 40% of placements, which are not guaranteed). Octiive registers Neighboring Rights for $10 per release.

5. Fewer stores.

   CD Baby lists 150+ streaming and download services. Octiive delivers to 260+ stores, Beatport included, and new stores are always free.

6. No plan for several artists or a label.

   CD Baby has no multi-artist plan and no label tier on its pricing page; every release is paid for separately, whoever the artist is. Octiive Pro ($69 a year or $8 a month) covers 2 to 4 artists and Executive ($190 a year) covers up to 20 artists, with label registration at $49 one time.

7. Taking a release down is final.

   CD Baby refunds a release only within 90 days and only if it has not yet been delivered to stores. Once it is live, cancellations are final and there is no refund.

Worked example: one artist, 4 singles in a year

In fees alone, CD Baby is about $9 cheaper in year one and free after that. The 9% is where the cost sits. Once these four songs earn more than about $322 a year across the stores, 9% of that is more than Octiive's $29 plan, and the gap grows every year the music stays out. If you would rather pay per release on Octiive too, a single is $9 and an album $19, and you keep 92%, so even like for like you keep more with Octiive.

Second example, one album and nothing else for a year: CD Baby $14.99 once, you keep 91%. Octiive $19 once, you keep 92%, or $29 for the year on the Essential plan with 100%. For a single album with modest income, CD Baby is the cheaper ticket. The moment you add a second release or your income grows, the plan wins.

Side by side

When CD Baby is a good fit

You have one album or one single, you expect small streaming income, you never want a recurring charge, and you like weekly payouts. CD Baby has been doing this since 1998 and the one-time model is honest about what it is.

When Octiive is the better fit

You release more than once or twice a year, you want 100% of your rights and royalties with no percentage taken for as long as your music is out, you want Beatport and 260+ stores, you want Content ID without giving up 30%, or you manage more than one artist.

How to switch from CD Baby without losing your streams

1. Create your Octiive account and plan.

   Essential covers one artist with unlimited uploads; Pro and Executive cover several artists.

2. Upload your catalog with the same codes.

   Use the same ISRCs and UPCs you used at CD Baby, so the stores see the same recordings and keep your play counts and playlist placements.

3. Wait until every release is live on Octiive.

   Check Spotify and Apple Music.

4. Only then ask CD Baby to take the releases down.

   CD Baby removals take about 30 days and are final, so do this last.

Full guide: how to switch music distributor without losing streams.

FAQ

Sources and method

All prices were read on the official pages on 9 November 2026 and are re-checked every 6 weeks. CD Baby: cost page, distribution page, commission schedule, CDB Boost, Pro Publishing closure, takedowns, refunds, payouts, end of physical distribution (Digital Music News, May 2023), ownership (Music Business Worldwide, February 2026). Octiive: pricing. CD Baby's $14.99 album price is lower than the $29.95 shown on its site in 2025; no dated announcement of the change was found, so this page states the current price only.

Related guides

Music distribution with Octiive, pricing, DistroKid alternatives, Octiive vs DistroKid, Octiive vs TuneCore, YouTube Content ID and neighboring rights, music royalties explained, how to release music.

Last updated: 10 November 2026. Prices checked 9 November 2026. Author: Octiive team.