Guide · Updated September 3, 2026 · 8 min read
Amuse isn't free any more. What it costs now — and where artists go instead
Amuse changed its deal — and the exit deal is where distributors really differ. Prices and terms below come from Amuse's own pricing page and support articles, checked 3 September 2026.
Amuse is not free any more. The free tier that made its name — unlimited releases on Spotify for nothing — closed to new releases in March 2024. Today Amuse is a paid subscription at $23.99–$59.99 a year, with a catch many artists only discover on the way out: cancel, and it keeps 25% of your royalties. If you're an ex-free-tier artist deciding where to go — or a current subscriber doing the math — this guide covers what Amuse actually costs now and the alternatives.
Key takeaways
- Amuse's free distribution tier is gone (closed March 2024). Plans now run $23.99–$59.99/yr, annual billing only.
- The catch: cancel your subscription and your music stays up, but Amuse starts keeping 25% of your royalties — per its own support pages.
- On the cheapest plan, YouTube Content ID costs a 15% royalty fee and splits with non-subscribers cost 15% — the $23.99 headline is the entry price, not the full picture.
- Where to go depends on what you valued in Amuse: cheapest unlimited (Ditto), pay-once (CD Baby), or volume (DistroKid).
- If what you actually need is the release built and promoted, not just delivered, compare what that work costs to buy — $200–500 for a freelance cover, $100–300 for a press bio — not the upload fee. That's what Audora is priced against.
What Amuse actually costs in 2026
From Amuse's pricing page, July 2026 — all plans billed annually, all with unlimited releases:
| Price | Key terms | |
|---|---|---|
| Artist | $23.99/yr | 1 artist; YouTube Content ID costs 15% of those royalties; splits with non-subscribers cost 15% |
| Artist Plus | $39.99/yr | Up to 2 artists; no Content ID fee; free splits |
| Professional | $59.99/yr | 3+ artists; priority support |
Add-ons include cover-song licensing at $14.99 one-time per cover and mastering at $5.99 per track. To Amuse's credit, the lineup has been expanding — on-demand vinyl/CD arrived in early 2026 — and its Trustpilot score sits at 4.4 with the company answering its critics. This isn't a service in decline; it's a service that changed its deal.
The 25% catch when you cancel
Amuse markets "Your Music Stays Live Even When Downgrading" — which is true, and better than DistroKid's takedown-on-lapse. The part in the support pages: when you cancel, "a 25% royalty commission will be applied to all releases", an additional 15% applies on royalty splits, and YouTube monetization is removed from your tracks. Your music stays up — earning you a quarter less, indefinitely.
The alternatives, compared
Exit deal first, since that's the term that changed for Amuse artists. Prices as of July 2026, checked against each provider's public pages:
| Exit deal | Entry price | Best for | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ditto | Music comes down | From $19/yr unlimited | Absolute lowest price (mind the reviews) |
| CD Baby | Nothing to cancel; 9% forever | $9.99/single, $14.99/album once | Occasional releasers |
| DistroKid | Takedown unless $29–49/release | From $24.99/yr unlimited | High-volume uploaders |
| TuneCore | Music comes down | $24.99–$54.99/yr | Tier flexibility; 20% social fee applies |
| Audora | If you cancel and we keep your music distributed, we recover only our distribution costs from what it earns — everything above that is still paid to you (terms) | There is a free plan; one monthly plan covers the release and the artwork and copy around it (see plans) | The release built and promoted, not just delivered |
The deeper trade-offs of each are covered in our full distribution comparison and alternatives guide; what a release costs to do properly, rather than to upload, is priced line by line in this one.
Leaving Amuse without losing your streams
Same rule as every distributor move: your streams follow your ISRC codes. Export every ISRC and UPC from Amuse first, deliver the same recordings with the same codes through the new distributor, wait until they're live, then take down the Amuse versions. Because Amuse keeps cancelled artists' music live (at the 25% commission), you have no time pressure — migrate release by release, in order, without a gap. Full steps in the switching section here.
Which alternative fits which artist
- You came for free: the general-purpose free tier is gone from the market. The one real free option left is TikTok's own SoundOn — genuinely free, but TikTok-centric, and it keeps 10% of royalties from non-TikTok platforms after your first year. For general distribution, Ditto at $19/yr is the closest cheap unlimited plan; read recent reviews first.
- You release rarely: CD Baby's pay-once model beats every subscription, including Amuse's, at low volume.
- You release constantly: DistroKid or staying on Amuse are the volume plays — compare their exit deals and add-ons, not just headline prices.
- You want the release built, not just delivered: that's what Audora is for — distribution through Sony Music's channel, artwork and bios included, and promotion that publishes itself once you approve it.
Questions
Is Amuse still free?
No. Amuse closed its free distribution tier to new releases in March 2024. As of July 2026 its plans are Artist ($23.99/yr), Artist Plus ($39.99/yr), and Professional ($59.99/yr), billed annually, all with unlimited releases. Releases uploaded on the old free tier stayed live, but new releases require a paid plan.
What happens to my music if I cancel my Amuse subscription?
Per Amuse's support pages, your music stays live on streaming services, but a 25% royalty commission is applied to all your releases, an additional 15% can apply on royalty splits, and YouTube monetization is removed from your tracks. You also lose insights access and cannot upload new releases without re-subscribing.
What is the best free Amuse alternative?
The general-purpose free distribution model Amuse pioneered has largely disappeared. The one notable free option is SoundOn, TikTok's own distributor — no fees, 100% royalties in year one, but it keeps 10% from non-TikTok platforms after that and is built around TikTok. The cheapest general paid option is Ditto at $19/year for unlimited uploads (check recent reviews first). Audora sits on a different axis: it is priced against the work a release needs — artwork, copy, promotion — rather than against an upload fee. You can start free and only spend credits when you release.
Can I move my releases from Amuse to another distributor?
Yes, without losing streams: export your ISRC and UPC codes from Amuse, deliver the same recordings with the same codes through the new distributor, wait until the new versions are live, then take down the Amuse versions. Since Amuse keeps cancelled artists' music live (minus 25%), there is no deadline pressure — migrate carefully.
Is Amuse legit?
Yes. Amuse is a legitimate Swedish distributor with a 4.4 Trustpilot score across roughly 6,000 reviews as of July 2026, and it has kept expanding (on-demand vinyl/CD in 2026). The criticisms worth knowing: no refunds on forgotten auto-renewals, AI-first support on lower tiers, and account freezes over artificial-streaming flags — themes common across the industry — plus the 25% commission after cancelling.
How is Audora different from Amuse?
Amuse is self-serve unlimited distribution on an annual subscription. Audora is apply-for-access — usually answered within one business day — distributes through Sony Music's channel, and its monthly plan bundles the work around the release: cover art, press bios, and a promotion studio that publishes approved posts to TikTok, YouTube, Instagram and Facebook Pages. We take nothing from your royalties on any plan. If you cancel and we keep your music distributed, we recover only our distribution costs from what it earns — everything above that is still paid to you. Amuse's exit deal is a flat 25% commission; ours recovers costs, nothing more.