The old ways of selling music in physical formats such as vinyl, CDS, DVDs, and tape recorders have almost disappeared. Recently, we have seen the popularity of online music platforms like Apple Music, iTunes, Amazon, Spotify, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, etc.
However, it is pretty difficult for artists and musicians to sign contracts with these platforms separately. Here comes Catapult Distribution and CDbaby to make the tasks of the artists easier.
They have taken the responsibility to make your music available on all platforms. In this article, we will cover Catapult vs cdbaby with their advantages and disadvantages.
Catapult Overview
Catapult started its journey in 2006, and soon, it gained popularity among music creators with its flexible terms and conditions and competitive commission. Thousands of users have taken their services and appreciated them.
Let’s find some more info about Catapult so that you can decide whether Catapult is the right option for you or not.
All in One
Once you put your music on the Catapult, they take the other responsibilities. Your music will be available on all the platforms such as iTunes, Apple Music, Amazon, Spotify, etc. You do not need to worry about making your music available on each platform.
They distribute a single piece of music, albums, and any other audio type. Even they have a shareable magnet link to your album, which you can use on social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, Instagram, etc.
No Third Party & Free Account
If you work with them, there will be no third party between you and Catapult; they directly make your music available on those platforms. As a result, you will get the highest percentage of commission.
In Addition, most people do not want to invest in the first place; instead, they wish to test the platform. You will get this opportunity in Catapult as they allow you to create a free account. You have to pay when you put your music albums or soundtracks.
Quick upload and Data of Submission
The Catapult has a simple interface and a faster server where you can upload your music quickly and smoothly. The interface has different boxes for music title, genre, artists, album, etc.,
where you can put the necessary information. The entire process of placing the artist’s name, song title & writer, producer, Mixer name, etc. needs at most 2 minutes.
Detailed Analytics
They make your music available on all the platforms within a concise time. Their platform offers detailed analytics of your music pieces as view counts, downloads, sellings, regions of sellings and time spent on your album, ages of the viewers, etc., by which you can take necessary initiatives.
Besides, you can look over the tastes and likings of your fans from different regions.
Timely Transfer of your Earning
Unlike other platforms, Catapult has a simple and faster payment method that requires no extra charge or effort. At the end of the month, your earnings will be automatically sent to your account.
You need to put your Paypal account in once in a lifetime. There are no hidden charges or transaction fees that you need to pay.
Dolby Atmos and Free Apple Digital Master
Catapult offers Dolby Atmos music experience for only 29.99 US dollars for a single and 59.99 USD for Album. Through Dolby Atmos, you can make your music more spatial to attract your fans and offer them a new taste in music.
Moreover, you can upload your apple digital masters tracks to their platform without paying any cost.
Volume Discount and Access to Trending Data
In Catapult, you may get an extra discount if you have a large volume of albums to upload. Besides, they have a special trending data section that needs to be purchased to access. You can buy access to this daily reports section for only 9.98 dollars.
Trustworthy and Hassle-free Service
Most users like Catapult for their trustworthiness as they offer utmost privacy protection and the highest copyright safety to your music and do what they are committed to doing.
Also, you need to give less effort to maintain your content as they do all the necessary things to make it available to the audience. Moreover, they offer effective Customer service if you need any assistance.
CDBaby Overview
CDBaby is another music distribution platform you can rely on because they offer maximum services with minimum costs. In a sense, CDbaby is a classic startup because Derek Sivers started this website in 19998 to sell his music CDs.
Later, he started selling other artists’ CDs, and now it has become one of the largest digital music distributors worldwide. We will talk over some points why you should take their services.
Easy To Upload and Make the Store
CDBaby has a simple audio upload page where you can create your Audio albums and upload your music pieces with all the necessary information.
For example, there are separate spaces for Album Name, music title, genre, artist’s name, audio engineer’s name, etc. Also, you can create a music store consisting of your works. They provide you with required label supports too.
Endless Platforms
CDBaby includes almost all the music and audio platforms where your music will be available for playback, downloading, and streaming, such as iTunes, Spotify, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Amazon, SoundCloud, etc. You pay only to CDBaby and get all other platforms free.
Multiple Revenue Sources
You will get paid for streaming, downloads, Vinyl and CD sale, Ads revenue, and Licencing via CDbaby. They also have multiple tools to get you more fans and audiences.
In Addition, you get a payment statement email when your music is sold. In Addition, you can keep your music on their platform for a lifetime without paying recurring charges.
Providing Tips
They have blogs where you will get tips and strategies to boost your selling and audience retention through podcasts, musicians’ conferences, and guides. Furthermore, data and information are in their news section to help you promote your music worldwide. Even they provide regular workshops and mentorship to assist you in every way possible.
Catapult vs Cdbaby : Comparison
Many music distribution platforms exist today, such as Distrokid, Tunecore, OneRPM, Lander, etc. CDbaby and Catapult are popular for some reasons. However, they have some differences in terms and conditions, which we will discuss in the following.
UPCs Buy
CDbaby charges you 20 USD for UPC( universal product code) when you purchase it for one album, and you have to pay 5 dollars for a single piece. Costs for UPC are relatively high in CDbaby, and sometimes they force you to buy.
In contrast, Catapult charges 20 dollars one time for UPCs. Another difference is; that you cannot see the services provided by catapult distribution until you buy their package. In contrast, CDbaby shows their pricing and services before you buy.
Pricing For the Music
As far as the price is concerned, CD baby is costlier than Catapult because for single music you have to pay 9.95 dollars, 29.95 for a single standard album, and for a pro album, you have to pay 69 USD with no yearly cost. In contrast, Catapult charges 9 US dollars for a single piece and 25 US dollars for a single album with zero yearly cost.
Profit Commission
CDbaby has a flat Commission rate of 9%, which means you have to share 9% of every sale made on different platforms. On the other hand, there is a 5-9% commission rate in Catapult which means they will take 5-9% of your sale.
Physical CD Selling
The point where CDbaby wins is that; they offer the customer physical CDs of your music albums that bring you extra revenue, unlike Catapult. However, nowadays, people don’t use physical CDs or DVDs. Catapult does not sell physical CDS.
Royalty Commission
CDbaby takes 30% of your royalties made on Facebook, Instagram, and Youtube. On the other hand, Catapult cuts 25% of your Facebook & Youtube royalties and 15% of your Instagram and TikTok royalties.
Final Words
In our article, we have focused on Catapult distribution vs cdbaby and get some exciting data that will help you make your choice. The main distinction between these two services is in the pricing, terms and conditions, and additional features such as daily trends reports, Dolby atmos, magnet, physical CDs, etc.
After reading our article, we hope you can easily choose the best platform that ideally serves your purpose.
