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Music Industry

EmuBands Review – Is EmuBands Distribution Any Good?

Photograph of the blog post author, Sam Jones

Sam Jones

17.7.2023

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As a musician, choosing a distributor can be challenging. Finding the right one for you is imperative with so much banking on them. EmuBands is a superb music distribution company focused on independent artists. In this EmuBands review, we will discuss what they do and why they might be the perfect option for you. 

emubands logo

Composing music is only one stage in the whole process. Once you have music ready, the next challenge is getting it out there. No matter if you’re a small independent musician or a successful band, you’ll probably need to employ the services of a music distributor. 

Choosing the right distributor for you depends on what audience you want to appeal to and the scope of your music. Approaching a large distributing company when you’re new to the scene can be a waste of time and effort. EmuBands however, could be the perfect one for you. In this EmuBands review, we will discuss what they do, how much they charge, and compare them to their competitors. If you’re currently trying to decide on a distributor, we hope this article is of some help. 

What Is EmuBands?

emubands review

Set up in 2005 by a team of digital music distributors, they have a focus on supporting independent artists. They boast a very simple and easily navigable platform for artists and record labels within all genres. Getting your music onto platforms such as Apple Music, Spotify, and Deezer, they are a great company to get your music out there. 

Everyone on the team is passionate about the music industry and comes from a variety of backgrounds. Ally Grey, the founder, was even previously on the Scottish Music Industry Association board. Based in Glasgow, they are located within a UNESCO City of Music. 

What Does EmuBands Do?

headphones and laptop

Now you know a little more about the company, it’s time to discuss what they do for artists. We will cover some of their key services in this section. 

EmuBands Review – Distribution Services 

EmuBands offers a viable way for artists to distribute their music. They distribute to world-leading download sites and streaming services giving your music the best chance of success.

Providing to the likes of Apple Music and Spotify means your music will reach some of the most recognized music sites in the world. Your specific genre doesn’t matter here, EmuBands distributes for all genres and styles. 

Spotify Access 

EmuBands supports Spotify For Artists. This provides an easy and hassle-free way to register as an artist on Spotify.

With Spotify being such a big platform for music currently, this is a great service they offer. Being able to access your account and receive information about your listeners is invaluable. 

Chart Registration 

Additionally, they allow you to be registered for consideration in the charts. EmuBands allows you to make your way onto the UK, Irish, US, and Canadian charts!

For a company focused on independent artists, this is a brilliant service. 

EmuBands Review – Release & Pre-order Dates 

Often, an artist can have little control over the release dates of a song when working with a distributor.

The company will have a tight schedule which can result in artists working around them. EmuBands however lets you set your own release and pre-order dates giving you complete freedom. 

Shazam Registration 

EmuBands will register your music with Shazam completely for free! For Shazam to recognize a song, it has to be registered with them first. This is a great way of enabling people unfamiliar with you to discover your work. 

These are just a few of the most prominent of their services. There is no shortage of what EmuBands has to offer for artists and all their distributing needs. Visit their website to see the full extent of all their services. 

EmuBands Pricing 

woman with money EmuBands review

Now that you know what EmuBands could do for you, you might be eager to get your music distributed through their company. This leads us to our next section, EmuBands pricing. 

They offer a variety of different plans depending on your needs. Here is an overview of EmuBands pricing: 

  • Single plan (1-2 tracks) – £24.95 or $42.50 
  • EP plan (3-5 tracks) – £35.95 or $59.95 
  • Album plan (6-20 tracks) – £49.95 or $84.95

When thinking about EmuBands royalties, you get to keep 100%! Furthermore, each plan comes with lifetime support. Other distributing companies will offer no upfront fees but take a percentage of the royalties. EmuBands stands out here with an upfront fee, but all the royalties are yours to keep. 

Alternatives To EmuBands

There are many music distributing companies out there. With so many options, it’s hard to choose the right one for you.

You may already be thinking EmuBands is the one for you. But if not, we will compare them to a few other key competitors to help you decide. 

Мusic Gateway vs EmuBands 

music gateway logo

Мusic Gateway is a music distributor focused on promoting artists no matter their size. They not only distribute your music to all the lead platforms, but allow your music to be featured in films, TV, and games. This push for your music gives artists the best chance to get their name out there and get paid for their work.

They offer a variety of plans so you can choose what services are best for you. Also, the option to pay monthly or annually gives artists more freedom when it comes to financial viability. 

Like EmuBands, Мusic Gateway is a perfect distributor for small or independent artists. The key difference is that Мusic Gateway gives musicians the best chances for competitive returns with their push to get music featured on all kinds of media. 

What makes distribution by Мusic Gateway so great?

  • You can distribute your music for FREE!
  • Keep 100% of your royalties!
  • Get free mastering to ensure your track sounds the best it can before distributing it!
  • Distribute your music to Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, and over 300 more DSPs!
  • Instant set up, upload your music and go!

All of this and more allows you to successfully distribute your music through Мusic Gateway with no recurring annual fees.

Also, if you have songs released through other distributors, you may want to think about moving them to us! 

Most other distributors will take a cut of your streaming and sales royalties. So, move your entire catalog to us and start receiving 100% of your revenue. 

It’s simple to transfer a song and we’ll ensure that all your listens, downloads and stats remain. It really is a no-brainer!

DistroKid vs EmuBands

distrokid logo

DistroKid is another distributing company focused on independent artists. One key different aspect of this company is how they charge. Instead of charging per release or taking royalties, they offer annual plans. With one-off payments, artists can release as much music under their plan as they want.

However, the annual plan has to be continued for the music to stay available. Ending your plan will result in all of your music being removed. Although they also take no royalties, a lot of their features require add-ons which cost extra. This can make EmuBands more appealing when looking at DistroKid vs EmuBands. 

EmuBands vs CD Baby

cd baby logo

CD Baby is the largest and oldest distributing company out there. This already can be a selling point with so much experience and contacts within the scene.

They charge for every single release and then take 9% of royalties. Their charges for releases are significantly lower than EmuBands but keep in mind they take 9% of royalties.

Another point to remember is that CD Baby isn’t necessarily focused on independent artists. When looking at EmuBands vs CD Baby, this can be a big deciding factor. 

LANDR vs EmuBands 

landr logo

The main differentiating factor of LANDR is again, how they charge. They offer more choice in what plan you have, giving you more control over your finances. A free annual plan means you pay $29 for an EP or album, $9 for a single track, and they take 15% of royalties. Their most expensive plan is $89 a year but you can release unlimited tracks and they take no royalties.

One favorite aspect of this company is the ability for artists to change their plans as they like. Failure to pay your plan will change it to the free version meaning your songs will still be available, but LANDR will take 15% of the royalties. 

Alternatives Summary 

These are only a few alternatives to EmuBands and extensive research should always be done before making your decision. Looking at these options there are a few key differences that could sway your decision. 

The main factor that differentiates distributing companies is how they charge. Most offer services to distribute your music onto huge platforms, the platforms can differ slightly but generally, what company won’t affect this too drastically. Here are the main pros and cons of EmuBands compared to these other companies:

Pros 

  • All features are included after the initial payment 
  • You keep 100% of your royalties
  • Failure to pay won’t result in your music being taken down
  • Excellent processing speed and customer service 
  • Transparent 
  • EmuBands FAQ for artists 

Cons

  • Expensive release fees compared to competitors

Overall, the only downside of EmuBands is the cost of releasing music. However, the fact they take no royalties can counteract this. If your music is popular, you will profit more than enough to cover any charges. 

That Was Our EmuBands Review 

music production EmuBands

Now you know more about what EmuBands does and how they do it! We hope this will make your decision a little easier when considering what distributor to go for.

Overall, EmuBands is a superb distributor that is a great platform for independent artists. Having the ability to distribute your music to huge platforms is essential when kicking off your music career. Paying more for releases than other competitors is justified by the excellent services and tools they offer. 

We hope you enjoyed reading this EmuBands review! If you’re trying to decide on a distributing company to use, you need to do some research first. After dedicating so much time and effort to producing music, you want to ensure your distributing company is the right one for you. Make sure the company offers the services you most need to get your music out there.

However, EmuBands is likely to be one of your top options. Not taking any royalties after the initial payment is rare and a great reflection of their passion for seeing artists succeed. No matter your genre or target audience, according to our EmuBands review, it could be the best way to get music heard for independent artists. 

EmuBands isn’t the only option though, there are many more out there that may better suit your needs. We would recommend doing some research into what services will work best for you. And don’t forget us here at Мusic Gateway!

Get free music distribution and find opportunities to get your music in film, TV, and more through sync licensing. Finally, you can amplify your music to those who need to hear it through our music promotion and professional sharing tool. 


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