Switching from
CD Baby?
Bring everything with you. Keep your release codes (ISRCs and UPCs), release dates, streams, and playlist placements. Upload your releases in bulk, set your splits once, and keep 100% of your royalties on Artist Pro and Label.
The move from CD Baby, in 3 steps
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Step 01 of 03
Upload in bulk.
Upload your releases in bulk with the same ISRCs and UPCs, so your streams and playlist placements come with you.
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Step 02 of 03
Set it once.
Add your splits and invite your team. We’ll pay every collaborator directly from your first Spare Music statement.
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Step 03 of 03
Switch, no gap.
Go live with Spare Music, check every store, then remove your releases from CD Baby. Your music stays in stores the whole time.
Spare Music vs CD Baby
| Feature | CD Baby | |
|---|---|---|
| Unlimited releases | Every plan | No — pay per release |
| Content ID Included | Artist Pro and Label | Yes |
| Starting price | Free plan, forever · paid from $19.99/yr | $9.99 per single, one-time |
| Stores | 150+ | 150+ |
| 100% of your streaming royalties | Artist Pro and Label | No — keeps 9% |
| Keep your ISRCs and UPCs | Yes | Yes |
| Live support from a real team | Yes | AI assistant or email |
Competitors’ prices are from their public US pricing pages, checked October 2026. Switch from CD Baby
CD Baby’s plans vs Spare’s
CD Baby prices are from cdbaby.com/cd-baby-cost, checked October 1, 2026. Prices change, so confirm on their site before you decide.
CD Baby
One-time fee per release
- Single $9.99 Distribution to 150+ platforms, YouTube Content ID, Shazam and Jaxsta discovery tools, fast-pass verification, free UPCs and ISRCs, and expert support.
- Album $14.99 Same features as Single, for any release with more than one track.
- CDB Boost +$39.99/release Optional add-on for sync and extra royalty collection.
Worth knowing
- CD Baby keeps 9% of digital distribution revenue, for as long as the release is live.
- Every release is paid for separately, so frequent releases add up.
- Separate, higher commissions apply to social video and sync income.
Annual · unlimited releases
- Free $0 50% of your royalties · delivery in 14 days
- Artist $19.99/yr 95% of your royalties · delivery in 48 hours
- Artist Pro $59.99/yr 100% of your royalties · delivery in 48 hours
- Label From $99.99/yr 100% of your royalties · delivery in 48 hours
How to switch from CD Baby to Spare Music
Moving from CD Baby to Spare Music takes three steps: export your catalog details from CD Baby, bulk upload your releases to Spare with the same ISRCs and UPCs, then take the old copies down once the Spare versions are live.
Because stores match releases on ISRC and UPC, your stream counts, playlist placements, saves and artist profiles carry across. Listeners never see a gap, and your release dates stay the same.
On Artist Pro and Label you keep 100% of your royalties, and every plan includes unlimited releases, revenue splits paid directly to collaborators, and monthly payouts with no minimums.
Will I lose my streams if I leave CD Baby?
No. When you create each release on Spare Music, enter the ISRC and UPC it already has. Stores use these codes to recognize your music, so your plays, playlist placements, and saves stay with it.
An ISRC is the code that identifies a recording in stores. A UPC is the code that identifies a release.
Do I need to take my music down from CD Baby first?
No. Wait until your releases are live on Spare Music in every store, then ask your current distributor to remove theirs. That way your music stays in stores the whole time.
What do I need from CD Baby to move?
For each release, you need:
Audio files
Cover art
ISRCs (the codes that identify each recording in stores)
UPC (the code that identifies the release in stores)
Credits
Original release date
Most distributors let you export these from your account.
How much does it cost to switch from CD Baby?
Switching is free. Start on the Free plan, where you keep 50% of your royalties. Or choose a paid plan to keep more:
Artist is $19.99 a year, and you keep 95%.
Artist Pro is $59.99 a year, and Label starts at $99.99 a year. On both, you keep 100%.
Can Spare Music help migrate a large catalog?
Yes. Bulk upload handles big catalogs, and our team can walk the migration with you — email [email protected] with the size of your catalog.
Bring your catalog to Spare Music.
Start for free and bring your releases with you. Our team will help you move.