Ditto Music Distribution Review: The Honest Truth

Do you remember that crush you had back in high school? The girl/boy you could never seem to understand or know what they were thinking…

Whether it was the mysterious bad boy who could charm you into a spell or the fierce and confident captain of the cheer team who was sure to play hard to get and probably break your heart… One thing was for sure, they piqued your interest.

One could say this is similar to your quest to find the perfect music distribution company. A lot of them look so promising but you just never know until you get into bed with them… Don’t worry I cringed writing that just as much as you did reading it.

Nevertheless, Ditto Music is a company that I believe has a ton of promise but also seems to be the one your best friend is telling you not to go out with. 

I personally enjoyed learning more about Ditto Music because on the surface they have a lot going for them that would be attractive to many artists. I came in with no biases or previous negative baggage either, unlike some people who speak about the company. 

Yes, I am referring to none other than Ari Herstand who has some pretty “spicy” words for those over at Ditto Music. If you haven’t heard of Ari, I definitely suggest you check out his blog and his book – How To Make It In The New Music Business – which are both amazing resources for all artists.

With that said, lets dive into our review of Ditto Music so you can make a decision for yourself.

Who Is Ditto Music For?

On the surface, Ditto Music has some amazing features and provide some unique experiences for their users. Their Record Label in a Box product is very interesting and quite innovative. Their distribution platform as a whole is quite straight forward and easy to use and I must say I was quite impressed.

If you are looking for a cheaper alternative with unlimited releases then this is a solid platform to go with. On the track of keeping more money in your pocket, if you don’t want a company taking a commission as well then Ditto Music is a solid choice.

If Youtube is a big part of your marketing strategy and having a Vevo channel interests you Ditto Music is a good option considering they have the tools to help you in this area which not all platforms offer.

Finally, for those of you creating in the Electronic/Dance music genre, Ditto Music focuses on your needs as they have a strong connection with platforms like Beatport.

I will say that even aside from the negative views on the company, I caution you to make your own opinions and research what platform meets your needs the best. 

Customer service is not their only blemish but other platforms aren’t perfect either even though they may claim to be. 

Fees & Commissions

Ditto Music, like most companies, is free to join allowing you to check out their platform before making any financial commitments.

The platform is focused on allowing artists to keep 100% of their commissions from their music. However, they do charge you a yearly fee to distribute on their platform. 

For one artist you can distribute an unlimited amount of music for $19 a year. This is a decent price point but as you will see later, there are some extra costs associated with features that will be of importance to you. 

From our research, we have determined that artists will not be charged for the addition of new stores on the Ditto Music platform. 

According to Ditto Music, they are open and understanding to the fact that people may want to leave their platform and do not charge you a penny to do so. Here is a quote directly from their website:

“We won’t charge you for this, and you will also be able to remove all your royalties earned, even if you haven’t reached the threshold. You are free to leave at any time, there are no lock-in contracts”

Outlets & Release Options

An important part of the upload process is determining the stores you want your music distributed to. I do like the Ditto Music layout here as it is easy to sort through and learn about the various platforms. They also make it easy for you to just select either all stores, Download only stores, streaming only stores or just your own customized list of stores.

You also have the option of determining the geographic availability of your release by setting restrictions on where it can be available.  You can make it available worldwide or specifically pick where it will be available.

Speed To Stores

When it comes to getting your music live in stores, Ditto Music has a strong partnership with iTunes which sees an average turnaround time of 3 business days for your music to go live. When considering getting your music live in all stores, they recommend giving them at least 3 weeks to have everything ready. 

Ditto music also has a feature called iTunes Express, that allows you to get to the front of the queue and up on iTunes within 4 hours. This feature comes with a fee of $40, which is a bit steep, however, it depends on your urgency level to have your release up on iTunes.

Release Dates

In the third section of the Ditto Music upload process, you get to decide your release dates and identify if this is the first time the song was released as well as input any barcodes you may already have. If you don’t have any barcodes, not to worry as these will be created for free.

Pre-Release

There is also a Pre-Release feature that will distribute your music to 20 stores, unlike TuneCore which just allows for pre-release on iTunes. 

This feature is $40 as well and it is suggested that the pre-order date is set at least 7 days from the day of upload. 

Obviously, it is better to be safe than sorry and set the release on a date that gives you enough cushion to carry out proper marketing and also run a successful pre-release campaign.

Another cool feature that is offered by Ditto Music is the ability to register your release for national or worldwide charts. National chart registration will cost you $30 and you can choose from 4 options:

Chart Registration UK/Ireland

Chart Registration US/Canada

Chart Registration Australia

Chart Registration Sweden

If you decide to go with the worldwide option this will get you registered on all of the above for a fee of $79

General Features

Creating Video Releases

This is a cool feature that allows you to set up a Vevo Youtube channel to upload your video assets. Before you can upload a video you will have to get your Vevo channel set up. For help setting up your Vevo channel and uploading one video, this will run you $99. For just the upload of a video you are looking at $29.

Promotional Services

Social Media

This is another promotional service provided by Ditto Music and is said to be a way to help grow your social reach and engagement.

They provide brainstorming sessions and idea implementation that are to help deliver fresh and exciting social content across all of your platforms.

They have two packages, Starter, and pro that they offer to artists.

The starter pack is for those with limited budgets but still want big results. You are built a 4 week Instagram campaign that directs 1000’s of targeted new people to your profile and to listen to your music.

Price – Starts at $349.00

The Social media pro pack is where Ditto Music assigns you to an experienced project manager and a creative team to build and implement a 6-week campaign, targeting Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Vine and, Soundcloud.

Price – $1,699.00

Radio

This service utilizes Ditto’s team of experienced radio pluggers to target national and regional stations, speaking to radio DJs, Producers and key decision makers to secure airplay and playlisting for your release. This is a 6-week campaign that is used to target these influential contacts.

The options for radio promotion include PR and Radio plugging which will ensure your release gets a ton of coverage and is cheaper than their next tier. Your music would get in front of editors, journalists, and bloggers while the radio plugging team will be making sure your music is being listened to.

Price-  $3,199.00

The next level is PR and a full media campaign which provides everything needed for the ultimate success of your release at what they claim is a generous discount. You are assigned a project manager who will coordinate your PR, Radio PR, Social media, Spotify advertising, Vevo and store promo campaigns.

Price $3,999.00

PR Campaign

This service by Ditto music helps you by getting your music sent to key media outlets and influencers worldwide for more exposure.

A typical PR campaign lasts 6 weeks and is strategically planned. They create a press release and distribute it to all relevant press outlets and journalists who are among their contacts.They claim to have national, regional and lifestyle press connections alongside 1000s of media outlets worldwide.

There are a number of different campaigns services that they offer and they also combine their other promotional services like social media and Radio promotion.

The PR Campaign is their main PR offering that provides you with targeted national and regional press exposure.

Price – $1,699.00

PR and social media pro is a combination of two services. This service works to generate buzz with new fans through print media, online mediums, and social media. The press is supposed to feed into the social media efforts and ensure that fans stay engaged longterm.

Price – $2,999.00

Record Label In A Box

This is an interesting feature that allows you to get a record label started in a number of easy steps. Ditto Music’s “Record Label In A Box” is a program that Ditto Music created to allow independent artists more control over their careers.

The goal is to help you set up and run a successful record label as a business.

The program eliminates the need for legal fees and complicated contracts. You get a complete management suite and software to help you along the way as well, helping you to manage your royalties and track your money. This also opens the door to promotional opportunities and a personal networking calendar with access to important local, national and international music events.

They also offer mentorship and support, aligning you with a Ditto Music expert to help you with shows, business loans, setting up campaigns and any other advice you may need for your new business.

There are three different options to choose from with the following price points:

For each of these options, you have the choice of adding on the option for LLC set up for $150. Each level comes with more features than the previous option. The features provided are as follows:

Basic: The Starter Pack

Premium: The Essentials *Includes all Basic Features

Professional: The Business Collection * Includes all Basic and Premium Features

To learn more about the “Record Label In A Box” program you can read about it here!

Analytic & Reporting

Ditto music provides you with a breakdown of analytics and reports for your music releases and video releases.

The information they provide you with is really good and easy to work with. It is not the best or most comprehensive but it certainly gives you a solid framework.

Sales Trends are another report that breaks down your iTunes, Spotify, Amazon and Google sales. This is updated every day so you can refer to this regularly.

Payouts

Ditto has recently ceased payouts via PayPal and this has been frustrating for many people who are very comfortable with PayPal.

They are now only using a provider by the name of Payoneer and are trying to market Payoneer as the superior service. Depending on your experience with payment platforms you might agree or disagree.

The good thing is that Ditto Music’s payouts are immediate however they do have a $25 threshold before payments are released. Payment splitting is not an option on this platform, however.

Support/Customer service

Ditto music like other services has there fair share of negative press. Some people in the industry are very much against the service altogether and make claims that their customer service is horrible. With that said they have a very thorough F.A.Q. section and 24/7 customer service availability which is rare.

Some of the main issues I have read about seemed to be heavily fueled by grudges with executives at the company and higher profile artists. This to me comes down to ego and not necessarily the quality of the service to some degree. 

Final Verdict

Ditto Music has a lot of features that are unique and not offered by other companies. Their platform is pretty standard in the fact that it is user-friendly and easy to get the hang of.

I personally have not had a negative experience with them so in a sense, I am rooting for them, because what I see on the surface looks pretty great.

What seems to be Ditto Music’s downfall is there customer service and some negative backlash that they have gained from people in the industry. I am talking people downright warning you not to touch them with a ten-foot pole.

My take on this is that these are personal vendettas that could be easily solved but people are stubborn however its not my place to get involved. There are other things that have come up and again it is all focused around their customer service.

My advice is to do your research and see if this platform meets your needs. If it does then give them a shot. If you have a lot riding on a release and don’t have time to test things out then, by all means, go with a platform you find more reliable.