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Amuse vs RouteNote: Free Distribution Compared

Amuse and RouteNote are the two names most often mentioned when artists ask about free or near-free distribution. But "free" means different things at each company. One charges nothing upfront and takes a share of everything you earn. The other charges a yearly fee and takes nothing. Understanding that trade-off is the whole comparison.

RouteNote: free tier with a 15% share

RouteNote's Free tier costs nothing to upload and pays you 85% of streaming and download revenue, keeping 15% as its share. Its Premium tier charges $10 per single and pays 100%. The free tier reaches a smaller set of platforms than Premium, so check the current store list before uploading. RouteNote payouts require at least a $50 balance, paid by bank transfer or PayPal. The free tier suits artists testing the waters who would rather share revenue than pay upfront.

Amuse: paid plans, zero commission

Amuse's plans start at $23.99 per year for its Artist tier, with Artist Plus at $39.99 and Professional at $59.99. All three plans carry 0% commission on streaming royalties, with one exception: YouTube Content ID carries a 15% commission on the entry Artist plan and 0% on the higher tiers. Amuse holds Spotify Preferred Provider status from its entry tier. Note that Amuse no longer offers a free tier, according to recent comparisons — always verify the current plans on its pricing page.

What happens if you cancel?

This is where the two differ most. If you cancel Amuse, your music stays live, but Amuse takes a 25% cut of ongoing royalties instead of pulling the release, so you never wake up to a delisted catalogue because of a missed renewal. RouteNote's free tier has no subscription to lapse, so the same question does not arise in the same way — but its Premium per-release terms are worth reading before you pay.

Features and support

Amuse is known for a mobile-first, app-based experience, which suits artists who manage everything from their phone. RouteNote offers a broader set of tools including YouTube monetisation and sync licensing options. Both are thinner on hands-on support than curated distributors, so expect self-service dashboards and email-based help rather than a dedicated manager.

Which one should you choose?

If you earn little or nothing yet and want zero upfront cost, RouteNote Free is the logical starting point — you only pay when you earn. If you already earn meaningful revenue, Amuse's $23.99 annual fee quickly pays for itself, because keeping 100% of a growing income beats giving away 15% of it. Run your own numbers at your current stream level before deciding.

Start distributing with TIR — keep up to 85% of your royalties →