Best music distribution for Nigerian artists

The best music distribution for Nigerian artists is the one that doesn't charge a yearly dollar subscription and pays out to a Nigerian bank in naira. DistroKid and TuneCore bill around $22–25/year — real money in naira, every year. CD Baby is free to start but takes a cut of every sale forever. Preem has no yearly fee: your drop's sales cover delivery to Spotify, Apple Music and Boomplay, or you unlock a release with a one-time payment, and earnings pay out weekly in naira.

How the main options compare

DistroKid — ~$22.99/year
Unlimited releases and you keep 100% of royalties, but it's a subscription billed in USD every year — miss a payment and your catalogue can come down. Accessing payouts from Nigeria adds friction on top.
TuneCore — from $24.99/year
The established incumbent, also an annual USD subscription (Rising Artist tier starts at $24.99/year as of 2026). You keep 100% of royalties and 100% ownership, but you pay whether the music earns or not.
CD Baby — free to start, % forever
No yearly fee, but CD Baby takes a percentage of every sale permanently — a cut that compounds for the life of the song. Fine for a one-off; expensive for a working catalogue.
Preem — no subscription
Built for Nigeria. Uploading is free, there's no yearly charge, and delivery to the DSPs is covered when your drop earns enough — or unlocked with a one-time payment per track. You keep 100% of your masters, and your split with Preem applies only to what actually sells. Payouts are weekly, to a Nigerian bank, in naira.

What actually matters for Nigerian artists

Store reach is table stakes — everyone delivers to Spotify, Apple Music and Boomplay. The three things that separate distributors for artists in Nigeria:

  1. 1Currency. A $25/year fee is a real cost in naira, and it never stops. One bad year and you've paid more in fees than your music earned.
  2. 2Payout access. PayPal and international wires are still painful from Nigeria. Weekly transfers to a local bank account in naira aren't.
  3. 3Earning before release. Every subscription distributor means your song earns $0 until it's live everywhere. A direct-to-fan drop lets fans pay you first.

Questions artists ask

What is the best music distribution service for Nigerian artists?
The best one is the one that doesn't charge you yearly in dollars. Most distributors (DistroKid, TuneCore) bill an annual subscription in USD; CD Baby is free to start but takes a cut of every sale forever. Preem has no subscription — you deliver to the stores when your drop covers the cost, or unlock a release with a one-time fee, and payouts land in naira.
How much does music distribution cost for Nigerian artists?
DistroKid and TuneCore start around $22–25 per year, charged in USD — that's roughly ₦30,000–₦35,000 a year at current rates, every year, whether you release one song or fifty. CD Baby takes a percentage of every sale permanently. Preem charges no yearly fee: delivery is covered by your drop's sales or a one-time unlock.
Which distributor pays Nigerian artists in naira?
Most international distributors pay by PayPal or wire in USD, which is hard to access from Nigeria. Preem pays out weekly to a Nigerian bank account in naira, via Paystack Transfers, with a ₦10,000 minimum.
Do I keep ownership of my music with any distributor?
Yes — a distributor never owns your masters; they deliver under licence. That's true of DistroKid, TuneCore, CD Baby and Preem alike. The difference is what you pay to keep that ownership: a recurring subscription, a permanent revenue cut, or nothing.
Can I distribute to Spotify, Apple Music and Boomplay from Nigeria?
Yes. Every serious distributor delivers to Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music and Boomplay — reach isn't the differentiator for Nigerian artists anymore. Cost, payout method and whether you earn before release day are.

Ready to distribute without a subscription? Create a free artist account, then read how distribution works on Preem or the full guide to releasing music on Spotify from Nigeria.