DISTRIBUTION APIS
Best Music Distribution APIs for Developers
Building on a music distribution API? We compared eight platforms that expose APIs for catalog ingestion, DSP delivery, and royalty data on what you can verify before signing: public documentation, sandbox access, published pricing, and DDEX support.
SIDE-BY-SIDE COMPARISON
How They Compare
| Platform | Public API Docs | Sandbox | Published API Pricing | DDEX (stated) | White-Label | Self-Service |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LabelGrid | ✓ api.labelgrid.com | ✓ Every API plan | ✓ All plans on website | ✓ ERN 3.8.2–4.3.2 | ✓ | ✓ Sign up today |
| Revelator | ✓ api-docs.revelator.com | Not published | ✗ Not public | ✓ ERN 4.3 | ✓ | By request |
| SonoSuite | Not published | Not published | ✗ Not public | ✓ ERN 4.3 | ✓ | By request |
| FUGA | Not published | Not published | ✗ Custom enterprise | Standards used; not listed | ✓ | By request |
| Eveara | ✗ Not public | Not published | ✗ Quote-based | Not stated | ✓ | By request |
| ToneGrid | Not published | Not published | Not public | Claims ERN 4.3 | ✓ | By request |
| Limbo Music | ✓ api.limbomusic.com | Test environment | ✗ Custom proposal | ✓ ERN 4.3 + 3.8.2 | ✓ | By request |
| Audicient | ✗ Gated | Not published | ✓ $59+/mo + setup | Version not stated | ✓ | Demo-gated |
Global
DSP Coverage
Spotify
Preferred Provider
DDEX 4.3.2
Compliant Delivery
Independent
Network Member
OUR RECOMMENDATION
LabelGrid: The Most Accessible Entry Point
Revelator and SonoSuite do not publish pricing; you contact sales before you can price the platform or get access. LabelGrid publishes its API documentation and pricing, so you can evaluate before you talk to anyone. API plans are activated by our team, and every API plan includes a sandbox, enabled at activation.
With transparent pricing published on the website, an official WordPress plugin, and DDEX ERN 3.8.2–4.3.2 compliant delivery, LabelGrid gives distributors the core infrastructure to launch, with pricing you can read before you contact us. Dolby Atmos and Hi-Res Audio delivery come included at no extra cost. Revelator charges $15 per track upload plus $0.50 per delivery for Atmos alone.
LabelGrid ships an official, open-source MCP server, published on npm as @labelgrid/mcp under the MIT license. Through the Model Context Protocol, an AI assistant like Claude or Cursor can drive LabelGrid’s distribution API in natural language — creating releases, validating metadata, and pulling analytics and royalties — with layered, fail-closed permissions that keep distribution actions behind an explicit opt-in.
PLATFORM PROFILES
What Each Platform Offers
WHAT’S INCLUDED
What You Get with LabelGrid
API ACCESS
REST API
Full API access with public documentation and sandbox environment. Build your own branded platform using LabelGrid’s backend.
DISTRIBUTION
All Major DSPs
Deliver to Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon, and all major streaming platforms with DDEX ERN 3.8.2, 4.3.0, 4.3.1, and 4.3.2 compliant metadata.
AUDIO
Dolby Atmos & Hi-Res
Dolby Atmos and Hi-Res Audio delivery included with every plan. No per-track fees or add-on charges.
WORDPRESS
Official Plugin
Catalog sync, smart links, and Spotify pre-save campaigns through the official LabelGrid WordPress plugin.
CONTENT PROTECTION
Your Music in the Age of AI
AI companies want access to music catalogs. Major labels are already signing licensing deals, and new AI platforms keep showing up. We’ve addressed this head-on in our Terms of Service, and the specifics are below.
AI delivery is opt-in and off by default. If AI DSPs become available, you pick which releases go where. Enable auto-delivery for new DSPs? AI platforms are still excluded unless you opt in separately.
Your distribution license covers delivery only. We send your content to the DSPs you choose. Nothing more. No broad “any purpose” language, no grey areas about how your music gets used.
Your music. Your terms. Your control.
COMMON QUESTIONS