Estate planning as a DistroKid account holder
DistroKid LLC reviews transfer requests for accounts individually upon receipt of documentation
DistroKid Support
WebsiteSubmit claim online →
HoursEmail and help center only; no published phone support
(General customer service)
Verified Jun 2026
DistroKid is an independent music distribution platform that delivers releases to Spotify, Apple Music, and 150+ other streaming services. The Terms of Service confirm DistroKid takes no ownership or intellectual property rights -- artists keep 100% of their music. A DistroKid account holds the artist's distributed catalog, accrued streaming earnings (the "DistroKid Bank"), payout settings, and Splits configurations for collaborators. The critical estate planning concern is that distribution is subscription-based (plans start at $24.99/year): if the subscription lapses, releases are removed from streaming services unless the per-release "Leave a Legacy" album extra was purchased. DistroKid's published Terms of Service do not address death, account inheritance, or estate succession.
After a DistroKid account holder dies, DistroKid LLC may transfer accounts to a designated recipient, but this is handled case by case. The outcome depends on the documentation provided and is entirely at DistroKid LLC's discretion.
What happens at death
DistroKid has no published bereavement or deceased-user policy. The Terms of Service (last updated September 1, 2024) do not address death, succession, or estate transfer. In practice, the account continues functioning as long as the subscription auto-renews via the linked payment method. If the subscription lapses, DistroKid sends takedown requests and music is removed from streaming services -- unless the "Leave a Legacy" album extra was purchased for the individual release. Without Leave a Legacy, the estate must keep the subscription paid to keep the catalog live. Because DistroKid takes no ownership of the music (per distrokid.com/agreement), copyright passes to the estate through normal inheritance and the recordings can be re-distributed by an heir through DistroKid or another distributor.
Planning your estate
Protecting DistroKid accounts while the account is active
No beneficiary designation, accounts can only be redeemed, not transferred, and 9-step plan.
View details →When someone dies
Handling DistroKid accounts after a death
Transfer is handled on a case-by-case basis, 8-step process, and 4 required documents.
View details →There is no beneficiary designation option for DistroKid. This means accounts cannot be directed to a specific person through the program itself, unlike traditional financial accounts.
Frequently asked questions
DistroKid publishes no formal account-transfer mechanism and the Terms of Service do not address succession. In fact the Terms expressly prohibit transferring, assigning, or sublicensing account access. In practice, maintaining login access (sharing credentials with the executor or storing them in a password manager available to the estate) is the most reliable path. DistroKid's own "Can I Transfer a Release Between DistroKid Accounts?" help article confirms it is not possible to move releases between accounts; the supported workaround for handing off a release to another person is to configure a Split that routes 100% of earnings from the chosen tracks to the new account.
Leave a Legacy is a per-release upsell that keeps a specific release on streaming services even after a lapsed membership payment or a cancelled subscription. It must be added to each release individually -- it is not a one-time fee for the whole catalog -- and is not available for DistroVid uploads. For estates managing a musician's catalog, Leave a Legacy is the only DistroKid feature that protects releases from takedown when the subscription stops being paid.
Yes. Splits (managed at distrokid.com/teams) automatically route royalty percentages to designated recipients per song or album. Configuring a Split that includes a spouse or child sends a percentage of earnings straight to them. Non-DistroKid recipients need either their own subscription or the $10/year option the inviter can pay so they can collect and withdraw without a full subscription. Splits ensure earnings flow to the right people regardless of who controls the main account.
Tipalti (DistroKid's payout processor) charges per-withdrawal fees that are deducted from the payout amount: $1.12 for U.S. ACH; $1.69 for U.S. eCheck; $5.62 for non-U.S. eCheck, local bank transfer, or SEPA; $3.37 for paper check; $16.85 for U.S. wire; $21.47 for international wire in local currency; $29.21 for international wire in USD; and $1.12 plus 2% for PayPal (capped at $2.25 for U.S. residents and $23.59 for non-U.S. residents). An FX fee of up to 3% may apply when the payment currency differs from the country selected. The minimum withdrawal is $6 USD.
If the subscription lapses and Leave a Legacy was not added to a release, DistroKid sends takedown requests to Spotify and all other streaming partners and the release is removed. Royalties earned before removal are still owed to the artist and accrue in the DistroKid Bank, but services report earnings 1-2 months in arrears so there is a delay before the final earnings appear. The estate should withdraw any remaining balance after the final reports come in.
Three independent steps cover most cases. First, add Leave a Legacy to the releases worth keeping on streaming services so they survive a lapsed subscription. Second, configure Splits to route earnings directly to heirs at the percentages you choose. Third, register the recorded music and underlying compositions with a performing rights organization (ASCAP, BMI, or SESAC) and with the Mechanical Licensing Collective at themlc.com -- these royalty streams are independent of DistroKid and pay out directly to whoever owns the rights, so the family keeps collecting even if the DistroKid account is closed.
DistroKid currently offers three plans: Musician ($24.99/year, 1 artist), Musician Plus ($44.99/year, 2 artists), and Ultimate ($89.99/year, up to 100 artists). All plans include unlimited uploads, royalty splits, and 100% earnings retention. The Leave a Legacy album extra is a separate per-release upsell.
Sources
Data sourced from DistroKid LLC primary sources (19 pages reviewed). How we research.
DistroKid Support
WebsiteSubmit claim online →
HoursEmail and help center only; no published phone support
(General customer service)
Verified Jun 2026
