Estate planning as a DistroKid account holder

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. DistroKid's withdrawal-fee article lists: $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. Note that DistroKid's minimum-payout article restates the same schedule at lower figures ($1.07 ACH, $1.61 U.S. eCheck, $16.05 U.S. wire, and so on), so the two help articles disagree; treat the amounts as approximate and read the figure shown at withdrawal. Both articles agree the minimum withdrawal is $6 USD.

If the subscription lapses and Leave a Legacy was not added to a release, DistroKid states the release may be removed from Spotify and its other streaming partners; it says it gives notice before removing music for a failed charge. Royalties earned before removal remain owed and accrue in the DistroKid Bank -- DistroKid states plainly that after a lapse "you will still receive any earnings owed to you" -- but services report earnings 1-2 months in arrears, so there is a delay before the final earnings appear. If the removal was caused by a failed charge, DistroKid states the releases are automatically restored once the card is updated and the past-due charge succeeds. 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.