[SOLVED!] CD Baby Pro vs. Standard detail review- Which’s for you?

While CD Baby makes it easier for people to tackle to issue of royalties, many songwriters have trouble making up their mind once it comes to CD Baby Pro Vs Standard. If you really like the idea behind CD Baby but don’t know how to pick between Proc and Standard, this article is for you. Read to the end to get the most of your songs via CD Baby.

Characteristics Of Pro And Standard

CD Baby Pro

• Worldwide digital/CD distribution
• Sell music on store.cdbaby.com
• Make money on YouTube
• Sync licensing for TV, film, and games
• Performing Rights Organization affiliation or admin 
• Song registration with global collection agencies 
• Worldwide publishing royalty collection

CD Baby Standard

• Worldwide digital/CD distribution
• Sell music on store.cdbaby.com
• Make money on YouTube
• Sync licensing for TV, film, and games

Thorough Comparison Of Cost – Benefits

• Cost 

Money is something that always lay heavily in the mind of independent songwriters as most don’t lave stellar finance. While both music distribution options of CD Baby indeed have pretty reasonable costs, Pro is noticeably more expensive than Standard. To be more specific, the price of a single released by CD Baby Pro is roughly three times higher than that of CD Baby Standard. For an album, CD Baby Pro requires songwriters to pay more than twice the amount asked by CD Baby Standard. 

• Benefits 

Considering the fact that CD Baby Pro is costlier than CD Baby Standard, it’s obvious that the benefits would vary greatly between the two. Generally speaking, after signing up with CD Baby Standard, you could sell your downloads on lots of platforms, get paid for streams, licenses your music for TV and so on. CD Baby Pro also offers the same benefits as its Standard counterpart but it add a few sweeteners:  you and your songs would be registered with poplar collection societies (ASCAP, BMI, SOCAN,…). Also, you could receive performance and mechanical royalties.

Conclusion: It’s Entirely Up To You To Deicide

As both Pro and Standard packages of CD Baby have things that independent songwriters appreciate, it’s fairly hard to make a conclusive conclusion about CD Baby Pro Vs. Standard. As a result, it’s essential that you take into account your needs and requirements before making the final decision. In the case you happen to have a tight wallet at the moment and wish to experiment a bit, CD Baby Standard is what you want. On the other hand, if you wish to get the most out of your songs, go after CD Baby Pro.    

Top 5 Frequently Asked Question About CD Baby Pro And Standard

While talking about CD Baby Pro Vs. Standard, songwriter also have various question about the issues surrounding the distribution packages.  

• Is CD Baby going to claim the ownership of my song after I sign up with their Pro/Standard packages?  

Unlike certain publishing agreements that require songwriters to give up some copyrights, CD Baby always let their clients retain 100% ownership. Because of that, you have complete control over your song after signing up with CD Baby Pro/ CD Baby Standard. 

• Could I add my music band as a collecting songwriter? 

To put it plainly, no. In order to collect royalties on behalf of songwriters in your band through CD Baby Pro/ CD Baby Standard, you need to add the legal names of the songwriters, not the name of the band. In the case all members in your band come together to create a song then you must write down the legal names of each member. 

• So CD Baby would be my publisher when I’m using their music distribution options? 

Generally speaking, CD Baby is, in essence, a publishing administrator that registers songs in Performing Rights Organizations and collect royalties on behalf of songwriters. As a result, CD Baby is far from a traditional publisher that offer a range of creative and legal services such as sync licensing, copyright,… 

• Do I have to be above a certain age to use CD Baby Pro/Standard?

Assuming that you happen to be affiliated with a Performing Rights Organization as a minor, all CD Baby require from you is Letter of Direction. Once you send in the letter and finish the signup process, CD Baby is going to start collecting royalties on your behalf at once. 

• What is the usual length of CD Baby publishing agreement? 

Your agreement with CD Baby would last 1 year and it would be automatically extended at the end of the year. 

It’s possible for you to opt out of the publishing agreement at the end of the first year as well as following quarterly periods.