DiGiDi: A unique Nordic distribution platform – co-owned by its users!

DiGiDi is not just a regular distribution company. They currently have 7,515 co-owners and are expanding, receiving a whopping €1,600,000 per year in revenue, out of which at least 92% is paid out to the shareholders. Simply put, DiGiDi is owned by the musicians it hosts and has been operating this way since 2003 – more than 20 years! 

As a non-profit, everyone using DiGiDi is technically a co-owner, with each artist owning a share of the business. There’s an initial amount that users pay as a deposit (ranging from €8 to €135, depending on your country of residence), which makes you a co-owner. Then, for a fee of €5.40 excl. VAT (Pro membership option) or €2.20 excl. VAT (Classic membership option) per month, you get to release your music.

What makes this system great is that there’s no way an outside entity can come in, buy a big chunk of the company, and start dictating new rules. So, the way this distributor operates should theoretically always work in the best interest of its co-owner artists 🙂

As a cooperative, DiGiDi allows you to independently release your music, whether you're an artist, a label, or both. You’re free to register and release as many projects as you want via one account, with no extra fees for more artists, regardless of the membership tier. You can also request edits to your release if necessary, and have your booklet included with your release on Apple Music/iTunes (which is also delivered to fans who download your entire album).

As a shareholder, you can reach an actual human for personalized support via email and even telephone (on weekdays). There are no chatbots or automated emails.

More DiGiDi benefits

• Editorial playlist pitching! Yes, with the Pro membership option, you can get DiGiDi to pitch your songs to editorials, thanks to their partnership with The Orchard. They already boast Spotify New Music Friday and Fresh Finds Nordics as well as Apple Music's New Music Daily placements.
• Don’t have your own website? They offer a cool DiGiDi Profile feature, which serves as a kind of a website complete with an online fan club where fans can gain access for a fixed monthly fee. It’s a great place to have all your artist info and contacts in one place, and to share exclusive content with them in exchange for financial support, without the fees that Patreon takes. There are no advertisements or data collection tools on the page (even though it’s free!).

• Most distributors, especially with their more pricey membership options, offer analytics. To that, DiGiDi actually monitors playlist placements of your songs and that information is visible in an analytics section. Yes, you get similar information from your ‘Spotify for Artists’ page, but it’s awesome to have that in one place; monitoring where your song gets placed, not just on Spotify, but other streaming platforms as well.

• DiGiDi also boasts Dolby Atmos support – they’ll deliver your high-quality audio to stores that support it. Pro-tip: If you have a Dolby Atmos version of your song, you can earn 10% higher royalties from Apple Music.

Last but not least, the website is gorgeous! It provides a lot of information about the company, its services, and the stores your music goes to. Plus, the distribution process is easy to navigate.

How do I know which price tier is the right one for me?

The differences between DiGiDi’s Pro and Classic tiers are different in many ways, except for their prices. As mentioned above, Pro has a monthly fee of €6.75 vs. Classic’s €2.75 (these are the VAT incl. prices). With the less-expensive Classic tier, you pay €8 per release and keep 92% of royalties. The pro option offers €0 per release, and you keep 94% of royalties. The Pro tier also offers a free YouTube Partner channel, landing pages for your releases, pre-save landing pages, and playlist pitching. Both tiers allow for easy takedowns from DSPs, which, however, requires a payment of €3.20.

The Classic tier is a good option to keep your costs down if you don’t release very often. Otherwise, we’d recommend the Pro tier for all the added benefits for sure.

Let’s wrap it up

So, who do we recommend DiGiDi for? Well, anyone who likes the idea of owning a part of the company they release with – DiGiDi might be for you. They’re also pretty budget-friendly; especially the ability to release an unlimited number of artists and songs at no extra cost could really save some bucks. And, artists who appreciate dedicated support; from editorial pitching to having their own "website" (without needing to pay for servers and hosting) will do really well by being part of this unique initiative.