Emubands Review 2025: Pricing, Features & Everything You Need to Know

Top Reason to Choose Emubands

Customer Support

Personal customer support through email, live chat, and phone. Pro users are assigned a personal account manager to guide them through their release. Unfortunately, this isn’t extended to non-Pro users.

Keep your music in stores

You can pay once and keep your music in stores without sacrificing a percentage of revenue. The catch is that you’re provided with limited features. No royalty payment splitting, Hi-Res audio submissions, Dolby Atmos submissions, Custom label name, or Content ID. All of those things, as well as all other features, require a subscription. 

Top Features

Flexible Content ID

Emubands allows you to choose whether YouTube videos containing your music are monetized or blocked. Most distributors do not give you this option. They force you to monetize. Why would you choose to block videos rather than monetize? If you’ve chosen to sell your music and forgo streaming, allowing it to be available on YouTube will disincentivize sales. Outside of monetary matters, maybe you just don’t want people using your music without your permission. After all, it is your music, so you should have the right to say no for any reason.

Flexible Pricing 

You lose access to a lot of features by not having a subscription plan with Emubands, but it isn't required. You can pay a one-time fee and have your music stay in stores with no concern. 

Rating 

Great on transparency. Great customer support options. Not so great payment options because of the cost of currency conversion from British Pounds. It's ok on stores because it gets you into a large inventory of stores, but not as many of the key stores as other distributors. Fees, you have to pay per release, plus an annual fee, which isn't ideal and makes it one of the more expensive distributors. Red flags, there aren't any. Track record is great, there aren't any loud rumblings about bad experiences with Emubands. 

The Rundown 

Model: Mixed 

Per Release Fee + an annual fee for additional services. 

Per Release Fee 

Price: 

Basic: $0 + Single: $12 or Album (2-20 Tracks): $25

Plus: $25 Annually + Single: $12 or Album (2-20 Tracks): $25

Pro: $60 Annually + Single: $12 or Album (2-20 Tracks): $25

Transaction Fees: 

Emubands is a company located in the United Kingdom that pays in British Pounds, which requires currency conversion fees that can dip into your profit if you're not located in the EU.

2.9% Uncapped for PayPal

Stores: 

Unlimited inventory 

Distribution to New Stores: 

Yes - Free 

Artists: 

Each additional artist requires a separate subscription 

Split Pay: 

Included - Free

Keeps Music Live: 

Yes, your music will not be removed from stores, and you'll collect 100% royalties. 

Exclusivity:

No Exclusivity clause. 

Customer Support:

Basic: Email | Pro: Live chat, Video call, & Phone

Content ID:

Exclusive to Pro users who are allowed to keep 100% of Content ID revenue. 

UPC Codes:

Included + Bring your own 

Check the Comparison Charts for the most updated and comprehensive information

Streaming Fraud 

3-Strike system

1 strike

Temporary block on royalty payouts (minimum 6 months)

3 strikes (or cumulative 3 strikes)

• Entire catalogue removed from all DSPs
• Permanent block on payouts
• All royalties forfeited
• £100 fine
• Potential DSP fines and legal reports

Triggering Events

• “Excessive Artificial Streaming”
  • ≥50% of a release’s streams flagged as artificial = 1 strike Or if volume thresholds set by EmuBands/DSPs are exceeded
• “Flagrant Artificial Streaming”
  • ≥80% flagged streams = automatically 3 strikes 
• Abnormal Earnings Patterns
• Earnings deviating significantly from norms can trigger a strike 
• Other Dishonest Behavior
• Any other detected or reported fraudulent activity can result in three strikes

What jumps out at me is "Earnings deviating significantly from norms can trigger a strike." If a song normally earns $10 but jumps to $1,000, it can trigger a strike for streaming fraud. There's no room for the possibility that the song could have simply found success. It's like getting a higher-paying job and getting flagged by the IRS for tax evasion because your income suddenly increased. 

Final Assessment 

Emubands offers a unique mixed model that gives you a choice of paying a one-time fee or adding a subscription package that would have you paying annually. The subscription packages are added on top of the per-release fees you don’t get to pick one or the other which makes it a bit expensive. What can add value to the price tag is the level of customer support but it's in the EU so there are some concerns with the Time zone if you're based in the United States. It also pays in British pounds so US users will have to pay for currency conversion. If you elect to receive your funds through PayPal, you're subjected to an uncapped 2.9% transaction fee for every withdrawal.