Published on Sep 21, 2024
Record Union has a live chat system where you can communicate with reps at any time and get almost instant feedback. It's subject to their availability but from my experience, they're pretty available and if they don't respond instantly, they follow up by email quickly. We're talking about actual people here who understand the service. We're not talking about a bot with canned responses or the whole live chat rouse where it's an email form pretending to be a live chat feature. If you value customer service, it's great.
Your music doesn’t get removed if you cancel or can no longer afford to pay.
Record Union pays out directly to your bank account in a very long list of currencies allowing artists across the world to avoid hefty transaction fees. You’re not subject to a 30% tax withholding due to Record Union being based outside of the US which adds to your savings if your country doesn’t have a tax treaty with the US.
Record Union has a limited inventory of stores that pales in comparison to Tunecore, CD Baby, and even Distrokid. You’ll have to make concessions on discovery and exposure in exchange for their Customer support.
You’re charged annual fees per release with Record Union. The rates are likely what allows them to provide a higher level of Customer support so it’s a trade-off and comes down to how much you value being able to get direct assistance. Additionally, they charge for UPCs. You must pay Record Union $10 per UPC. They also charge Content ID fees per release on top of their other fees.
Per Release Fee applied annually. The price of each release is compounded. 3 $20 releases would cost you $60 annually and increase with the distribution of each new release.
Top Dog
1-2 Tracks: $17/Yr.
3-5 Tracks: $20/Yr.
6-12 Tracks: $24/Yr.
13 - 99 Tracks: +$1.50 per track/Yr.
World Domination
1-2 Tracks: $23/Yr.
3-5 Tracks: $29/Yr.
6-12 Tracks: $35/Yr.
13 - 99 Tracks: +$1.50 per track/Yr.
PayPal: 2.9% Uncapped | Free ACH
Very Limited Inventory
Yes - Free
Unlimited
Included - Free
Yes, your music will not be removed from stores but you will not be paid any royalties until after reactivating your subscription. Royalty payments won't be retroactively applied so you'll only be paid royalties for activity post reactivation.
No Exclusivity clause.
Average at best.
1-3 Tracks: $10
4-6 Tracks: $14
7-12 Tracks: $16
Over 20 Tracks: $20
Included (+$10) + Bring your own (Free)
Check the Comparison Charts for the most updated and expansive information
Record Union offers great customer service but you pay for it, per release annually, plus additional fees for Content ID, and UPCs make it an expensive option. Outside of Customer support, there isn't much else it provides that would make it a more appealing option than its competitors.