TL;DR
Is Velveteen better than The Orchard?
Velveteen is the better The Orchard alternative for artists and small labels that want open signup, transparent pricing, DSP distribution, direct-sale pages, pitching, and catalog tools without an enterprise services relationship. The Orchard is stronger for labels and larger rights holders that need global distribution, marketing, rights management, analytics, video services, physical distribution, and account-led support.
Label tools.
Artist price.
Everything The Orchard charges extra for — or doesn't offer at all — comes standard. Real product, built for artists and labels running six-figure catalogs.
Vee runs your catalog
A tool-aware agent that validates metadata, pushes releases to every DSP, and answers questions about your royalties in plain English.
See every dollar, across every platform
Real-time dashboards break down earnings by DSP, track, and territory. 0% commission — you keep what you earn.
Pay collaborators automatically
Configure splits once. Producers, co-writers, and features get paid direct — no spreadsheets, no chasing.
Pitch editorial on every major DSP
Submit releases for Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon, and YouTube editorial — something most distributors don't offer.
FEATURE COMPARISON
See how Velveteen stacks up against The Orchard, feature by feature.
THE REAL COST
Small label that wants transparent distribution pricing and direct sales without an enterprise deal
Velveteen is the transparent, self-serve option because published plans start at $19/year and DSP royalties stay at 0% commission. The Orchard is best evaluated as a global services partner for labels and larger rights holders, not as a simple posted-price distributor; exact revenue-share or service terms are not publicly listed.
WHAT ARTISTS SAY
“It's been an absolute pleasure working with the Velveteen team, complete night and day experience. Highly recommend for artists looking to take their music to the next level!”
“I built Velveteen because independent artists deserve label-level tools without the label deal. Every feature exists because I needed it myself.”
FAQ
Common questions about switching from The Orchard to Velveteen.
Is The Orchard a music distributor?
Yes. The Orchard describes itself as a music distribution company and Sony Music UK describes it as a leading music distribution company with artist and label services. Velveteen offers open distribution plus direct sales, pitching, royalties, and catalog operations for artists and small labels.
Is Velveteen cheaper than The Orchard?
The Orchard does not publish a simple self-serve distribution price or revenue-share rate on its official site, so there is no clean public plan-to-plan comparison. Velveteen starts at $19/year for Artist and keeps DSP royalties at 0% commission.
Does The Orchard use revenue-share deals?
The Orchard's public pages position it as a global distribution and artist/label-services partner, not a posted-price subscription distributor. Exact terms are custom and not publicly listed, so the safer comparison is Velveteen's published flat pricing and 0% DSP commission against The Orchard's negotiated revenue-share or service relationship.
What does The Orchard offer that Velveteen does not?
The Orchard's public positioning includes full-service marketing, sync licensing, video services, transparent data analysis, advertising, rights management, digital and physical distribution. Velveteen is built for open distribution, direct-sale pages, royalties, pitching, API access, and catalog workflows.
Should I choose Velveteen or The Orchard?
Choose Velveteen if you want a self-serve artist or small-label stack with published pricing. Consider The Orchard if you need a global distribution and label-services partner and are ready for a client relationship rather than a simple signup flow.