ADEDistribution
ADEDistribution (ADED.US) is a bootstrapped Las Vegas-based digital music distribution platform founded in 2012, serving independent musicians and labels by distributing releases to over 1,000 digital stores via tiered subscription and one-time perpetual pricing plans, supplemented by a direct music store and free SEO utilities.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2012
- HeadquartersLas Vegas, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingSoftware
What ADEDistribution does
ADEDistribution (ADED.US) is a privately held digital music distribution platform founded in 2012 and headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada. The company operates as a subsidiary of Maktown Media, both owned by founder and operator Makell Bird. ADEDistribution serves independent musicians, record labels, and music collectors by distributing audio releases to over 1,000 digital stores and streaming platforms globally, providing a single-integration alternative to managing multiple platform relationships.
The platform's core offering is built around a tiered subscription pricing model. The Monthly plan is priced at $11/month and permits one release per month (up to 12 per year); the Annual Ultimate plan is $100/year with 12 included releases; and the Eternal plan is a $500 one-time payment that delivers 60 release credits plus unlimited subsequent releases, with releases remaining distributed perpetually. Additional fees apply for premium store placement. Beyond core distribution, the company operates the ADED.US Music Store as a direct e-commerce channel for music sales, and provides ancillary free utilities including a suite of MicroData generator tools for SEO optimization and a YouTube Shorts URL Converter.
The business model combines recurring subscription revenue with one-time perpetual payments and direct sales commissions, targeting the long-tail independent artist segment. With 11-50 employees and no disclosed external funding, the company operates as a lean bootstrapped entity that differentiates primarily on breadth of store coverage and bundled ancillary tools rather than scale, AI features, or premium artist services offered by larger, better-capitalized competitors.
ADEDistribution firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- ADEDistribution
- Legal name
- ADEDistribution
- Website
- https://aded.us
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2012
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- ADEDistribution (ADED.US) is a bootstrapped Las Vegas-based digital music distribution platform founded in 2012, serving independent musicians and labels by distributing releases to over 1,000 digital stores via tiered subscription and one-time perpetual pricing plans, supplemented by a direct music store and free SEO utilities.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
ADEDistribution industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Digital Music Distribution
- NAICS
- Record Production and Distribution (51225)
- SIC
- Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Distribution (7822)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Music Aggregators & DIY Distribution Platforms (MPAIAAAD)
Keywords
Where ADEDistribution is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Las Vegas
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
ADEDistribution business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Membership Subscriptions: Tiered subscription model with three levels: Monthly ($11/month), Annual Ultimate ($100/year), and Eternal Label Deal ($500 one-time). Monthly and Annual plans limit submissions (1/month or 12/year respectively), while Eternal provides 60 distribution credits for unlimited submissions.
- Store Placement Fees: Additional fees for store placement beyond membership. Artists must pay these fees to have their music distributed to specific digital retail stores.
- Direct Music Sales: The ADED.US Music Store sells music products directly to consumers including albums, singles, mixtapes, E-books, and merchandise. Artists receive royalty payments based on sales.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Monthly - $11 USD/month, submit 1 release per month, 12 releases per year |
| Subscription | Annual | Annual Ultimate Package - $100 USD/year, up to 12 releases at once |
| Subscription | Annual | Ultimate Package - 12 distribution credits, distributes to 1,000 digital stores per release |
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | Eternal Package - $500 one-time, 60 distribution credits, unlimited submissions forever |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels17 records
Marketing channels6 records
ADEDistribution product offering
Product offeringCore offering
ADEDistribution (ADED.US) is a digital music distribution service that helps independent musicians, artists, DJs, producers, and small labels get their releases onto major digital retail stores and streaming platforms including iTunes, Apple Music, Spotify, Amazon, Google Play, Tidal, and 1,000+ other stores and apps worldwide. Members sign up via the website, pay a membership fee, upload properly formatted music files, and the platform submits the release for distribution, with stores typically receiving the music within about two weeks.
Product overview
ADEDistribution (ADED.US) is a digital music distribution company that operates as a platform with multiple tiers and free supplementary tools. The core offering is the Music Distribution service, which distributes independent musicians' releases to 1,000+ digital stores and apps. Distribution is offered through three subscription tiers: Monthly ($11/month for 1 release/month), Ultimate/Annual ($100/year for 12 releases), and Eternal ($500 one-time for 60 releases plus unlimited thereafter). The company also provides free MicroData Generator tools (Music, Album, Tracks, Playlist, Copyright, Movie generators) for SEO schema markup, a YouTube Shorts URL Converter, and maintains the ADED.US Music Store as an ecommerce platform. Under the Maktown Media parent brand, the company also produces Maktown TV (video) and Maktown Radio (audio playlists) content.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- ADED.US Music Distribution: The primary music distribution brand operated by ADEDistribution for distributing music to digital retail stores worldwide.
Products and services
- ADED.US Music Distribution Self-serve digital music distribution platform that helps independent musicians, producers, DJs, and small labels get their releases onto iTunes, Apple Music, Spotify, Amazon, Google Play, Tidal, BandCamp, and 1,000+ other digital stores and apps worldwide; members submit files via the website and the platform handles store submission and royalty processing.
- ADED.US Membership Subscription Tiered recurring membership granting distribution credits and access to submission tools: $11/month Monthly plan (1 release/month), $100/year Annual Ultimate plan (up to 12 releases at once), and $500 one-time Eternal plan (60 distribution credits, unlimited submissions forever, promotion to 50,000+ industry professionals). Each release is distributed to all 1,000+ connected digital stores and apps.
- ADED.US Music Store Own-brand e-commerce storefront for browsing, streaming, and downloading music distributed through ADED.US, offering albums, singles, mixtapes, E-books, and merchandise from independent artists; artists receive royalty payments based on sales with an artist-favorable payout structure.
- MusicAlbum MicroData Generator Free standalone web tool that generates MusicAlbum structured data markup (schema.org) for SEO and search-engine visibility of music albums; available to artists using or not using the distribution service.
- Music MicroData Generator Free web tool for generating music-specific MicroData structured-data markup.
- Tracks MicroData Generator Free web tool for generating track-level structured-data markup for SEO.
- MusicPlayList MicroData Generator Free web tool that generates playlist structured-data markup for SEO.
- AlbumRelease MicroData Generator Free web tool that generates album release structured-data markup (MicroData and JSON-LD) for SEO.
- Movie MicroData Generator Free web tool for generating movie-related MicroData structured-data markup.
- Copyright MicroData Generator Free web tool that generates copyright metadata MicroData structured-data markup for SEO.
- AlbumRelease JSON-LD Generator Free web tool that generates JSON-LD structured data for album releases to improve search visibility.
- YouTube Shorts URL Converter Free web tool that converts YouTube Shorts URLs into canonical YouTube URLs for better compatibility with social-media sharing and SEO.
- Maktown TV YouTube video channel and publishing brand operated under Maktown Media by Makell Bird, hosting 1,000+ videos including artist documentaries, music-industry commentary, and Maktown Media film projects such as 'Max Delusion'.
- Maktown Radio Online audio platform offering 100+ playlists and mixtapes curated and produced by Makell Bird under the Maktown Media brand.
Companies that use ADEDistribution
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
ADEDistribution technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration17 records
Feature9 records
ADEDistribution partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and flagship.
- Apple (iTunes/Apple Music)coreADED.US distributes music to iTunes (world's largest music store, present in 111 countries) and Apple Music streaming service. iTunes serves as the primary revenue-generating platform for many independent artists.
- SpotifycoreADED.US distributes music to Spotify for streaming. Artists receive royalties based on streaming volumes.
- Amazon Digital MusiccoreADED.US distributes MP3 music files to Amazon Digital Music section for purchase and download.
- Google Play Music / YouTube MusiccoreADED.US distributes music to Google Play Music (store, library, and All-Access streaming) and YouTube Music platforms.
- TidalminorHip-hop celebrity-driven streaming service acquired by Jay-Z. ADED.US distributes music to Tidal for artist royalties.
- RhapsodyminorStreaming service that has been operating since 1999, partnered with RealNetworks and MOG. ADED.US distributes music to Rhapsody.
- Maktown MediaflagshipParent company owned and operated by Makell Bird. Incorporates Maktown TV (1,000+ videos), Maktown Radio (100+ playlists/mixtapes), and ADED.US Music Distribution brands. Primary vehicle for content production and distribution.
- Makell BirdflagshipFounder and operator of both Maktown Media and ADED.US. Music executive with track record dating back to 2000. Also produces video content including documentaries and film projects under Maktown Media.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
ADEDistribution competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- LANDR: AI-powered mastering and music distribution platform for independent artists, combining audio production tooling with DSP delivery — partial overlap with ADED.US's distribution and free-tools approach.
- Amuse: Mobile-first music distribution startup offering free and premium tiers to indie artists distributing to major streaming platforms. Overlaps with ADED.US's indie segment but emphasizes a free mobile onboarding funnel.
Direct peers
- AWAL: Artist distribution and label-services platform offering indie artists access to Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal and others. Competes with ADED.US in the same DIY-to-pro distribution segment.
- UnitedMasters: Independent music distribution and label-services platform focused on hip-hop and urban artists, distributing to major streaming services with tiered subscription pricing — directly comparable to ADED.US's indie-hip-hop customer base.
- CD Baby: Long-standing independent music distribution service sending artists' releases to iTunes, Spotify, Amazon and other major DSPs. Closely matches ADED.US's value proposition for indie musicians.
- TuneCore: Major DIY music distribution aggregator owned by Believe, serving independent artists with per-release and subscription tiers to Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon and more. Directly comparable to ADED.US on product and customer.
- DistroKid: Leading DIY music aggregator distributing independent artists to major streaming platforms and stores. Direct head-to-head competitor to ADED.US in pricing, target customer, and distribution model.
- Ditto Music: Independent music distribution company serving unsigned artists and indie labels with annual subscription tiers and delivery to major digital stores — direct competitor to ADED.US.
- Record Union: Independent music distribution service delivering releases to Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal and others for unsigned artists — same core DIY distribution proposition as ADED.US.
Broad incumbents
- ONErpm: Global music distribution and label services company with broad portfolio across distribution, marketing, and YouTube rights management. Larger incumbent competing for the same indie artist customers as ADED.US.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
ADEDistribution social profiles
Digital presenceADEDistribution financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
ADEDistribution leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
ADEDistribution funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
ADEDistribution M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about ADEDistribution
What does ADEDistribution do?
ADEDistribution (ADED.US) is a digital music distribution service that helps independent musicians, artists, DJs, producers, and small labels get their releases onto major digital retail stores and streaming platforms including iTunes, Apple Music, Spotify, Amazon, Google Play, Tidal, and 1,000+ other stores and apps worldwide. Members sign up via the website, pay a membership fee, upload properly formatted music files, and the platform submits the release for distribution, with stores typically receiving the music within about two weeks.
Is ADEDistribution a public or private company?
ADEDistribution is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was ADEDistribution founded?
ADEDistribution was founded in 2012. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is ADEDistribution based?
ADEDistribution is headquartered in Las Vegas, United States, in the North America region.
How does ADEDistribution make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Membership Subscriptions are the primary driver. The others are store Placement Fees and direct Music Sales.
Who are ADEDistribution's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are LANDR and Amuse. Direct peers are AWAL, UnitedMasters, CD Baby, TuneCore, DistroKid, Ditto Music and Record Union. ONErpm is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does ADEDistribution have an API?
No public API is recorded for ADEDistribution.
What industry is ADEDistribution in?
ADEDistribution's product category is Digital Music Distribution. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAIAAAD, Music Aggregators & DIY Distribution Platforms. Its NAICS code is 51225 and its SIC code is 7822.