AWAL vs The Orchard

AWAL provides music distribution and artist services to independent artists, with access limited to a select group whose online submissions are reviewed. AWAL says artists retain ownership of their work and creative control. Its standard distribution service supplies more than 100 digital partners in nearly 200 territories. Listed services include release planning, digital strategy, playlisting, marketing, funding, creative support, radio promotion, sync and licensing, and digital and physical distribution. AWAL Analytics offers cross-platform streaming insights, including skip rates, completions, and playlist history. The service can pitch releases for store promotions, editorial coverage, placements, playlists, and campaigns across major worldwide digital service providers. Distribution has no upfront or annual fee, but AWAL takes a 15% share of collected revenue; the listed term is rolling every 30 days. AWAL recommends uploading music and metadata at least 4–6 weeks before a release or preorder and does not guarantee faster delivery. It accepts uncompressed WAV audio up to 24-bit/96kHz, not MP3 files. Members can view monthly revenue statements and streaming data feeds.

The Orchard has no write-up on Specifiction yet; its figures are above.