CDB Boost Limitations: What It Does and Doesn't Include for Music Publishing
CD Baby's CDB Boost replaced Pro Publishing in August 2023, but with dramatically reduced scope. Understanding exactly what CDB Boost does and doesn't do is essential for independent artists evaluating their publishing administration options.
What CDB Boost Actually Includes
Registration with The Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC) for US streaming mechanicals only
SoundExchange label share registration (not performer share)
Sync licensing opportunities (non-guaranteed, 40% commission on placements)
Cost: $39.99 per release upfront + 15% ongoing commission on mechanicals
What CDB Boost Does NOT Include
The list of missing features is extensive:
Performance Royalties
CDB Boost does NOT register your works with PROs (ASCAP, BMI, SESAC) for performance royalties. You must join a PRO and register works independently or use a service like TuneRegistry that facilitates PRO registrations on your behalf.
Additional Mechanical Licensing
No Harry Fox Agency registration
No Music Reports registration
Only handles The MLC (streaming mechanicals)
Doesn't cover physical mechanicals
Doesn't handle print music licensing
International Collection
CDB Boost is US only. Unlike the discontinued Pro Publishing service that collected worldwide, CDB Boost provides no international mechanical or performance royalty collection.
Catalog Management
No catalog management system
No document storage
No split sheet association
No work/recording linking
No registration status tracking
No unique identifier management (ISRCs, ISWCs, IPIs)
Customer Support
CD Baby's customer support has declined significantly. BBB rating dropped to 'F' with complaints about weeks-to-months response times. Many users report frustration with AI-only support and inability to reach human representatives.
Comparing CDB Boost to Comprehensive Publishing Administration
Here's what comprehensive publishing administration should include:
PRO registration facilitation (ASCAP, BMI, SESAC)
MLC registration and tracking
Harry Fox Agency facilitation
Music Reports facilitation
SoundExchange complete registration
Professional catalog management
Document storage and association
Registration status monitoring
Responsive customer support
Transparent pricing without per-release or per-songwriter fees
Why the Limitations Matter
You Pay Twice for Less Coverage
CDB Boost charges $39.99 upfront per release PLUS 15% ongoing commission to register with just The MLC. You still need to handle PRO registration, Harry Fox and Music Reports yourself or pay another service.
No Professional Tools
Without catalog management, most artists resort to spreadsheets to track works, registrations, collaborators, and documents. This manual approach is error-prone, time-consuming not scalable.
Incomplete Revenue Collection
By only handling MLC mechanicals, CDB Boost leaves significant royalty streams unaddressed:
Performance royalties (typically largest revenue source for most songwriters)
Harry Fox mechanicals
Music Reports mechanicals
SoundExchange performer share (45% of digital performance royalties)
International mechanicals and performance royalties
What Comprehensive Administration Looks Like
TuneRegistry provides what CDB Boost doesn't a comprehensive US music rights administration solution:
All of CDB Boost's functions PLUS everything it's missing
PRO registration, Harry Fox, Music Reports, SoundExchange (Master)
Professional catalog management and document storage
Registration tracking across all societies
Zero commission (vs CDB Boost's 15%)
No per-release fees (vs CDB Boost's $39.99)
Flat $15/month regardless of catalog size or revenue
Responsive human customer support
The Bottom Line
CDB Boost is an extremely limited service masquerading as publishing administration. It handles only MLC mechanical registration while charging both upfront fees and ongoing commission. For truly comprehensive US music rights administration including all the services CDB Boost lacks we provide a comprehensive solution at a fraction of the cost with zero commission.