Playlister, DistroKid’s playlist contact search, is now part of DistroKid Ultimate ($89.99/year). artist.tools adds bot detection, listener data and playlist history, free or from $15/month.
Checked October 2026
| Playlister | artist.tools | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Playlist research | All-in-one |
| Starting price | $89.99/year | Free; from $15/month |
| Free plan | No | Yes |
| Bot detection | No | Yes |
| Curator contacts | Yes | 158K+ |
| History | Partly | 4+ years |
Including where Playlister wins
What it does well, and where it falls short
Pros
Cons
Botted playlists and playlist scams are a plague for small artists.
DistroKid’s playlist contact search (once called Playlister) doesn’t show whether a playlist is botted, authentic, growing or inactive, which is a liability for any artist.
That’s why industry professionals rely on our database of playlist scam networks and on bot detection for playlists, artists and tracks.
DistroKid’s playlist contact search only comes with DistroKid Ultimate, at $89.99/year. It isn’t on the Musician or Musician Plus plans.
artist.tools works whoever distributes your music: start on the free plan, and the Artist plan is $15/month or $99/year.
DistroKid’s playlist search filters are basic. On artist.tools, you can filter by just about anything: followers, listeners, contact type, botted or not, includes an artist, includes or excludes a phrase, and more.
artist.tools adds context to every playlist in our database: listener demographics, estimated listeners, contact info, growth over time, popularity score and more.
DistroKid Ultimate monitors your own releases. artist.tools tracks any artist, track, playlist or curator, so you get the full picture.
Plainly answered
DistroKid no longer uses the Playlister name. Its playlist contact search is now listed as “Search engine for playlist contact info”, a feature of DistroKid Ultimate.
It comes with DistroKid Ultimate, at $89.99/year, and isn’t on the Musician or Musician Plus plans. artist.tools has a free plan, and the Artist plan is $15/month or $99/year.
Not in its playlist contact search. The free artist.tools bot checker checks a playlist for bot activity before you pitch it.
Yes. Distribute with DistroKid, and use artist.tools to find playlists and check them for bots before you pitch.
