Hello @DJT,
FREE refers to the yearly / monthly plan. If you go for it you are not obliged to pay for a subscription. You just pay for the distribution (That includes in-depth metadata and copyright checks).
According to your needs, you might instead go for the Amplify or Amplify+ plans (monthly/yearly subscription), which expand your possibilities as a musician and allow you to reach out to a bigger audience.
Here you can get a comparison between each plan offered.