The range of the white-fronted manakin is in the eastern Guianas, (only southeast border region of Guyana in the center-west of range), and the northeastern Amazon Basin; specifically, the eastern half of its range is all of Brazil's northeastern state of Amapá, with Amapá's south-flowing Jari River the centerline of its range. The range approaches the Amazon River but avoids the Amazon River corridor by about 100 km; further upstream its range is on the Amazon River, its north bank for 500 km, starting at the Rio Negro confluence and downriver past the confluence of the Madeira River. This portion of the range covers nearly all of the northern part of Pará state, north of the Amazon River. The species is not found south of the Amazon River into the southeast Amazon Basin.