Being some one that has dealt with numerous independent artist, and counting, one of the greatest plights that they have to face is... you guessed it, there B-U-D-G-E-T. Thankfully, this post will provide some help, so you no longer have to hustle your mixtapes and albums out of your mom's mini-van. With the ever changing world of technology that has recently become viral, getting a fan base for your new music, is now a few clicks away. Here are a few online music distribution platforms and how they match up.
The best music publishing sites thus far that I have honestly came across has been Sound Click, Tune Core and CDBaby, because they have some of the biggest followings according to fans and the industry, user and result savvy, the best in regards to the technology being updated constantly.
Being in the music business professionally for a little while, and learning about the industry even further for my own endeavors, Sound Click is Great. Sound Click lets you upload whole albums, production, whole songs for free to be listened to on website-style based "pages" on their platform, for others to like, download, buy and comment on. You set the prices for everything, including album downloads, produced beats to be leased by artist, how much exclusive rights will be to your music, and the # of promotional downloads that are allowed per song. The best part is that the funds come directly to you via pay-pal or your direct debit account information.
Another one that I like is TuneCore. TuneCore is a digital music distribution service, you're able to sell music online with a few simple steps. They offer the same services as Sound Click, but they also have partnerships with other major record companies such as Def Jam, who will track and monitor your progress on the website as far as fans, listenership, and downloads. The only catch is that It cost an additional monthly payment to have the A&R's monitor your music for you.
All in All, the best by far that the whole industry is currently raving about is CD Baby. CD BabyCD Baby is the largest online music distribution company for independent music because it allows you to sell and distribute your music both digitally or as a hard copy. And as a added plus, they have recently have acquired joint ventures with companies such as iTunes, Amazon, Rhapsody, and iTunes, which immediately uploads your CD to their platform for being a CD Baby registered customer. They also allow you to link your music directly through facebook fan pages. The down fall is that it can cost you $39 per album, $4 a CD sale comes to you, and 25% of MP3 Downloads, but that is only after you reach at least 1000 Mp3 or more, and the big bucks only comes about when you establish at least 10,000 copies sold. All in all it is the best place to turn from nothing to something cost effectively, while still positioning yourself to be on the radar of major record labels.
But don't just take my word for it. According to Rolling Stones Magazine's Article, " CD Baby, Rumblefish Partner for Online Music Licensing Program" written by Scott Steinburg states that recetly, " Music licensing company Rumblefish and independent online distributor CD Baby have announced a partnership through which indie artists can license music for use in YouTube and Internet videos, slideshows, games, presentations and social media programs. Over 250,000 performers and 3.5 million songs from CD Baby’s catalogue will be available initially to corporations that seek breaking bands to provide soundtracks for use across multimedia and online marketing campaigns.Through this new arrangement, indie acts will be able to license tracks for use by businesses, which may provide the artists with a lucrative income stream and much-coveted mainstream exposure. The program’s reach will extend to multiple forms of advertising: TV, movie and video game. However, this is not an instant jackpot for up-and-coming artists: given the ever-growing size of CD Baby's album pool, exposure is still no guarantee, and few of the partnership's online placements are likely to enjoy the widespread buzz of an Apple commercial, Hollywood blockbuster or national media campaign (unless they go viral)."
With all these options available, the possibilities are endless to take your music aspirations truly in your own hands. Yet and still, a word of the wise is to research in depth which choice truly fits your needs as well as your wallet.
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