Sell Music Online
With all of the new technology and easy Internet sales vending opportunities available today, more musicians think about selling their music, not through a large music label and store CD sales, but online through collective music vendors. Musicians who sell their wares on the Internet don't need to go through record labels and contracts. They offer their music directly to fans. For those who are ready to tackle this kind of new entrepreneurial opportunity, here are some ways to succeed and to sell music online.
Contents
Steps
Preparing to Sell
- Check the audio quality. If you haven't distributed music before, you'll want to make sure that your debut is as good as your music. Pay attention to the following things before you think about putting your music up:
- Audio quality. You want your music to sound good, right? If you've had it professionally recorded in the studio, the chances are good that it already sounds amazing. However, even if you have and definitely if you haven't, it's a good idea to play it and see how it sounds. Try it in places you would expect your new fans to play your music, such as a computer, .mp3 player, car stereo, etc.
- Audio source. An .mp3 file goes on your .mp3 player, but it isn't good for distribution because it's a compressed format. Make sure you upload your music as a high quality, lossless audio file like a WAV or FLAC file. You can also get it mastered if you want to improve the quality.
- Provide your music with all the right information. Your songs need something called meta data, the titles, album, and artist info attached to the files. Without it, people won't be able to recognize your music.
- Get good artwork. Album art is an important part of you and your work's branding, and will help your listeners easily remember who you are by making your work easily identifiable. Currently, store standards (such as ADED.US Music Distribution, iTunes, and Apple Music) require your artwork to be 3000 x 3000 pixels in size exactly with a resolution of 300 dpi/ppi
- Plus, it's an opportunity to make your work look good.
- Deal with logistics. Make sure you copyright your own work, check the copyrights on covers, and set up a release date.
- Special processes exist for copyrighting and licensing music. Take care to consider all of these before putting your music out to the public, since some music that gets popular can be ripped off. A violated copyright can be a hard thing to fix.
- If you're trying to make money off song covers, you can't do so without obtaining the license from the intellectual property owner in writing. Make sure you've done so before you upload covers, or face potential legal hazards.
- Think of when you want to release your work, and once you've chosen a date, you can begin hyping it and marketing it in various places such as your social media pages, blog, local and online culture zines, etc.
Selling with an Online Retailer
- Find music retailers. A number of accessible venues offer parking for pay-per-tune song vending. The biggest and most recognized is iTunes, but with research, beginning musicians may be able to find smaller online music vendors such as ADED.US Music Distribution, SongCast, Getonic, Tunecore, CD Baby and more.
- Many of these vendors offer different terms, perks, benefits, etc. Make sure you shop around before deciding on which venue to use for your music.
- Make sure you are eligible for the service. You may not be able to sign up in India for a service that only works in the United States, for example.
- Get a digital music distribution deal with a retailer. Many major digital retailers such as iTunes, Amazon, Spotify, and Google Play do not usually do direct deals with independent artists.
- So, in order to sell you music on iTunes, Amazon, Spotify, Google Play, etc., you will need to establish a digital music distribution deal with a digital music company that specializes in distributing music for indie musicians. These music distribution companies are referred to as aggregators. Essentially, these are music distribution companies that have direct contracts with the various digital retail stores for music.
- Read your music vending contract. Most of the online sites offer equitable deals, but be sure to read all details of an agreement to make sure you like the terms.
- Keep an eye on things like royalty collection, which will detail how much money the company will pay you for selling your music. For example, a site like CD Baby takes $4 for each CD or record, and 9% of all digital music sales.
- There are sometimes premium and free versions of a service, and they could offer different rates. ADED.US Music Distribution offers 12 distribution credits whereas most music distributors distribute one project for one fee. CD Baby has a premium service, described above, as well as a free service, which keeps 15% of your download revenues. If you're not making a lot of money, it might be best to stick with a free account like this one.
Selling Yourself
- Create your own website and brand yourself. If you're selling via a dealer like CD Baby or iTunes, you won't need this to publicize your music, but your brand. If your music is good and people like it, they'll want to find the artist behind it, and nothing is a bigger buzzkill than looking for an artist and finding nothing but a blank Google search and a single distributor landing page.
- You can start with a simple blog-type page, such as offered by Wordpress or Blogger. However, if you want to monetize your site, creating a personal, self-hosted site with installable themes and plugins is the way to go.
- Web design is a big business as well as an art form, and there is a lot to learn about how to create a successful site: search engine optimization (SEO), site layout, HTML and CSS, etc. It will take some time to make a serious, monetized website if you do it yourself, and even longer if you don't have any background knowledge.
- Some things you can do to make a good site: commission (or make) a beautiful, catchy logo; upload crisp pictures of your music or your shows; don't add a bunch of frivolous details.
- Publicize the music. Most of us have heard it said that "no publicity is bad publicity." That slogan usually holds true in the music world, where news often generates sales. Think about the best ways to promote your music business to sell more music over the Internet.
- Get onto the web with viral video. Simply having your music available online will not usually get people to buy. Putting out great, compelling clips on YouTube or some other venue (like Myspace) is more likely to help.
- Monetize with social media, like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or Pinterest. Lots of music is shared over social media, and most of its features are free to use for everyone, though some advanced options (like "boosting posts" on Facebook) cost more money.
- Use local events. When online publicity is not enough, playing or participating in local events can get you more recognition. Some musicians who have had success in marketing their music swear by the solid combination of online vending and live venues to get visibility. The idea is that people will see your band at events and be able to follow up with easy online purchases.
- Milk your connections and expand your reach. Everyone knows that connections make the world go round. Utilize your existing network of friends, relatives, and acquaintances to help you promote or publicize your music and brand.
- Try to get publicity in local media. Most medium and large cities have various culture publications dedicated to cataloguing all the music, art, food, etc. their locale has to offer. Call them up or email them offering to do an interview with one of their reporters, and Try to push them to publish it both in print and online (it probably won't take much convincing).
- Reach out to web publications. These often have far greater reach than your local neighborhood newspaper, and can introduce people all over the world to your new music. Depending on your level of expertise or relative fame, you can be featured in large or small publications.
- Make contacts with local businesses. Bars and clubs are traditional venues for performances, but have you considered bookstores? Restaurants? There are many ways to build presence in a community, and expanding your range of areas for gigs is one. Think of the sort of place you live, the community you live with, and what they like, and then go out and meet people.
- Spread the word with your friends and family. Give away free CDs, give out invitations to shows or gigs, offer to play at your friend's birthday party, or any number of other things to get more fans.
Tips
- You may want to look at startup capital. It's likely that in the beginning, you'll need some way to fund your music business. Without a conventional contract from a record label, beginning musicians have to pay for all of their costs out of their own pockets. Think about getting access to business loans related to your music venture.
- If you sell music as a side gig, taking out loans to pursue it may not be the smartest thing, especially if you do not tour, or play other
- If you play and sell music full-time, then this could be a smart move for you by helping you fund new instruments, recording, touring, etc. Just remember not to dig yourself a hole you can't climb out of.
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