Sell Your Music 101
If you listen to music of any kind, chances are, you’ve got a favourite platform. Be it Apple Music, Spotify, Deezer, YouTube, who knows! There are a ton of options for listening in this current time, and the same can be said when you look to sell your music.
We find that there are two main questions artists ask themselves:
- How do I get my music online?
- How do I make money from my music?
In reality, the answer to both of these questions is simple: Distribution.
Where should I sell my music?
Back in 2005, when iTunes was just finding its feet, physical music sales were plummeting and illegal downloads were thriving. Now, digital music is the norm. The rise of the likes of Spotify took hold of the digital anarchy and gave birth to a new order in the music industry.
Throughout the world, there are so many different digital streaming platforms that are used to give instant access to listeners. The best part? Whenever these digital streaming platforms play, you get paid.
Download or Stream?
Why is this even a question? If you are looking to sell your music online, you will need to get your music in front of as many audiences as you can. This means you need to make your music accessible on every platform your fans use, and to do this, you’ll need to work with a Distributor who really gets you.
Downloads
Download was the first type of digital music that was available. Using services like iTunes and Amazon Music, listeners could purchase a song and download it to wherever they like. Downloading music has remained a popular choice for artists even as streaming has grown. By using downloads, artists are able to sell their music for a direct return.
Streaming
One way to think of streaming is renting your music, rather than selling. Music streaming has continuously evolved and will likely continue to do so. Effectively, it is a service in which your listeners can access your music through a digital library on their devices, without needing to download.
There are loads of streaming services available to you, of varying sizes and prices. Some of them will be “freemium” services, meaning fans can use the service without paying for a subscription, but will be subjected to ads intermittently. Alternatively, some platforms charge a subscription fee for using them. Either way, this will create the income for the companies, which they can pass on to artists.
Free Services
Of course, free platforms such as YouTube, Bandcamp and Soundcloud are a great place to start. They simply require you to sign up, upload your music and spread the word.
While it may seem like sticking to a free platform and sharing those links to bloggers and promoters may work to save money, this isolates you from a large audience. The main reason you should be digitally distributing your music to the major streaming platforms is for ease of access. If you want to sell your music online, you need to make yourself available in the stores your fans use.
When you have fans who prefer to use Spotify or Apple Music, over Soundcloud, you miss out on growing your fans base. If they naturally use spotify, they aren’t going to go to a completely different platform every time they want to listen to your tracks.
Who should I distribute with?
Okay, we are going to blow our own trumpet here. Sometimes you’ve just got to!
Identity Music has disrupted the distribution industry with a fairer distribution plan. Say goodbye to upfront fees, making you pay a fortune before your release even hits the digital shelf. Identity Music gives artists a more convenient and fair way of selling your music. Your music can go viral for just a small fraction of its royalties.
By making your release available everywhere, you make it easy to grow a wider audience. Especially given the emphasis platforms are now placing on discoverability. Now, people find new music all the time just by listening to their old favourites. This, coupled with their playlists, is a great way for you to grow. Getting on a playlist can be challenging, but you’ll never get on one if your music isn’t even on the platforms.
By the way, when we say your release should be available everywhere, we really do mean everywhere. Just because you’re a London Pop Singer or an American Rock Band, doesn’t mean that your music won’t be a hit in Russia, India or Australia!
The world is your oyster, and you should get your music in front of all potential fans. With Identity Music, that’s just what will happen. While you may not have heard of some of our partner platforms, they are all extremely popular in various locations around the world. With our partnerships, your music will end up on the most popular platforms everywhere. More than that, your music will start generating income for you, without costing you a fortune to start.
There are lots of resources throughout our site and our blog which will help you with getting to grips with Music Distribution, Music Promotion and Identity Music’s services. Be sure to check out our social medias too!
Are you looking to get your music out there? With Identity Music you can get your music all over the globe in order to gain the maximum exposure. By using our distribution and music promotion services, you’ll be able to take control while watching your music reach new heights.
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