![]() Related: How to Make Money in Music, How to Make an EPKĪnother thing that digital music distribution companies handle is some of the legal/administrative duties a record label or publishing company would.Distributors aren’t asking for a percentage of the rights to your content, but some will charge a commission instead of taking a flat fee. They’ll instead take a portion of any profits you generate. On another hand, some distributors don’t charge any fees upfront. Rates will vary depending on the type of content, i.e., singles, EPs, or full-length albums. Others go for a one-time fee approach per upload. There’s likely to be an unlimited option too if you put out a ton of music regularly. I’ll make up numbers, but it could be $20 for up to 10 songs per year, $35 for up to 20 songs per year, and so forth. Normally you’ll see this fee divided into several tiers based on how many songs you release. The biggest difference between digital music distribution services is how they charge. Some companies (like Distrokid, for instance) have an annual fee. Therefore, depending on who you choose to distribute your work, you’ll have to plan promotion around their timing. Some have a super quick turnaround of 24 hours or less, and others may take 5+ business days. You’ll also want to be aware of how fast distributors upload your stuff. You can trust, however, that it will at least make it to the primary sources consumers use. Remember that just because a company can upload to 100+ obscure outlets doesn’t mean your music will be heard. How many are people realistically using? How many are you using? It’s probably not more than one or two, with Spotify or Apple Music dominating. ![]() How Does Distribution Work?ĭistributors like to flex that your music will go to over 100 different outlets. Luckily, they don’t claim any rights to your music, so you can 100% safely retain 100% of your work. For a fee, they’ll do all the distribution legwork for DIY musicians. These aggregators upload your music to streaming services and online retailers. All you have to do with services like Distrokid, CDBaby, or TuneCore is sign up. Literally anyone who wants to release music can do it. In 2023, getting onboard with an online distributor is easier than getting a record deal. These giant corporations instead deal with distributors. These are companies like Spotify, Tidal, Apple Music, Amazon, and more. Digital Music Distribution in 2023īig streaming services and online retailers don’t take direct submissions from artists. The easiest way for an independent musician to have their music heard in 2023 is through distribution services. Today, digital music distribution has put some of the power back into artists’ hands. A label provided the budget for recording, marketing, printing, and distributing copies of an album to consumers. Before making albums in people’s bedroom was the norm, record deals were the only way to get your music out there.
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