The role of music distributors is to get music in the different stores for selling. The key role of the music distributors is the same even today but their business models have changed consistently. From the CD era [physical marketing] to Streaming trends [digital marketing], the music industry has experienced massive change. Today, you can sell your songs online without the need for record labels or as an unsigned artist.
How digital music distribution process works?
Songs are uploaded and made available to worldwide listeners. So, why do artists need music distributors? Can’t they adhere to DIY? No, music distributors are still crucial because of the following –
Distribute to digital service providers
The majority of DSPs don’t allow direct music upload, so artists have to partner with the distributor’s aggregators. It saves them the stress of handling unstandardized Metadata as well as payments. To get your music on Spotify or iTunes, you will be suggested to go with a music distributor. Spotify and Apple need to ensure that the Metadata suits their platform needs.
MusicDigi allows selling your music on iTunes, Spotify, Amazon, and 150+ streaming platforms. All these DSPs most probably have unique Metadata requirements. So, for an artist, it is not possible to manually handle online music distribution. You can sell your music on iTunes, Spotify, Amazon, and 150+ streaming platforms with a small fee of $39.99 per year.
Allocate royalties
The traditional way of delivering a box of CDs and getting paid by the music retailer has been replaced with a flexible payout system. The way music is consumed and purchased is inseparable in this streaming world. The rightful music owner earns the moment users press play.
Even if you decided to sell your music on Amazon directly and they paid the royalties directly, their administrative cost would be high. The music owners would not be excited at getting royalty checks from different digital music stores. The aggregators serve as a platform for collecting royalties from different DSPs.
Aggregators or open distribution platforms are uploading myriads of music on digital music stores and streaming services. So, to get your music on TikTok goes viral ensure to create a track that hits the masses emotionally.
Using a flat-fee distribution deal means you have to consider album promotion seriously. The distribution platform will offer a default cover art but make sure to have one created that suits your music album theme. First, get your songs on YouTube Music and create hype. The song video has to be for a few minutes. It will create excitement amongst music listeners before the release date.
Promotion is essential to gain fame and even fortune. If you don’t promote, no one will know that your music resides on several digital music stores. Schedule live online performances on social channels, book concerts, play your music at the local coffee shop, post short clips of your songs on Instagram, create a reel, etc.
Just getting your songs on iTunes, Spotify, and 100 stores is not enough. You need to make efforts in the promotion to grab attention and build a fan base.
