- How To Sell Your Music Online?
- How To Sell Your Music through Digital Downloads?
- Internet Music Distribution for Independent Artists
- Online Music Distribution (OMD)
Has your band recorded a CD ? Do you know how to get your music for
sale online at major distributors? Have you ever wanted to know how to get
your MP3's for sales on Apple Itunes or Amazon? Are you an unsigned
Independent Artist or Band with a CD that you have recorded and is sitting in
your basement. Here's some options on how to sell your music on the
internet in CD format and digital download mp3 format. We are going to
start with our most highly recommended site and work our way to some others
listed below.
There are a number of sites out there that will sell your CD online or sell
your music via digital download distribution. The one we like the most is
CD Baby. We have tried CD Baby ourselves and found them to be very
customer friendly, inexpensive, and professional. Not only will they set
up a webpage to sell your CD online, they will sell your music in MP3 format as
a digital download on the same page. Also, they will send your music to
some of the major digital music stores like Apple Itunes, Amazon, Rhapsody, and
Napster. If your CD is approved by CD Baby ,they will send your music to
many major online music retailers. Here are the basics you need to know to
get started selling your band CD online.
CD BABY
How to Sell Your CD at CD Baby? Your Band CD does not have to be
shrinkwrapped It can be a home made CD-R and must have a CD insert with
cover art that looks good.
Send them 5 CD's and fill out their
submission form.
Keep in mind setting up everything on the online submission form does take some
time. This is where you give them your copyright details, whether you
would like digital distribution, sync rights (movie and TV placement options),
promotional tracks (offer a track for free), and set the prices of your CD and
MP3 Download. Also, once they get your CD's you must confirm the
submission and listen to all your songs to be sure they converted properly.
They will send you an email to confirm.
CD Baby has 3 websites that you need to know:
The reason we tell you this is that is was a little confusing at first to
figure out which site was which.
Benefits - Artists keeps a % of
Digital Distribution profit. CD baby only takes a certain dollar amount / CD sold. Artist
sets the price of CD and MP3 downloads of your whole album on the cd baby site.
Digital Distribution of your Band's CD
- Independent Artist Digital MP3 Distribution - Unsigned artistls like you and
me need easy was to get our music out there for sale. Especially in today
digital ipod age, there are many reasons your CD should be available in digital
download form. CD baby takes alot of the leg work out of this process.
They encode your tracks with ISRC codes (needed for digital distribution) and
send your music to Apple Itunes, Napster, Rhapsody etc. for Digital
Distribution. One note, you must have a bar code for your CD to use the
digital distribution service from CD Baby. They sell them for a nominal
fee (At the time of writing this article 6/6/08 it was $20). CD Baby will send
digital MP3 files of your CD to some of the major digital distribution retailers
like Apple I tunes, Napster, Rhapsody, and many more.
Read More on their digital
distribution. Also, check out a list of the companies that your music
could be sent to for digital distribution of your band's CD.
List of CD baby Digital
Distribution Companies
Fee to submit CD - Basically
there is only a one time fee per CD for setup. This includes sale
of your CD on www.cdbaby.com
and warehousing of CD's. You will also need a barcode for your CD for
digital distribution if you don't have one already. They will give you a
specific UPC barcode for your CD for a small fee. All digital music stores require
a barcode. It doesn't have to be in your artwork either. Use a sticker or
just buy it for digital distribution. So for a one time fee
/ CD and a small charge for UPC Code you can get your band CD sold online and sent to Online Music
Outlets for digital sales.
How To Submit and Sign UP?
Please visit
CD baby for prices.
Example - Here's a sample of my
solo CD. Click the link below to go to the band page to view artist info,
listen to a 2 min sample of each tune,
review the album, check out the MP3
sales, or Buy the CD if you like what you hear.
Click Here To Check
Out This Album
How They Pay You? The
Artist is paid once a week if they have sales. You can adjust the amounts
of payment in you account.
Non Exclusive - They do not own
the rights to your music only distribute it.
Fast Service - CD Baby had our CD page up within days after receiving our CD.
They had sent out our MP3 to 10 digital distribution companies within days as
well. Some of these companies included Apple Itunes, Tradebit, and Amazon.
I can tell you that it does take a few weeks and / or months to get your music
listed on some of these companies once CD Baby submits your music. Our CD
turned up on Itunes in less than a month, and Amazon in approximately 2 months.
So this gives you and idea of how long it may take to get your MP3 Downloads
selling at the major online digital outlets. CD Baby is a great resource
for independent musicians to actually get there music out in the marketplace for
sale to the public.
Tip - Once you have your CD baby web page created why not link it to your
myspace band page or band website. This will send traffic to hopefully
sell your cd.
Frequently Asked Questions
More Online Music Distribution Sites
(Please research these sites below well, as we have not
tried there services)
Amazon Advantage Program for Music - Annual Fee / Yr and they take a %
standard commission. We are not sure how receptive they are to independent
artists. If you have a UPC barcode it's non exclusive and may be worth a
try to submit your CD. Keep in mind there fee is annual. The
advantage is Amazon is very popular and a reputable internet site.
Aristopia
Artist Launch - They
have Free artist pages, but premium artists seem to get more perks at a Yearly
fee. Check out there
Sign Up Page
DMusic
Easy-Listen
E Folk Music
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Lulu
MP3.com
Number 1 Band
The Orchard
RadioIndy
Tradebit
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