In this article I want to talk to you about music distribution online and answer a few of the questions that come up when a band or musician is first thinking about getting their tracks out to the world.
First of all well done! You are being very clever going digital because real CDs are dead for smart musicians who know that the money is better spent of advertising and marketing.
Now onto those common questions...
1.
How much does music distribution online cost? The best distribution companies will offer to do your release on a per track basis and should only charge you 50c a track maximum.
This should include your ISRC codes.
2.
What percentage of future royalties should I give to the distributors? NOTHING! You should run a mile if anyone ever tries to get there hands on your songwriting royalty.
They did not write the song so only ever pay a one time fee.
3.
When will I see my music show up on iTunes? This is so much faster than it used to be, you should see your music on iTunes in a matter of a few hours after payment.
4.
When will my music be on spotify? Because they get so much content a site like spotify will take up to four weeks to show your track.
But the music distribution company should deliver it right away.
5.
How do the music distributor pay me? You can have the money deposited directly in your bank account.
6.
What if my band break up and I want to take a track down? Your music distribution company should do this free of charge.
Just let them know.
Final thoughts.
If your are thinking of putting out a first release I would suggest that you get your stuff out there as quickly as possible.
The best thing you can do is start to get some feedback from the music fans right away.
Just do a single track for a small cost and go from there.
Good luck.