DIYMusic
The music business has changed dramatically over the years and since the 60’s bands and artists have always relied on signing with record labels, managers and publishers and many still do today.
So what has changed?
The Internet has changed everything, with digital mp3 sites popping up in great numbers every year, allowing artists and small labels to release and promote their own music, bypassing the majors. I still think that the biggest record companies are an essential part of an artist’s career, taking them to the next level. However, most record companies prefer that the artist build their own career through online promotion with social networking sites, digital distribution, online radio stations, blogs, and websites. In fact, there are so many paths available to the musician, band, and artist today.
If you work hard on your own online promotion and marketing and build a huge fan base over time, chances are you’ll be on the radar of the big record companies, publishers and managers, but you’ll need to make amazing music first and then do everything. online promotion and marketing to build your fan base.
Publication
As some of you may already know, my main background is with dance and electronic music and over the years I have released several underground tracks and had some success with a few projects. In the 90’s I took care of my own publishing, which was a chore, but I managed to learn the ropes with MCPS and PRS as I had a track licensed to a best selling compilation and jumped in by signing up with collection societies. I would advise you to find a publisher if you can because there are a lot of forms to fill out, although nowadays everything is done online when you register your music. It’s pretty straightforward, but can be time consuming when you really want to spend time on the creative process. This just adds another task to the work-in-progress that you have to do yourself, but if you have the time, it’s worth it as you get to keep 100% of your royalties. A good publisher will work for you and search the world for royalties from every possible angle, but they usually take a percentage. Some companies take 50% and others 30%. I’ve managed to find a publisher that takes 30% and leaves 70% to me, and they also push your work and get your music out on TV, film, and media, so there are a lot of benefits to signing with a publisher. editor.
Digital Distribution
If you want to release your own music, the Internet is the place to look for digital distributors. There are many, including CD Baby and Tunecore, which are the most popular. If you want to get your music on iTunes worldwide and Amazon, Spotify, Emusic and many more, these companies will help you do it at a discounted price. They only charge you a fee for uploading a single or album and you keep all sales revenue.
radio online
Online radio stations are a great way to get your music heard and I’ve found that Last FM and Jango have some really great ways to promote your music. I used Jango recently and found it quite effective, but you have to pay for the plays. I would advise you to go for 1000 credits which is pretty cheap. Their prices are on the web. Your music on Jango will rotate with artists similar to yours. You can set this up on the site when you sign up and upload your music. Listeners can also become fans of your music and Jango will send you an email indicating their name and location. Some fans may leave you an email address which is very helpful in building your fan base. You can also send 3 blast messages to your fans every week from the Jango dashboard, which is also a great way to keep in touch with them. You can offer them free downloads from time to time to keep them hooked. Once you have them worshiping the ground you walk on, they will tell all their friends about your music.
sound cloud
Soundcloud is also another great website to upload your music for the world to listen to. Most of the great artists are there. There is a free account, but it has a limited upload time and you can’t post your music to the many groups listed on the site. I advise you to buy one of the premium accounts on offer as it has longer loading time and you can post your music in groups which will bring you more listeners. Soundcloud also includes many apps that can be run alongside the site. You can also download a Soundcloud app for iPad, which is great.
vibe deck
There is one more site I recommend for artists who want to sell music. Vibedeck is an amazing site for artists since it’s free. You can upload and sell your music and they won’t charge you a dime. They only charge for the additional services that include 60 second previews, branded player, etc. You can also embed the code on your website, where you allow your fans to buy your music, donate it, or download it for free, whatever you choose. You must have a PayPal account with Vibedeck, otherwise you will not be paid.
There are many more ways to promote and market your music online and there are too many to list here. The sites and methods listed in my article are just a few that I have tried and found effective, so get started producing and promoting your way to a profitable and successful career in music.