Let's be honest, nobody buys CD's at music stores anymore. Streaming services have taken over the music industry and you can be apart of it.
Unlike some music platforms such as Soundcloud, you cannot directly upload music to these platforms. You need a record label or a 3rd party distributor to submit it for you.
There are many distribution companies you can go through but they all have their pros and cons. It pays to do your research on who you go through and what plan you select.
Upload as many songs as you want
Keep 100% of sales and get paid monthly
One yearly price of $19.99
Offers publishing services and royalty collection
Takes commission on royalties
Keep 100% of sales
$9.99 per single, $29.99 per album first year $49.99 each following year
Offers physical distribution for CD's and vinyl
Sync licensing (get music put on commercials, tv shows, movies and games)
Takes 9% Commission
$9.95 a single and $50 for an album, no yearly fees
Higher payout compared to Tunecore and CD Baby
Takes 15% commission of royalties earned
No annual fee or per single/album price
Most distribution websites have a good upload process that are relatively self explanatory but here are some things you want to keep in mind while preparing the content you are uploading.
Audio Files
Make sure the audio file you are submitting is of high quality. The standard is 44.1khz, 16-bit for WAV files and 320kbps for MP3 files.
Artwork
The dimensions of your artwork image should be 3000px by 3000px to ensure high quality. File types accepted include JPG and PNG at a preferred resolution of 300dpi. The artist name and release title should be the only text included unless your artwork has none. Adding extra text can and will delay the process.
Store Selection
They will give you an option to select the stores that you would like to have your music on and the smart choice is to just select them all. These will include but are not limited to..
Spotify
iTunes and Apple Music
Amazon Music
Google Play
YouTube Music
Pandora
iHeartRadio
Tidal
Deezer
Napster
Don't Forget
Some of these companies require yearly fees to keep your music on these streaming platforms. They will take down your music if a balance goes past due. Some offer one time payments services to make sure that never happens in the case that your credit card expires. When your song is taken down, all of its stats will be lost. Your play count will start over once re-uploaded. Don't let this happen to you.
What Next?
So you did it, you got you music released all over the world! Now what? Get the word out! Promote your release! Your audience needs to know your music exists and where they can enjoy it. Social media is a great place to start marketing your new content. If you have it, use it. Take advantage of the fact that Instagram, Facebook, twitter and snapchat gives you a direct line to your listener.