Music Insights

Boost Your Music Distribution: Useful Tactics In Unlocking A Global Audience

Tweet
Share
Share
Share
Share
Share
Tweet
Share
Share
Share
Share
Share
Boost Your Music Distribution: Useful Tactics In Unlocking A Global Audience

Since the establishment of streaming platforms, every artist understands the importance of getting their music on them. Releasing music digitally is now the accepted norm to get your music to a global audience, gain new fans, and get signed or endorsed.

Having known the big-time career-supporting benefits of releasing your music digitally, wouldn’t you want to do it right— I sure bet you would! This guide will discuss the how-tos on mastering music distribution.

1. What is a Music Distribution Deal?

Since time immemorial, musicians have always struggled to get their music heard, here’s where music distribution comes to save the day.

Music distribution is simply the process of getting music across to consumers. Ages ago, this process involved making audio cassettes or pressing records and getting them to music stores where people would purchase them.

Today, music distribution simply means uploading music tracks to digital service providers (DSPs) like Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal, and Amazon so consumers can easily stream and download the tracks. Although physical distribution does exist, most artists focus on making their music available on streaming platforms as it is cheap and guarantees their music is being heard globally.

A music distribution deal is an agreement between an artist/record label and a distribution company, in which the distributor agrees to make the artist’s music available on various platforms for a fee.

Benefits of a Music Distribution Deal:

Wider Reach: When your music track is available on every streaming platform, the higher its chances of getting heard. In addition, all streaming platforms have their unique algorithm which suggests your music to potential fans.

In essence, having a music distributor will not only make your songs accessible to local listeners, but it also allow your music to have a wider reach and get new listeners worldwide.

Professional Support: Another benefit of having a music distributor is its professional support.  Most music distribution platforms collect all royalties from DSPs and make them accessible to artists.

This implies that you don’t have to be concerned with tracking your royalties on platforms where your music is streamed or downloaded. Music distribution serves as a middleman between DSPs and Artists.

 Increased Creativity: When music distribution is handled by professionals, Artists can focus more on creating music and improving their craft. While you’re focusing on creating music, music distribution services will not only make, your music available on DSPs– they also help in promotion by pitching it to a playlist. Some even go further by getting your music to every streaming platform’s editorial team.

How Do You Get a Music Distribution Deal?

Did you just finish making a new track? Are you ready to share it with a global audience? Now you are all set to get into the world of music distribution. Here are simple steps to securing a good music distribution deal:

  • Firstly, you need to build a portfolio, before pitching your music to distributors. you need to have a professional online presence and a strong portfolio of well-recorded, mixed, and mastered music.
  • Do some research and select distributors that fit into your budget.  Not all music distribution services are the same. Platforms like DistroKid don’t collect commissions on royalties but have annual fees, while platforms like LANDR offer low fees but collect higher commissions on royalties.  Click here to read more on their pricing.
  • Lastly, after you’ve selected a platform, pitch your music by highlighting your music’s uniqueness and its market appeal. Always Include metrics such as streaming numbers, social media following, and audience demographics in your pitch.

How to Start a Music Distribution Company

As a young artist, signing a music distribution deal that takes a 10% commission, not your royalties might not be a big deal.

Over time as you grow your brand, you suddenly realize 10% off your royalties is now a huge amount. That is why artist and record labels consider starting their music distribution company.  Here’s a guide to get started:

Understand the Market: Research the current distribution landscape, identify gaps, and understand what problems artists are facing with music distribution and offer a solution to that problem.

Acquire Licensing:  Afterwards, Ensure the company has all the necessary licenses to distribute music legally. This may involve obtaining mechanical licenses, public performance licenses, and synchronization licenses.

Build Relationships with Platforms: Establish partnerships with streaming services, online stores, and physical distributors.

Develop a User-Friendly Platform: If the company is created to focus on digital distribution, develop a platform that is easy for artists to use, allowing them to upload their music with ease, track royalties, and manage their distribution efficiently.

Marketing and Outreach: Build a strong marketing strategy to attract artists. Offer irresistible prices to attract clients, be transparent with royalty payments, and additional services like free promotional support.

Conclusion:

Getting your music on streaming platforms is just the beginning; it’s about setting yourself up to reach more listeners and build your fan base. Whether you need a music distribution deal or thinking of starting your distribution company, knowing these strategies will help in making smart decisions that align with your career goals.

Now that you’ve got a whim on how music distribution works in 2024, it’s time to wrap up that recording and start planning your release!

 

 

Want the latest Traced Insights?

Subscribe to our mailing list to get tips, tricks and hacks straight to your inbox!
Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.

Related Posts

Tweet
Share
Share
Share
Share
Share
Tweet
Share
Share
Share
Share
Share

Do you have any advice for promoting music independently? Or any thoughts on these tips? Let us know in the comments below.

Music Insights

Don't get left behind!

Join our fast growing community of thousand of artists to get industry insights and marketing tips.