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Sell Your Music Online, Part 1
by Christopher Knab - Fourfront
Media & Music - October
2002
Back to The Academy
Editor's Note: You'll notice this article is VERY old... from 2002! Much of the information in the article is quite out of date. We plan a major update to this article by June 2010, so be looking for that. In the meantime read, enjoy, and take it for what it is. There's some good info in here, but some pretty old info too...
Don't say I never did anything for you!
This month and next month you will read about websites that help you sell your music. I spent hours researching
this data so that you can have one reference source for the dozen plus sites that help. Over a dozen websites will
be presented to you, so you can examine which sites are best for your circumstances when it comes to getting your
music to the people.
Every day, web-based music companies are developing programs to help you market and sell your independently released
CDs and music files You will have to stay on top of the many changes and improvements these sites come up with,
but this is a great starter kit for you to examine selling opportunities on the web. What I have done is visit
each of the sites listed, and copied and pasted into this document, in their own words, what these companies have
to offer you. The information I have assembled is not a 'review' of who does what the best. The success you have
working with any of these companies is up to you, and how you work within their various business structures.
Many of these companies offer their services for free, others ask for reasonable fees for more elaborate music
marketing plans. You will find here sites that help you sell your traditional CD, as well as ways for you to promote
and circulate your MP3 files.
All I have done is assemble into one place a summary of these site's own descriptions of what they have to offer
independent recording artists. Check 'em out, a whole world of opportunities awaits you.
CDBaby.com: Who/What Are We?
- CD Baby is a little online record store that sells CDs by independent musicians.
- [Independent: (adj.) Not having sold one's life, career, and creative
works over to a corporation.]
- We're just a few people in a cool Portland, Oregon, CD warehouse that
looks like a playground. We listen to every CD we sell before we sell it, so we can help you find other albums
you'll like.
- We only sell CDs that come directly from the musicians. No distributors.
Musicians send us CDs. We warehouse them, sell them to you, and pay the musicians directly.
- Cool thing: in a regular record deal or distribution deal, musicians
only make $1-$2 per CD, if they ever get paid by their label. When selling through CD Baby, musicians make $6-$12
per CD, and get paid weekly.
- In business since March 1998. We're the 2nd-largest seller of independent
CDs on the web, 2nd only to Amazon.
- Current Numbers:
- 25,116 artists sell their CD at CD Baby.
- 292,495 CDs sold online to customers.
- $1,949,539.35 paid to artists.
CD Baby Privacy Policy
- We NEVER give or sell your personal info to any other company - EVER!
(No not even your email address!)
- Only the musician whose CD you buy will know who you are.
- If you don't even want the musician to know about you, just say so at
the bottom of your order form.
- Your credit card info is never stored, and never seen by anyone. We
don't store it in your permanent customer info. The card number is erased immediately after the sale, for extra
protection. There is nothing of yours here to steal.
- Yes this means you'll have to type your card number again when you return,
but we hope you appreciate the extra safety and privacy it gives you.
Tech things
- Our servers are running 100% OpenBSD - the world's most secure operating
system. Powered by Apache, PHP, and MySQL.
- No Microsoft products were used in the creation of this website.
- Full 128-bit secure SSL connection protects all of your private information
from snooping eyes. Our secure certificate issued by Thawte - a division of Verisign.
- We try to stay HTML 4.0 compliant. No special web browser needed. (I
recommend the Opera and Mozilla web browsers for their speed and standards.)
- CD Baby website (front end and back end) made by me - Derek Sivers.
It's my favorite hobby.
Most important of all...
- You can reach us during Pacific west-coast business hours at (503)595-3000
or email cdbaby@cdbaby.com anytime.
Garageband.com and CD Baby
(Note: You can obviously deal directly with Cdbaby.com if you prefer…CK)
Garageband Records has partnered with CDBaby.com so you can sell your CDs to hundreds of thousands
of music lovers around the world. First you need to register or log in then we can begin. It costs just $35 per
CD to register. You can sell your CDs for any price, and you'll keep 100% of the earnings minus a $4 processing
charge per CD (all prices $US). So you'll be making clean profit after you've sold just five CDs at $10 each. You
can do that easily, right?
1. Get some
CDs together. Looking for a good CD mastering service? garageband.com artists get 20% discount at Airshow Mastering
on a Master Media package. Need some CDs duplicated? garageband.com artists get a $50 discount at Oasis
Duplication when they purchase a single speed glass cutting.
2. First you
need to register or log in then we can begin. We'll create a custom "Album Profile" page for you at garageband.com
and CDBaby.com. You can enter your sleeve notes, and select the tracks on your album that are also on garageband.com.
You can link to this page from your own website, so all your visitors can buy your CDs.
3. Set a price
for your CD. We recommend a maximum price of $10 (because that's the price of most big label debut CDs) but you
can set whatever price you want ($4 minimum). You get 100% of the selling price less a $4 processing charge for
every sale.
For example:
CD Selling Price What you get
$10 $6
$9 $5
$8 $4
$7 $3
$6 $2
$5 $1
4. You mail
at least 5 CDs to CDBaby.com's warehouse, and make a payment of $35.
5. CDBaby scans
your album's cover art for display on your album profile page.
6. We promote
and sell your CD at garageband.com.
7. People buy
your CD.
8. CDBaby handles
all credit card transactions, fulfills all orders within 24 hours, and notifies you via email once every transaction
is complete.
9. CDBaby mails
checks to you. (You can decide how often they send you checks, of $20 or more).
10. You earn
millions, run away with Jennifer Lopez, develop a Godzilla-sized drug habit, lose track of the plot, dump Lopez
for an aardvark and spend the next forty years living under an abandoned trampoline.*
First you need to register or log in then we can begin.
(*Important note: Step 10 optional).
Hostbaby.com
(spinoff of Cdbaby.com)
For $20/month you get...
Basic Features:
1. You can register
and own your own domain name (www.yourname.com) for only $20 instead of the usual $70. As long as you're out there promoting your
music and your website, you should own it! It's not just for vanity. It's for permanence. So you'll have the same
web address even 10 years from now. So - pick a domain name, and we'll register it for you for only $20! We worked
out a quantity deal. Instead of the $70 it would cost to do it yourself, it's just $20 per year. And yes YOU own
it, not us. To find one that's available, go to Network Solutions and try 'em out! But don't register it there.
Just do your research there. When you find which one you want, let us know, and we'll take care of the rest. If
you already have a working website somewhere, we'll be glad to transfer it over for you to your new home.
2. We can transfer
your exisiting website easily, with no interruption.
Whether you registered your domain name yourself, or someone registered it for you, we'll be glad to do the technical
stuff to move it over to hostbaby. We can even do an instant clone of your old site on to your new one, so that
there will be no interruption at all, and you won't have to re-upload everything. Since everyone's situation is
different, just email us with your domain name, and any other info, and let us know what you'd like to do
3. You get 200
megs of web space to do whatever you want. You're in total control of it. That's enough for TONS of MP3 files,
photos, RealAudio, even video clips. You'll have total control over it. You can FTP upload (and download) anything
you want there.
4. Endless permanent
email addresses like you@yourname.com - so you'll never have to change your email address again. You know what
a drag it is to change your email address, especially as you're out promoting your music. Liner notes on your CD,
reviews in magazines.... These things are going to be around for years, so what you really need is a permanent
email address. When you own your own domain name, you keep your email address no matter where you go. You can drop
AOL, switch to cable modem, switch to sattellite, switch to gamma-ray access in the year 2053, and your email address
will STILL be you@yourname.com. (even if you leave hostbaby.com - your name is yours!) You can give an endless
amount of private email accounts for friends, or different aspects of your business. (Example: you@yourname.com,
junklist@yourname.com, bookings@yourname.com, guitarist@yourname.com) And you don't need our help or permission
to do this. You'll be in control of your own account to do whatever you want. These are *real* personal private
POP3 Email accounts. Not web-email like Hotmail. Real email that you can check in powerful email programs like
Eudora and Outlook Express.
5. Streaming
RealAudio and MP3. CGI scripts. The works. Your website can now do any fancy stuff you ever dreamed of. If you've
worked with some other web-hosting companies, you know that whenever you want to do something cool, they either
tell you, you can't do it, or they try to charge you extra. At hostbaby you can do CGI scripts, streaming RealAudio,
FrontPage extensions, telnet, FTP server, server-side includes, forms, counters - ANYTHING.
(Ok - anything except Microsoft-only things like Access and ASP. We only use Linux servers, no Microsoft. But we
can do Microsoft FrontPage extensions.) So, in short, if you're wondering if your new website can do ______[fill
in the blank]_____ - the answer is YES.
6. A very VERY
fast connection on a powerful and reliable Linux webserver. Your website will be in this big corporate Qwest bandwidth
building, right next to servers for sites like internet.com.
We have an OC-48 connection from our servers out to the internet. That's 48 times faster than a T3. That's 2.4
gigs a second. That's about 800 MP3 files in one second. What that really means is your website will come up lightning-fast.Your
fans will appreciate it. Your sound clips will play without stuttering. Your site itself will be much faster than
anyone's modem, no matter how many people are connected. The webserver itself is a Linux Cobalt RaQ. It's strong,
reliable, efficient, bug-free, and almost never goes down.
7. No setup
fee. First month is free so you can see if you like it. Not many details on this one. There's no fine print or
exceptions. We think you'll be VERY happy with hostbaby, so we'll get it all set up for you, and give you the first
month for free. If you like everything up to that point, you can start paying $20 / month the next month. You do
have to pay $10 to register your own domain name, if you don't have one already. Other than that, everything else
mentioned here is free! There will be no extra charge for all the extra musician features of hostbaby.
MUSICIAN section features: THE BEST PART
8. The REAL
mission of hostbaby: To give you musicians' most-needed tools, right on your own website. As I got my own webserver
for CD Baby, I started learning all the things you could do with it. I realized that all these things that other
companies ask you to do on THEIR websites, YOU can do on your OWN website. And wouldn't you rather keep your fans
on your own site, instead of sending them away to other sites filled with banner ads and things meant to distract
them? So - I'll be constantly configuring our webservers to let you do anything you want on your own website, and
not be dependent on other companies. (So far: tour calendars, mailing list managers, guestbooks, password-protected
MP3 files. If you have ideas for more, let us know!) EXAMPLE: Want a concert calendar? No problem! Emailing list
manager? Guestbook? Hit-counters? Password-protected MP3 files? All these things are ready-to-go on your own site.
9. Hostbaby
Musician Modules. NOTE: We're opening the doors to hostbaby a few weeks before the last of the modules are ready.
So if you're interested, let's get you set up with a basic site first, then add these special features in a few
weeks. All you'll need to do is add a few cut-n-paste lines into your HTML code to do anything below. Or we can
do it for you if you get stuck.
CONCERT CALENDAR: You have a private area on your site where you enter your upcoming concert dates. Then just stick
one line in your HTML code like "show_upcoming_dates" and voila! Your page shows your upcoming concert
dates in a pretty little customizable table. And since the website knows what day it is, it automatically moves
past your past dates into a "show_past_dates" page. (So you don't have to worry about updating all the
time.)
EMAIL LIST MANAGER: Instead of sticking everyone you know into the "CC:" field of your Outlook email
program, an email list manager on your site will let you email some or all of your contacts, using their name right
in the email itself. You can send announcements that say "Dear Bethany..." and "Dear Evan..."
instead of "Dear Fans and Friends...". And you keep your contacts safely on your own website, so you
can access them from anywhere on the road.
MAILING-LIST SIGNUP: No need to sit and struggle with forms and CGI scripts to do things with forms. We've got
it all done, and ready to put on your site in any way you'd like. Fans can fill out their info to be on your mailing
list. It can get emailed to you and auto-added to your email list (described above.)
CONCERT DIARIES: Coming soon: A true concert diary, updated on your site. Write up a few memoirs about each show
you do. Perhaps upload a few photos from the show. Fans that were there can talk in a bulletin board about that
show, or all your shows. Fans can even upload their own photos of the show.
MEMBER-ONLY MP3 DOWNLOADS: Ever wonder who's listening to the sound clips on your site? You can require people
to quickly fill out their email address and first name before downloading. They can't download your MP3 files (or
any file you choose) until they're authorized with a working email address.
HIT COUNTERS, GUESTBOOKS, MORE... More things like this to come soon. All on your own site, and totally customizable.
10. And of course
we'll always give you all the tools and knowledge we can, from one musician to another, to help you promote, design,
and run your site for maximum results. Can you imagine if everyone that visited your website signed up to your
mailing list, came to a show, and bought your CD? Since hostbaby is all about helping musicians have great websites,
we'll always give you all the tools and knowledge we can. Books, articles, examples, advice, etc...
CD Street
E-Commerce enable your site to SELL your music merchandise securely within 24 to 48 hours by joining cdstreet!
Sell your music, plus all your music-related merchandise through cdstreet.com:
CDs, T-Shirts, Caps Vinyl, Cassettes, VHS Tapes, DVDs -- All Your Swag! In addition, our basic service includes
a storefront in our site with customizable web pages.
Here's the BASIC Deal:
- Your URL: www.cdstreet.com/artists/name
- Sell as Many Different Products as you wish with no additional setup
fee.
- Take Visa, Mastercard, Discover, American Express and JCB
- Add/Remove Products and Change Prices at Will - No Cost
- You keep 80% of the sale, we keep 20%.
- Email notification of sale in realtime, same for buyers.
- We report barcoded item sales to SOUNDSCAN Each Week
- Simple online administration tools
- Offer buyers our 1-800 number for orders
- Get paid monthly for your net sales
- Manage the Entire Look and Feel of your cdstreet Artist page with a
full library of administrative tools and login options.
- Non-exclusive service agreement
We Ship Your Orders or You Can:
Its your choice. cdstreet ships every day of the week at no cost to you. Fast shipping makes buyers happy
Enable Secure Ordering for Your Site (optional & free):
We can provide code for you to place within your own website so that you can create your own custom cdstreet order
form in your own site. Purchases initiated from your site with this code go directly to the shopping cart and checkout.
No intermediate store page outside of your site like Amazon.
Buy-Buttons for your pages on other websites to sell your music.
These are easily added to your MP3.com pages or any other site where you wish to sell your wares.
Upgrade to Enhanced Cart Package:
For a one-time upgrade fee of $19.95, you can co-brand the entire cart ordering process, from "add cart"
to "checkout." Your logo and identity is prominently displayed in all shopping cart and checkout pages.
Indie Labels:
We now offer a multi-artist record label solution on cdstreet.com for a one-time setup fee of $24.95. With this
option, your label has unique cdstreet pages, and each artist has their own pages.
Label URL: www.cdstreet.com/labels/name
Label's Artist's URL: www.cdstreet.com/artists/name
Consolidated payments, accounting and management for labels
Releases and merchandise can be sold at label pages, site and from individual artist pages. With only cdstreet
Basic service, all is displayed on label page and site without individual identity for artists With the Multi-Artist
Label Solution, you have artist pages for each artist you manage.
MP3.com
What Does MP3.com Offer Artists and Labels?
A Non-Exclusive Agreement:
Digital artists retain control of their master recordings and can terminate the agreement at any time. We have
always been deeply dedicated to the artist community. We strive to create the best online experience for digital
artists and provide incentives to post their music on our site. Today, digital artists from all over the world
come to MP3.com to gain exposure and leverage our salesand marketing tools to generate revenue in a variety of
exciting ways.
Increased Exposure:
For digital artists, exposure to a global and local audience is secured through the natural boundless reach of
the Internet. We enhance their distribution and promotional power with artist web pages that provide the ability
to post songs and control the online image. Tools and services have been created that facilitate direct interaction
with an artist's growing fan base, allowing targeted messaging and opportunities to announce upcoming concerts
or new song releases.
With close to a million visitors accessing our site daily, MP3.com offers exceptional opportunities for digital
artists and recording labels to generate exposure and ultimately build profits. Digital artists are promoted in
Station pages, consumer newsletters, news articles, MP3.com promotional CDs and other MP3.com-related media.
FREE Artist Web Page and Unlimited Disk Space: All artists receive their own web page at no cost! Digital artists can add songs,
band logo, album graphics, band history, song lyrics, photo album, favorite music, links to their fan club and
more. Our simple, easy-to-use interface helps digital artists add songs and make changes in just seconds! Artist
sign-up Label sign-up.
Feature Compilations in Each Genre: We select various artists to be part of our online genre compilations. In addition, each
genre section on MP3.com has featured artists who change regularly. Check out our online store to see some of the
genre compilations we currently offer.
CD Program: A
fast, FREE way to make and sell CDs that puts a lot more control in the hands of artists! Produce an MP3/CD formatted
CD along with its online counterpart, the netCD, which loads instantly into your password-protected My.MP3 account.
Payback for Playback: Payback
for Playback is an exciting promotion that rewards members of the Premium Artist Service with cash, based on song
plays. In the two years of its existence, the promotion has continued to encourage Artists to promote their music
globally using a variety of tools at their disposal.
Premium Artist Service: Digital
artists already know MP3.com offers a broad range of free tools to help effectively market themselves. Now digital
artists you have the opportunity to enjoy even more tools and services signing up for Premium Artist Service.
Track Your Success Daily:
To hone these marketing and revenue-generating opportunities, we provide daily, detailed
statistics about web page visits, number of song listens and downloads, CDs sold and more to enable digital artists
to better define, evaluate and connect with their fan base.
Artist Tools and Services:
Music Greetings, advertising tools, MP3.com Messenger services, ticketing services, event planning and merchandising
services.
Music Licensing: Sign
up for MP3.com's Music Licensing service, a low-touch, searchable database system that enables MP3.com digital
artists to license their music for commercial use (films, radio, TV, web sites). This service offers music supervisors
one-stop "search, sample and license" capabilities.
Promo Auctions:
Eligible artists now have another cost-effective way to market their music and potentially earn a share of the
monies available in the Payback for Playback pool made available to them each month by MP3.com.
In much the same way that food distributors procure premium placement on store shelves, eligible artists and labels
who are seeking additional exposure on MP3.com are participating in an online auction process to secure high-visibility
positioning throughout MP3.com's web site. The Promo Auction process can be viewed by visiting www.mp3.com/auction.
Event Calendars: Keep
fans posted and drive people to shows and concerts with our free calendar service. Digital artists can add and
change their event dates to make sure audiences stay informed of when they are be coming to town. Invite them to
shows, notify them about tours, CD release parties and any other planned event.
Advocacy for Artists on the Internet: MP3.com has taken a leading role helping artists distribute and promote their music on
the Internet. We host the annual MP3 Summit and participate in numerous conferences and events promoting digital
music.
Amazon.com's Advantage For Music Program
Why Join?
The Power of the Internet's No. 1 Music Retailer
Amazon.com is the Internet's No. 1 retailer and has customers in all 50 U.S. states and more than 160 countries
around the world. The name Amazon.com is immediately recognized for service, reliability, and security.
Amazon.com is the No. 1 retailer on the Web according to PC Meter ratings (which measure audience reach much like
TV's Nielsen ratings). With so many people searching for music on our site, your CD is more likely to be discovered
by new fans.
Completely Free to Enroll--No Exclusive Contracts
There is absolutely no cost to join Amazon.com Advantage. The only thing you have to pay for is shipping your CDs
to us when we reorder. Plus, there are no exclusive agreements, so you aren't limited in how or where you market
and sell your music.
Get Your Own Web Page on Amazon.com--Just Like Major-Label Artists
When you join Advantage, you get your own Web page listed on Amazon.com alongside those for major-labelartists.
Your page includes track listings, cover art, customer reviews, liner notes, and more to attract and educate potential
customers who may not be familiar with your music.
When you have a Web page at Amazon.com, fans always know where they can buy your CD. Amazon.com is one of the most
recognized and trusted names on the Web. People know our reputation for security and customer service. Just say,
"Look for me on Amazon.com," and they'll be able to find you.
Upload MP3s to Help Sell CDs
With Amazon.com's Digital Music Network, you can upload MP3 tracks of your music for posting and free download
by Amazon.com's visitors. By putting free MP3 uploads of your music in front of millions of Amazon.com customers
every day, you're giving a passionate audience of music fans the chance to discover your sound--and to buy your
CD. To enter the Digital Music Network, click here.
Your songs can earn you money with the Amazon Honor System
The Amazon Honor System lets you collect tips from fans who listen to your free digital downloads. It's like playing
beside an open guitar case in the heart of the Amazon.com Music store. Set up an Amazon Honor System account and
start making money today.
Quick Shipping and Fulfillment
You want to catch fans when they're excited about your music. With Amazon.com Advantage, we keep your CDs in stock
at our distribution centers for fast shipping anywhere in the world, usually within 24 hours. It's been proven
that items available for immediate shipping sell more copies than ones that can't be shipped for
several weeks.
Cover Art, Track Listings and Liner Notes
On the Internet, information sells. The more a potential customer knows about your music and your CD, the more
likely they are to make a purchase. That's why Amazon.com Advantage gives you the ability to include track listings,
cover art, and liner notes on your page--all at no charge. We'll even scan your cover art for free! When a customer
comes to your page, they can see your CD cover, view your track listings, read the liner notes, and even read your
comments about the CD. These critical elements bring your CD to life on the Internet.
Make It Easier for Customers to Discover Your CD
You'll have two kinds of customers who purchase your CD from Amazon.com: 1) people who already know your music
and 2) people who are browsing our site for something new and cool. The people who know your music will type your
name or the title of your CD into our search engine and find you directly. The people who don't know you need to
be directed to your page. When you join Amazon.com Advantage, we classify your CD so that it qualifies to show
up on our Indie Music browse lists. Our Indie Music Store showcases new artists and independent labels to help
fans in search of the next big thing in music. We have hundreds of Indie Music browse lists, ranging from proto-punk
to classical to Christian to bebop jazz, so there's likely one that's perfect for your CD. Classifying your music
properly gives you the chance to stand out in your specific genre.
Online Sales and Inventory Reports
When you join Amazon.com Advantage, you get access to our secure server, which is updated daily with full sales
reports for all the titles you've enrolled in Amazon.com Advantage. It's a wealth of information that's simply
not available from other music stores.
You will be able to see:
- Unit sales last month
- Unit sales this month
- Current inventory
- Status of the last order that Amazon.com placed with you to replenish
our inventory
- Amount of your next payment
This information is updated daily, so you'll always know how your titles
are selling and how much Amazon.com owes you.
Automatic Reordering
When our inventory shows that we're running out of stock on your titles, our ordering software willautomatically
send you an e-mail requesting more copies. This way we can keep your CD on hand and available to "usually
ship within 24 hours." We continually adjust the number of copies we order from youbased on the recent sales
performance of your CD.
Easy Restocking and Hassle-Free Fulfillment
Making and promoting a great CD is time-consuming, hard work. So don't hassle with tedious details and chores such
as shipping, credit card fulfillment, phone calls, and packaging costs. Amazon.com takes care of it or you--completely
free of charge. Amazon.com serves the world, so you only have to restock one store to make sure all of your customers
can get your CD. When we start to sell out of your CD, we'll send you an e-mail requesting more. You mail the copies
to us and you're done!
Amazon.com saves you time that could be better spent on what you do best: making and marketing yourmusic.
Quick Payment Terms
With Amazon.com Advantage, payment to you is quick and easy. At the end of each month, Amazon.com automatically
sends you a check for the copies sold during the previous month. You don't even need to invoice us. Also, you can
always check online to see how your CDs are selling and how much we owe you.
Access to Our Marketing Resource Center
Amazon.com Advantage is a powerful marketing tool for the independent musician. And like most things, you get out
of it what you put into it. The more time and energy that you as an artist put into self-promotion, the more successful
you will be selling on Amazon.com. Advantage members can access our Marketing Resource Center, an online information
center for independent musicians, authors, and filmmakers. Inside you'll find information on everything from packaging
your CD for shipment to offline guerrilla marketing tactics to tips and success stories from Advantage members
who have succeeded in selling their music directly.
We also give you free information and expert assistance with manufacturing your CD through Disc Makers, our recommended
audio manufacturer.
Part 2...
……………………………..
So, there you go for this month. I have done a lot of work for you, as far as giving you 'from the horse's mouth'
what these web music distribution companies have to offer. Now, the real work begins. But remember, you must decide
which of these company's best suit your online music marketing needs. I am not recommending that use all of them.
Take it slow and easy at first and add a new Internet marketing company to your mix, as you feel comfortable doing
so.
I have been saying for years now that the Internet is the future for independent musicians. All I can do is try
to get you fired up about how many opportunities there are for you to promote your music. However, I have never
felt more confident about the power of the web to kick-start a music marketing campaign then I do now.
Please note, there are several other websites and companies that may help you get the word out about promoting
and selling your music over the Internet. www.muze.com, www.soundbuzz.com, and www.peoplesound.com (purchased by Vitaminic)
may be worth your while as well, but I concentrated on the sites I did, because they seemed to me to be the most
successful for indie musicians. If you find them useful…great.
If you would like some first-hand feedback from a musician who knows what companies are best at selling and promoting
music online, I would suggest you go check out David Nevue's website www.musicbizacademy.com . David
has been using many of these companies with various degrees of success, and he might be a good jumping off point
for deciding which company to try first.
Web marketing is only a part of your entire music marketing. Online activities must go hand in hand with your offline
touring, publicity, radio, and other distribution and sales activities in the 'analog' world. But I sincerely believe
that many of the companies I have introduced you to can go a long way to establishing and promoting you as a successful
entrepreneurial musician in this new millennium.
Let me know how things are going!
-----
Christopher Knab is an independent music business consultant based in Seattle, Washington. He
is available for private consultations on promoting and marketing independent music, and can be reached by email at: chris@chrisknab.net
Chris Knab's new book, 'Music Is Your Business'
is available NOW from the Music Biz Academy bookstore.
Visit the FourFront Media and
Music website for more information on the business of music from
Christopher Knab.
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