List of some of distribution channels hit today. SmartURL.IT is a really neat tool for musicians.
Overall, a bit of a mess with the process... But all's well that ends well? If I could do it over I certainly would change a few things. One is setting my launch date out one month or two or not setting one at all. So, what am I talking about?
At the end of August I looked into distribution companies. There are a lot of them out there and good reason to go with different ones.
Here is a great article that walks through the big ones out there.
Ari's Take: CD Baby, Tunecore, DistroKid, AWAL, Ditto...Who is the Best Digital Distribution Company for Music: This is the most comprehensive and accurate digital distribution review comparison piece on the web. By far.Now, I didn't find Ari's article until after I made my selection. But the reasons for me were the same, so no regrets here. For me I wanted broad distribution and not pay anything. Routenote is who I chose - although I am curious about Amuse too.
When I was first using Routenote I wanted to go as fast as possible, don't do that. I submitted my tracks, I mastered them in a day and was clipping. Stopping the process took another day and a few emails.
What Is Audio Clipping and Why Is It Important?
Did I learn? No. Once I got it stopped I remastered and resubmitted for two weeks. If you set your release date too soon - a couple weeks out, Routenote will blank the date and tell companies to release immediately - 4 weeks is the minimum. Apple is on the ball and picked up the EP on right away. I know most won't have this problem because who the hell tries to release an album within a few weeks? Well.. if you do and use Routenote this is important to keep in mind.
It is also important to allow time for marketing and promotions - so take your time. You do not need to spend money, use social media and other wonderful sites and resources out there - be curious and see what others are doing. Bandcamp has some wonderful hidden treasures and tools to build great sites. https://antsostriches.bandcamp.com/ Bandcamp is free and has fantastic articles.
There are some brilliant folks out there that offer up a lot of insight too. I found a great channel on YouTube for DIY musicians. MRSTEJ
What I would do differently.
- Set the release out two to three months or not at all.
- Write 3rd person bio articles.
- Be mindful on track placement - the songs that get downloaded most are the first song.
- My first song is not my best tune - I think it is the worst.
- Get more engaged. Be curious and take more time. Although being in a hurry is fun, it is more disastrous than productive.
- Make artwork vinyl ready. 12 x 12 inches - you can always scale down - not up.