mp3 distributors

[Athar]

Who is the good one, tried and true MP3 distributor ?

Im looking for one at the moment for our label, which could you recommended ?

I heard most of digital distributors require extra pay to get access to beatport, is that true ?

any help really appreciated :yup:

[DannyBlack]

To be honest mate, I've never ventured down that path- but I think Juno Download, Chemical records, beat port, trackitdown.net and Beats digital would be the most popular.

[tonyc2002]

Who is the good one, tried and true MP3 distributor ?

Im looking for one at the moment for our label, which could you recommended ?

I heard most of digital distributors require extra pay to get access to beatport, is that true ?

any help really appreciated :yup:

Label Worx are pretty safe (in my opinion).

http://www.label-worx.com/

[djshiva]

Groovesource.com (http://www.groovesource.com/)

That site is still kinda new, and doesn't show their digital distro, but as far as I am aware they are still doing it.

[ORIS]

Label Worx are pretty safe (in my opinion).

Label Worx : Home (http://www.label-worx.com/)

Just signed up with them to distribute the Corrupt Systems releases.

So good so far! Nice team as well.

[Athar]

Label Worx are pretty safe (in my opinion).

Label Worx : Home (http://www.label-worx.com/)

They looks fair and very sensible

thx for the link mate! :wink:

[The_Laughing_Man]

Labelworx are pretty good.
New labels will need to provide more stuff for them now.
3 releases in advance, release schedule and I think they are wanting named remixes on labels starting with unknowns

Screw beatport though, their increasingly draconain measures are doing nothing to support underground music.
Pretty soon only the most commercial trash will be available there.

[teknonotice]

EPM Distribution UK or Believe Digital are also worth a look. or go direct to stores like chemical, TID, BD as above etc..although its loads work keep uploading the same release.

Failing thatTeknonotice Digital distributes via Believe Digital now and are more than happy to help any other labels or artists out with getting into all major stores..

[josito]

Hola!!Sorrry for my english, is very malo.
50lab(germany) was the best distributor I found, but::
the stores keep you around 60% of your downloads plus distributor´s 20%, is about 0.20€ you keep for each dowload. The store pay you quarterly (4 times a year) but normaly don´t pay until you have generated 50€ with your downloads. + some downloads (the firsts 20) are all the money for the store. You must promote your music everywhere, fighting with thousands of tracks on the same screen....
In the end of the year, if you are luky, you can keep some shit money, but thinkig a bit, you´ll see that all profit of your job is not for you. May be is not a crazy idea to press some vinyls and sell it on your own.
I learn lot of things reading this forum, I love it!! and for sure you´ll find here lot of people interested in to help you to do it.
Never is too later to do it.

[Darkmode]

Just signed up with them to distribute the Corrupt Systems releases.

So good so far! Nice team as well.



will they distribute the Corrupt Systems releases to beatport?

[vegim]

symphonicdistribution.com

[teknonotice]

Most distributors will tell you the following about beatport:

To all Beatport applicants, prior to the application process, and for our consideration:

To be accepted for Beatport distribution you must have 6 releases at the time of application this means 2 releases per month per quarter. If you are a label that has no market presence you will be required to distribute to all retailers in our network prior to your application being considered for beatport.com. Your performance information will be used to support Beatport’s evaluation process. Beatport will check social networks such as MySpace to be come aware of your brand and your ability to market your sound we suggest focusing on the following changes to your page if neede:

- Over 1000 MySpace Friends, Good amount of public views, and music player track hits.
- Marketing / Promotional information – Show Beatport that you are promoting where you are sold!
- Label bio and schedule – Let the world and Beatport know of what you have done in past, present, and future.
- A audio player with audio samples of tracks. (Please show your latest or past catalog.)
- Individual promotion of your releases. Their launch dates, and any special label events.

Beatport.com seeks for established labels willing to treat this as a serious business. As we state, consistency and label organization is key to success.

When completed with application follow steps below.

1. Please include a label logo in 600x600
2. Email this application to sales@symphonicdistribution.com


Teknonotice still aint on beatport and we have been told until we have a lot more releases (as we a new, unknown label) there is little point i n applying..

we have 2 residents that already sell on beatport - this makes no difference.

I dont however believe this is the be all and end all...its one store. with stores like djtunes.com and the like, Beatport need to start raising their game, IMO.

@josito: your absolutely right - its dam hard work!!

[teknonotice]

PS - the new teknonotice web site explains how we may help you distribute your music, to many stores, with just one push of the button.

Teknonotice Digital Records Features, articles, artist interviews, music technology reviews: (TDR) Digital DJ store and online label, for the digital DJ, MP3 download DJ teknonotice_digital_online_digital_record_store_re cord_label_home_page (http://www.teknonotice.com)


we also offering upto 70% sales rev - this is higher than going direct to Juno etc etc, who pay approx 50%. Label worx, has the highest commision as I understand, at 75% however I think you have to buy credits or make a certain threashold..

[crime]

Just out of interest, what kind of numbers are people who run digital labels here through these mp3 distributors are people managing to sell? It seems to me that this whole digital distribution thing is all a bit money for old rope - I mean, what physical product is there to distribute? it's like it's just about contacts and administration I guess, but even so, is anyone actually making enough out of a digital label not to have to work? cos I mean, if you're not, who are you really serving with your label financially? some middleman's meal ticket?

[tonyc2002]

Just out of interest, what kind of numbers are people who run digital labels here through these mp3 distributors are people managing to sell? It seems to me that this whole digital distribution thing is all a bit money for old rope - I mean, what physical product is there to distribute? it's like it's just about contacts and administration I guess, but even so, is anyone actually making enough out of a digital label not to have to work? cos I mean, if you're not, who are you really serving with your label financially? some middleman's meal ticket?

Good question.

Last quarter we sold over 200 downloads, which eqauted to about £100. Better than a kick in the nackers but on the greater scale of things, its **** all. Reward for me is seeing stuff on my label on the download stores and in the sales charts alongside stuff thats well established and to be honest, deep down, I never really expected this to be a serious money maker.

I setup the label for the challenge of trying to make music that would sell, gaining contacts, and making in-roads that would eventually lead to gigs etc..

Your right in that it is far simpler (and less risky) than having to press up CD's/vinyls but you still have to make an effort with regards to promotion. I've spent months (and cash) getting artwork done, setting up a website, setting up a professional mailing list etc...All of which helps to generate a more professional image. But I've enjoyed it!

Our next release has already got a little support from Anne Savage and Les Hemstock.

Just getting established DJ's to support what you do is reward enough for me.....at least, for now :)

[tonyc2002]

Just signed up with them to distribute the Corrupt Systems releases.

So good so far! Nice team as well.


Yeah, I've found them quite approachable with regards to questions or concerns. The LMS is quite neat too :)

[crime]

Good question.

I setup the label for the challenge of trying to make music that would sell, gaining contacts, and making in-roads that would eventually lead to gigs etc..

Your right in that it is far simpler (and less risky) than having to press up CD's/vinyls but you still have to make an effort with regards to promotion. I've spent months (and cash) getting artwork done, setting up a website, setting up a professional mailing list etc...All of which helps to generate a more professional image. But I've enjoyed it!

Our next release has already got a little support from Anne Savage and Les Hemstock.

Just getting established DJ's to support what you do is reward enough for me.....at least, for now :)

Do you really need to have your stuff in the online stores for established people to pick up on it? I mean, maybe I'm lucky that I've been doing my thing for years so I view it from that perspective but whenever I've done mp3 releases I'd be doing well if I sold 100 - now if I just give away my stuff for free thru my website & promotion thru facebook, Myspace & the like, I get 2000+ downloads -

I mean, maybe it works like that for me as I'm established and I've never put any serious effort into a Digital label, but as far as getting stuff to peoples ears, if I'm not going to make any money out of it anyway I might as well just give it away if it means I'll get 20x the amount of people listening to it- this is why I say, if you're selling say 100 downloads, and you have some people who have the contacts and do the groundwork to get this stuff on certain stores like beatport etc, I mean, fair enough for the hard work and everything but it does stink to me of a bit of a gentleman's club that isn't really in touch with the underground - more likely a bunch of people who don't have any musical talent but are very good at being the wheeler dealer and being the middle man -

I can't see how it will go on forever unless people are convinced that they are needed - distribution had a point when there was physical product to manufacture and shift around but as I say, seems a bit emperors new clothes to me these days - I can see the point maybe if you are just starting out, but surely you're going to get lost just as much in the sheer volume of stuff coming out these days thru the digital distributors as you would if you did it all yourself - it's never been so important to get a grass roots following through live performances & generally just being 2000x better than the next man as it is now....

[SlavikSvensk]

mark,

it's nice that you can take that route, as it benefits people who want your tracks greatly. but as you say, you are established. people will download your tracks, play them, and book you to play.

this is not something that non-established artists can count on, and must build through some sort of "institutional support." traditionally this would come from labels, but now that's all in flux.

so how does a newer, less established artist get his or her tracks out there? well, getting them on beatport, junodownload, itunes and onto various charts is one of the best of a set of bad options in today's broken techno business model.

[The_Laughing_Man]

send them to established labels?

[SlavikSvensk]

exactly :)

a non-established artist can't bust in by giving tracks away for free on his or her website. needs institutionalized channels to gain credibility. i.e. labels. different climate from before, but still important.

[crime]

mark,

it's nice that you can take that route, as it benefits people who want your tracks greatly. but as you say, you are established. people will download your tracks, play them, and book you to play.

this is not something that non-established artists can count on, and must build through some sort of "institutional support." traditionally this would come from labels, but now that's all in flux.

so how does a newer, less established artist get his or her tracks out there? well, getting them on beatport, junodownload, itunes and onto various charts is one of the best of a set of bad options in today's broken techno business model.

sorry, I still don't see how it's any better an option, whether you are established or not when your are just going to get lost in the sheer quantity of stuff out there - I'm established and I get lost in the sheer quantity of stuff that's coming out now - I think the fact of the matter is, the majority of people have got used to getting something for nothing - this is why live performance is more important than ever - anyway, was just a thought - yes, very nice for me that giving away a few things gets me more downloads than selling them, that's blindingly obvious - still doesn't stop me from having to work 9-5 now to pay the bills- that said, it's done wonders for artistic freedom not being tied into any financial model - I stand by what I said - Quality - and very original i should add - music is always going to count for much more than Promotion or getting certain djs playing your tunes...

[SlavikSvensk]

yeah, but how are people going to find someone who is new? they find you because you play out and have a lot of records out on established labels, which have in the past made an assessment of your work as of sufficient quality. rightly or wrongly, people still use labels to filter that quantity. i do it. if i see something with the mobilee label on it, i can be pretty sure it's the kind of minimal i like. i don't have unlimited time to go to everyone's website and listen to all their tracks critically. i might go to yours, but i already know who you are and what you are about, through your previous ties to labels i know and trust. :)

but i do agree with you that the "business model" is not really workable.

[MITA]

Check Feiyr.com - Load Up Your Music (http://www.feiyr.com/c/en/partner)

[MITA]

Anybody checked this :: i think music :: (http://www.ithinkmusic.com)
Easy way to sell directly from your site

[jon connor]

Label Worx are pretty safe (in my opinion).

Label Worx : Home (http://www.label-worx.com/)


cheers mate really helped that just sighened up

[Jay Pace]

a non-established artist can't bust in by giving tracks away for free on his or her website.

I think its a mix of both though.
The first noise network release we did has done over 1000 downloads. Thats infinitely more than most new artists could expect to sell, unless they get picked up by a huge label.

I think the "netlabel first, established label later" model has got some legs to it. Build up profile and develop your sound on free labels, migrate to established labels once you've developed your sound. Maybe launch your own label once you've built enough of a profile to pull it off.

Rushing to sell releases can limit your success. Starting out the big thing is to get heard and respected, not get paid. No point having music sit on a distribution server if nobody is buying it or hearing it.

[tonyc2002]

sorry, I still don't see how it's any better an option, whether you are established or not when your are just going to get lost in the sheer quantity of stuff out there - I'm established and I get lost in the sheer quantity of stuff that's coming out now - I think the fact of the matter is, the majority of people have got used to getting something for nothing - this is why live performance is more important than ever - anyway, was just a thought - yes, very nice for me that giving away a few things gets me more downloads than selling them, that's blindingly obvious - still doesn't stop me from having to work 9-5 now to pay the bills- that said, it's done wonders for artistic freedom not being tied into any financial model - I stand by what I said - Quality - and very original i should add - music is always going to count for much more than Promotion or getting certain djs playing your tunes...

Very true, however, its no good having the most amazing music in the world if no ones ever going to hear it. DJ's have always played a big part in the promotion of new music. The only difference between now and then is that its easier and cheaper to mass email a list of DJ's with links to high quality MP3's than it is to post 300 records.

I can totally see your argument though in the sense that absolutely anybody, with a little effort, can get there music onto a commercial store, regardless of the quality (I'm living proof of this). I would be the first to admit (swallowing pride here) that looking back, the first few tracks (1-3) we released could have been better and this was reflected in the sales reports. Further down the line our tracks are stronger and consequently, sales are up. Simple really...

Admittedly, if I demonstrated some patience, I would have planned things better in the beginning and not rush to upload stuff to the stores simply because I can...

But hey, you live and learn ;)

[crime]

Very true, however, its no good having the most amazing music in the world if no ones ever going to hear it. DJ's have always played a big part in the promotion of new music. The only difference between now and then is that its easier and cheaper to mass email a list of DJ's with links to high quality MP3's than it is to post 300 records.

I can totally see your argument though in the sense that absolutely anybody, with a little effort, can get there music onto a commercial store, regardless of the quality (I'm living proof of this). I would be the first to admit (swallowing pride here) that looking back, the first few tracks (1-3) we released could have been better and this was reflected in the sales reports. Further down the line our tracks are stronger and consequently, sales are up. Simple really...

Admittedly, if I demonstrated some patience, I would have planned things better in the beginning and not rush to upload stuff to the stores simply because I can...

But hey, you live and learn ;)

of course you have to get your stuff out there- the thing is though there are a so many people spamming about their second rate trax to the point where more established people, DJs, whatever switch off - I don't bother to check 90% of stuff that comes my way via myspace spam - this is why I say, you're better off having a solid residency, some vinyl releases if you're going to get anywhere - and if you're really good enough you WILL get somewhere - just right now there are a lot of second rate wannabee "producers" who can't see that their trax are run of the mill and second rate, and in the long run will actually turn off the audiences more and more as people start to think that it's ALL shit out there - and then miss the good stuff as a result..