Demystifying Digital Music Distribution
It is primary for the modern-day creator to be in control of his/her work at every stage of their career. Today the music maker, also, needs to know how to make the music reach out to the audience far and wide. TuneCore India head Hina Kriplani is here to demystify Digital Distribution and offer golden tips for every creator and independent artist who wants to make his/her music big.
What in plain terms is the Digital Distribution of music today?
Music distribution in the modern age, primarily, is the process of bringing your song to the listener across platforms. Simply put, it is about making your song available on various music platforms like Apple, Jio Saavn, Spotify, and similar others.
What should an artist consider before deciding on choosing a distributor for his music?
An independent music maker should always be aware of the number of platforms his distributor can take his music to. This is very important. More the number larger the reach of the music. As a music creator, there is a need that before deciding on the distributor for your music, there should be complete clarity in your mind about the benefits accruing to you. As it stands, most music distributors are in touch with all the world’s leading music platforms and can help reach your music across the globe. What comes as a bonus to the Indian artist with platforms like TuneCore is that apart from being a DIY distributor model, we are also in complete sync with all of India’s leading platforms including Jio Saavan, Apple, Spotify, etc, and can help you reach your music to a wider audience. Apart from its reach, TuneCore offers 100% returns to the artist when their song plays across platforms without retaining any share for itself. The creator is, therefore, in total control of the revenue his/her song generates.
Can you throw light on the typical mistakes and the correct steps to be taken by a musician while distributing their music?
I consider the artist community as one of the bravest. You see it is very easy to criticize someone’s work as a listener. The one good thing about independent artists or music creators is that they are quick on the learning curve and are usually adept at using any tool that helps take their music ahead. I would like to say that an artist should be clear in his/her mind about their definition of success because success is different for different people. For some, it could be engaging with a fan, while for others, it could be about knowing how seriously or frequently their music evokes reactions and comments. An artist, for me, has to streamline their success profile. This will take them far in their career.
How should an artist plan his music release?
An independent artist who is responsible for producing and putting his/her music out should be able to objectively assess their creation at some point. They should see the music they make as a product. The entrepreneur in the music maker has to be evoked, once the creative process is done. You must, as a creator, having done with the production, put on the thinking cap of the businessman and plan about how your music is going to reach the maximum people. The checklist would include finding the right distributor to begin with. You should then be readying your EPK or the (Electronic Press Kit). This will have your pictures, links to your work and social media, your Career highlights, etc. Collaborating with fellow creators, music streaming platform management, and being readily available and interactive on social media is priceless. This is one way to expand your core fan base. You can avail of tools like Facebook which offers an independent artist program, explore Spotify for artists, YouTube for artists, and Apple for artists because once music plays on any of these platforms it is mapped back to you through your profiles. Conventional press, apart, music magazines, blogs come in handy and can help you grow as a creator. Try and make the best use of your regular contacts through your phone book along with all your business, personal and other associates to add muscle to your fan base.
Can you tell us how a song reaches a platform after it is mixed, mastered, and ready for release? Please elaborate on this process.
It is obvious that the independent creator wants to see his song playing across platforms everywhere in the world. The task may seem humongous but this actually is the easiest part of the whole puzzle.
The first step the independent artist, after recording his piece takes, is to narrow down on his digital distributor. Say for example you decide to go with TuneCore. By logging on to the site you go through a four-step process that first includes choosing whether your music is a single or an album. The next step is to fill in the metadata about the song in a detailed and the most accurate manner as this is permanent and can cause annoying problems if the wrong credits and song name are attributed to the creation. It may also eventually damage the revenue-generating potential of the song. Choosing a release date is also a critical aspect of distribution in music. It has to be done with some amount of planning rather than by instinct. This is so that you can maximize your available fan base through your social media and other ready resources. The next step is to select your artwork to upload which should be ready with you and as attractively designed as possible. Next in line is choosing the store for distributing your music. Ideally, an artist should choose all the available stores for distribution as it would definitely amplify his chances of spreading his web wider. You then proceed to the cart, pay, and are done with your process.
This in simple terms is what distributing your music is about. As you finish this, a couple of days will be the buffer between you getting a message from TuneCore that your tune is sent, which essentially means that your song is on its way. In case of any errors in the audio files, the artwork, or metadata ingestion, a Tune Core executive will help you make them good.
Singles or Albums what should be the right approach while distributing your music?
Actually, everything is left to the artist here. Singles or album release hardly matters in the long run. What is important is that an artist should try and get his stuff out into the market as early as possible. Sitting over your creation hardly helps.
How does an artist make his money through his distributor?
An artist must ensure that their music is distributed across platforms. Also, Indian artists must sign up with IPRS to get additional revenue. An artist must also sign up with platforms like YouTube and Facebook for monetization among others. Live programs, Brand affiliations, and Sync rights are some of the available avenues for the artist to amplify his/her earnings.
How do playlists work for an artist?
Playlists are very important and every artist should try getting play-listed. Ensuring that your music is available on all platforms, making an artist profile, and building your fan base is also a critical activity for the modern creator. Apart, from creating a fan base on the platform through your social media contacts this goes a long way in helping the creator get valuable exposure. It is also good to know that there are several playlists available on streaming platforms. As an independent artist, one should explore these sites and tell them about your music and the playlist you may be naturally suited for.
