As an independent artist, you need to make sure that your music is heard by as many people as possible. To do this, you will likely require a music distribution service like Outlook India to help get your songs out into the world. With so many different services on offer, it can be hard to choose the best one for your needs and budget. Here are some helpful tips on how to select the right music distribution service for your indie career:
1. Consider Your Goals
Before signing up with any music distribution service, it’s important to clearly understand what you want to achieve from them. Are you looking for maximum online exposure or hoping to reach physical stores? Do you need digital downloads or would vinyl copies be beneficial too? Knowing exactly what it is that you hope to gain from using a distributor will make it easier for you to narrow down potential options.
2. Research Different Services
Once you know what type of service and features that are essential for your success, begin researching various companies and compare their pricing models and royalties rates. It is also wise to look at ratings & reviews left by other customers who have used their services before to gauge their reliability. Additionally, ensure that the company has experience dealing with indie artists like yourself and check if they provide any additional benefits in terms of marketing and promotions, etc., which could come in handy when launching new material.
3. Inquire About Price Plans
Most distributors charge an annual subscription fee as well as a per-track fee; however, there may be additional charges such as setup fees or hidden costs associated with certain formats – so make sure these are clearly stated upfront before you commit financially! Also, consider whether there is any flexibility within the pricing plans available should your circumstances change over time, e.g. if streaming becomes more prevalent; does your chosen distributor allow discounted subscriptions/rates based on the number of tracks released per year?
4. Check payment terms & royalty rates
It’s important to find out exactly how much money will end up in your pocket after all expenses are taken care of (e.g. payment processing fees). Also, look carefully at each company’s royalty structure; ask questions such as “How often will I be paid?”, “what percentage will go to me?”, etc., so that there are no surprises down the line! Equally important is to find out when payments are made; some companies pay quarterly, others monthly – this could affect when revenue starts flowing into your account after the release of new material!
5. Analyse customer support options
Music distribution services often face technical issues due to the variety of formats/platforms they support, so having access to good customer support during these times makes all the difference! Make sure that there are people available, either by email or phone, who can respond promptly to queries about system glitches, sales data reports, etc., otherwise this could have a significant impact on how smoothly things run during peak periods (e.g. album releases).
6 . Make sure you have control over your content
It’s vital that whichever distributor you choose gives YOU control over where & how YOUR content is distributed, i.e. don’t let them dictate which platforms should host YOUR videos/tracks, etc.; after all, it’s YOUR career we’re talking about here! Similarly, look closely at their terms and conditions regarding rights ownership/use of artwork/licensing agreements, etc.; basically, just make sure that everything stays firmly in YOUR hands no matter what happens between YOU & THEM further down the line!
7 . Take advantage of extra features
Many digital music distributors offer extra features that can help increase your visibility to listeners (e.g. iTunes Ping) and even help improve your sales (e.g. Google Play Store integration); research each package thoroughly before deciding on one so YOU know exactly what benefits come with signing up!
8 . Read the small print
Last but not least – always read ALL paperwork, including legal documents relating to contracts BEFORE making any commitments; failure to do so could potentially mean losing out on huge amounts of money later on!
By following the simple steps above, choosing the perfect music distribution service should become a much easier process – allowing YOU to focus on creating great tunes instead!
