Streaming is one of the most powerful tools to sell your music on iTunes or Spotify. For independent singers, songwriters and musicians, online music sales not only get your music but your name and your story out to listeners.

Gyro Stream
Sep 5, 2018 · 2 min read

Good news, but what are the tips and tricks for online music distribution?

How does it work and who are the best music distribution companies to sell your music both locally and globally?

Independent artists and labels already know that getting your music placed in digital stores like Apple Music, Spotify and Google Play is hard. They rely on a network of established record companies to deliver the majority of their content.

This is where online music distributors come in for indie musicians.

How Music Distributors Work

A digital music distribution service supplies music to a wide variety of online stores and services. Also called ‘aggregators’ digital music distributors are the link between musicians and the big streaming platforms. These streaming services prefer dealing with music distribution services for content delivery, but also have differing submission requirements. The tracks, formatting, editing and sales pitch that goes with a submission to iTunes differs for Spotify. Music aggregators have developed software systems to automate this process: they know the form and can deliver your music to a streaming service promptly.

Who are Music distributors?

Digital distributors include GYROstream, CD Baby, AWAL, Tunecore and Ditto Music. They receive music, deliver it to online stores, collect the revenue generated through streams and downloads, issue financial statements and pay the artist. Each aggregator offers different services so shop around for extra services available such as vinyl manufacture, PR services, musician’s insurance and synching and licensing.

Distributors makes money through either taking a flat fee from the artist for submitted content, or by taking a percentage of royalties on sales.

Things you should know

· Check out each music distributors website.

· Submission Criteria- most music distribution services are curated –they only accept certain kinds of music

· Is your distributor local? GYROstream is the only non-curated music distributor in Australia with local tech support.

· They should outline fees and charges and the % of royalties returned to the artist. Terms and conditions vary widely, so choose a distributor who can back you up with a reasonable marketing and PR plan when your release drops.

· The artist always owns copyright of the work and keeping the rights and 100% of your royalties is key.

· They’ll request you fill out a one sheet a form with basic info about your song, featured artists, release date, record label, genre etc.

· Delivery times-Aggregators have to streamline submission periods and some can be longer than four weeks from the desired date of release, others can deliver in under two weeks.