Sell Your Music Online
By Christopher Knab - Fourfront Media & Music - October 2002

Don't say I never did anything for you!

You are about to read about websites that help you sell your music. I spent hours researching this data so that you can have one reference source for the dozen plus sites that help. Over a dozen websites will be presented to you, so you can examine which sites are best for your circumstances when it comes to getting your music to the people.

Every day, web-based music companies are developing programs to help you market and sell your independently released CDs and music files You will have to stay on top of the many changes and improvements these sites come up with, but this is a great starter kit for you to examine selling opportunities on the web. What I have done is visit each of the sites listed, and copied and pasted into this document, in their own words, what these companies have to offer you. The information I have assembled is not a 'review' of who does what the best. The success you have working with any of these companies is up to you, and how you work within their various business structures.

Many of these companies offer their services for free, others ask for reasonable fees for more elaborate music marketing plans. You will find here sites that help you sell your traditional CD, as well as ways for you to promote and circulate your MP3 files.

All I have done is assemble into one place a summary of these site's own descriptions of what they have to offer independent recording artists. Check 'em out, a whole world of opportunities awaits you.

CDBaby.com: Who/What Are We?

• CD Baby is a little online record store that sells CDs by independent musicians.
• [Independent: (adj.) Not having sold one's life, career, and creative works over to a corporation.]
• We're just a few people in a cool Portland, Oregon, CD warehouse that looks like a playground. We listen to every CD we sell before we sell it, so we can help you find other albums you'll like.
• We only sell CDs that come directly from the musicians. No distributors. Musicians send us CDs. We warehouse them, sell them to you, and pay the musicians directly.
• Cool thing: in a regular record deal or distribution deal, musicians only make $1-$2 per CD, if they ever get paid by their label. When selling through CD Baby, musicians make $6-$12 per CD, and get paid weekly.
• In business since March 1998. We're the 2nd-largest seller of independent CDs on the web, 2nd only to Amazon.
• Current Numbers:
• 25,116 artists sell their CD at CD Baby.
• 292,495 CDs sold online to customers.
• $1,949,539.35 paid to artists.

CD Baby Privacy Policy

• We NEVER give or sell your personal info to any other company - EVER! (No not even your email address!)
• Only the musician whose CD you buy will know who you are.
• If you don't even want the musician to know about you, just say so at the bottom of your order form.
• Your credit card info is never stored, and never seen by anyone. We don't store it in your permanent customer info. The card number is erased immediately after the sale, for extra protection. There is nothing of yours here to steal.
• Yes this means you'll have to type your card number again when you return, but we hope you appreciate the extra safety and privacy it gives you.

Tech things

• Our servers are running 100% OpenBSD - the world's most secure operating system. Powered by Apache, PHP, and MySQL.
• No Microsoft products were used in the creation of this website.
• Full 128-bit secure SSL connection protects all of your private information from snooping eyes. Our secure certificate issued by Thawte - a division of Verisign.
• We try to stay HTML 4.0 compliant. No special web browser needed. (I recommend the Opera and Mozilla web browsers for their speed and standards.)
• CD Baby website (front end and back end) made by me - Derek Sivers. It's my favorite hobby.

Most important of all...

• You can reach us during Pacific west-coast business hours at (503)595-3000 or email cdbaby@cdbaby.com anytime.

Garageband.com and CD Baby
(Note: You can obviously deal directly with Cdbaby.com if you prefer…CK)

Garageband Records has partnered with CDBaby.com so you can sell your CDs to hundreds of thousands of music lovers around the world. First you need to register or log in then we can begin. It costs just $35 per CD to register. You can sell your CDs for any price, and you'll keep 100% of the earnings minus a $4 processing charge per CD (all prices $US). So you'll be making clean profit after you've sold just five CDs at $10 each. You can do that easily, right?

1. Get some CDs together. Looking for a good CD mastering service? garageband.com artists get 20% discount at Airshow Mastering on a Master Media package. Need some CDs duplicated? garageband.com artists get a $50 discount at Oasis
Duplication when they purchase a single speed glass cutting.

2. First you need to register or log in then we can begin. We'll create a custom "Album Profile" page for you at garageband.com and CDBaby.com. You can enter your sleeve notes, and select the tracks on your album that are also on garageband.com. You can link to this page from your own website, so all your visitors can buy your CDs.

3. Set a price for your CD. We recommend a maximum price of $10 (because that's the price of most big label debut CDs) but you can set whatever price you want ($4 minimum). You get 100% of the selling price less a $4 processing charge for every sale.

For example:
CD Selling Price What you get
$10 $6
$9 $5
$8 $4
$7 $3
$6 $2
$5 $1


4. You mail at least 5 CDs to CDBaby.com's warehouse, and make a payment of $35.

5. CDBaby scans your album's cover art for display on your album profile page.

6. We promote and sell your CD at garageband.com.

7. People buy your CD.

8. CDBaby handles all credit card transactions, fulfills all orders within 24 hours, and notifies you via email once every transaction is complete.

9. CDBaby mails checks to you. (You can decide how often they send you checks, of $20 or more).

10. You earn millions, run away with Jennifer Lopez, develop a Godzilla-sized drug habit, lose track of the plot, dump Lopez for an aardvark and spend the next forty years living under an abandoned trampoline.*

First you need to register or log in then we can begin.

(*Important note: Step 10 optional).


Hostbaby.com
(spinoff of Cdbaby.com)

For $20/month you get...

Basic Features:

1. You can register and own your own domain name (www.yourname.com) for only $20 instead of the usual $70. As long as you're out there promoting your music and your website, you should own it! It's not just for vanity. It's for permanence. So you'll have the same web address even 10 years from now. So - pick a domain name, and we'll register it for you for only $20! We worked out a quantity deal. Instead of the $70 it would cost to do it yourself, it's just $20 per year. And yes YOU own it, not us. To find one that's available, go to Network Solutions and try 'em out! But don't register it there. Just do your research there. When you find which one you want, let us know, and we'll take care of the rest. If you already have a working website somewhere, we'll be glad to transfer it over for you to your new home.

2. We can transfer your exisiting website easily, with no interruption.
Whether you registered your domain name yourself, or someone registered it for you, we'll be glad to do the technical stuff to move it over to hostbaby. We can even do an instant clone of your old site on to your new one, so that there will be no interruption at all, and you won't have to re-upload everything. Since everyone's situation is different, just email us with your domain name, and any other info, and let us know what you'd like to do

3. You get 200 megs of web space to do whatever you want. You're in total control of it. That's enough for TONS of MP3 files, photos, RealAudio, even video clips. You'll have total control over it. You can FTP upload (and download) anything you want there.

4. Endless permanent email addresses like you@yourname.com - so you'll never have to change your email address again. You know what a drag it is to change your email address, especially as you're out promoting your music. Liner notes on your CD, reviews in magazines.... These things are going to be around for years, so what you really need is a permanent email address. When you own your own domain name, you keep your email address no matter where you go. You can drop AOL, switch to cable modem, switch to sattellite, switch to gamma-ray access in the year 2053, and your email address will STILL be you@yourname.com. (even if you leave hostbaby.com - your name is yours!) You can give an endless amount of private email accounts for friends, or different aspects of your business. (Example: you@yourname.com, junklist@yourname.com, bookings@yourname.com, guitarist@yourname.com) And you don't need our help or permission to do this. You'll be in control of your own account to do whatever you want. These are *real* personal private POP3 Email accounts. Not web-email like Hotmail. Real email that you can check in powerful email programs like Eudora and Outlook Express.

5. Streaming RealAudio and MP3. CGI scripts. The works. Your website can now do any fancy stuff you ever dreamed of. If you've worked with some other web-hosting companies, you know that whenever you want to do something cool, they either tell you, you can't do it, or they try to charge you extra. At hostbaby you can do CGI scripts, streaming RealAudio, FrontPage extensions, telnet, FTP server, server-side includes, forms, counters - ANYTHING.
(Ok - anything except Microsoft-only things like Access and ASP. We only use Linux servers, no Microsoft. But we can do Microsoft FrontPage extensions.) So, in short, if you're wondering if your new website can do ______[fill in the blank]_____ - the answer is YES.

6. A very VERY fast connection on a powerful and reliable Linux webserver. Your website will be in this big corporate Qwest bandwidth building, right next to servers for sites like internet.com.
We have an OC-48 connection from our servers out to the internet. That's 48 times faster than a T3. That's 2.4 gigs a second. That's about 800 MP3 files in one second. What that really means is your website will come up lightning-fast.Your fans will appreciate it. Your sound clips will play without stuttering. Your site itself will be much faster than anyone's modem, no matter how many people are connected. The webserver itself is a Linux Cobalt RaQ. It's strong, reliable, efficient, bug-free, and almost never goes down.

7. No setup fee. First month is free so you can see if you like it. Not many details on this one. There's no fine print or exceptions. We think you'll be VERY happy with hostbaby, so we'll get it all set up for you, and give you the first month for free. If you like everything up to that point, you can start paying $20 / month the next month. You do have to pay $10 to register your own domain name, if you don't have one already. Other than that, everything else mentioned here is free! There will be no extra charge for all the extra musician features of hostbaby.

MUSICIAN section features: THE BEST PART

8. The REAL mission of hostbaby: To give you musicians' most-needed tools, right on your own website. As I got my own webserver for CD Baby, I started learning all the things you could do with it. I realized that all these things that other companies ask you to do on THEIR websites, YOU can do on your OWN website. And wouldn't you rather keep your fans on your own site, instead of sending them away to other sites filled with banner ads and things meant to distract them? So - I'll be constantly configuring our webservers to let you do anything you want on your own website, and not be dependent on other companies. (So far: tour calendars, mailing list managers, guestbooks, password-protected MP3 files. If you have ideas for more, let us know!) EXAMPLE: Want a concert calendar? No problem! Emailing list manager? Guestbook? Hit-counters? Password-protected MP3 files? All these things are ready-to-go on your own site.

9. Hostbaby Musician Modules. NOTE: We're opening the doors to hostbaby a few weeks before the last of the modules are ready. So if you're interested, let's get you set up with a basic site first, then add these special features in a few weeks. All you'll need to do is add a few cut-n-paste lines into your HTML code to do anything below. Or we can do it for you if you get stuck.

CONCERT CALENDAR: You have a private area on your site where you enter your upcoming concert dates. Then just stick one line in your HTML code like "show_upcoming_dates" and voila! Your page shows your upcoming concert dates in a pretty little customizable table. And since the website knows what day it is, it automatically moves past your past dates into a "show_past_dates" page. (So you don't have to worry about updating all the time.)

EMAIL LIST MANAGER: Instead of sticking everyone you know into the "CC:" field of your Outlook email program, an email list manager on your site will let you email some or all of your contacts, using their name right in the email itself. You can send announcements that say "Dear Bethany..." and "Dear Evan..." instead of "Dear Fans and Friends...". And you keep your contacts safely on your own website, so you can access them from anywhere on the road.

MAILING-LIST SIGNUP: No need to sit and struggle with forms and CGI scripts to do things with forms. We've got it all done, and ready to put on your site in any way you'd like. Fans can fill out their info to be on your mailing list. It can get emailed to you and auto-added to your email list (described above.)

CONCERT DIARIES: Coming soon: A true concert diary, updated on your site. Write up a few memoirs about each show you do. Perhaps upload a few photos from the show. Fans that were there can talk in a bulletin board about that show, or all your shows. Fans can even upload their own photos of the show.

MEMBER-ONLY MP3 DOWNLOADS: Ever wonder who's listening to the sound clips on your site? You can require people to quickly fill out their email address and first name before downloading. They can't download your MP3 files (or any file you choose) until they're authorized with a working email address.

HIT COUNTERS, GUESTBOOKS, MORE... More things like this to come soon. All on your own site, and totally customizable.

10. And of course we'll always give you all the tools and knowledge we can, from one musician to another, to help you promote, design, and run your site for maximum results. Can you imagine if everyone that visited your website signed up to your mailing list, came to a show, and bought your CD? Since hostbaby is all about helping musicians have great websites, we'll always give you all the tools and knowledge we can. Books, articles, examples, advice, etc...


CD Street
E-Commerce enable your site to SELL your music merchandise securely within 24 to 48 hours by joining cdstreet! Sell your music, plus all your music-related merchandise through cdstreet.com: CDs, T-Shirts, Caps Vinyl, Cassettes, VHS Tapes, DVDs -- All Your Swag! In addition, our basic service includes a storefront in our site with customizable web pages.

Here's the BASIC Deal:

• Your URL: www.cdstreet.com/artists/name
• Sell as Many Different Products as you wish with no additional setup fee.
• Take Visa, Mastercard, Discover, American Express and JCB
• Add/Remove Products and Change Prices at Will - No Cost
• You keep 80% of the sale, we keep 20%.
• Email notification of sale in realtime, same for buyers.
• We report barcoded item sales to SOUNDSCAN Each Week
• Simple online administration tools
• Offer buyers our 1-800 number for orders
• Get paid monthly for your net sales
• Manage the Entire Look and Feel of your cdstreet Artist page with a full library of administrative tools and login options.
• Non-exclusive service agreement

We Ship Your Orders or You Can:
Its your choice. cdstreet ships every day of the week at no cost to you. Fast shipping makes buyers happy

Enable Secure Ordering for Your Site (optional & free):
We can provide code for you to place within your own website so that you can create your own custom cdstreet order form in your own site. Purchases initiated from your site with this code go directly to the shopping cart and checkout. No intermediate store page outside of your site like Amazon.

Buy-Buttons for your pages on other websites to sell your music.
These are easily added to your MP3.com pages or any other site where you wish to sell your wares.

Upgrade to Enhanced Cart Package:
For a one-time upgrade fee of $19.95, you can co-brand the entire cart ordering process, from "add cart" to "checkout." Your logo and identity is prominently displayed in all shopping cart and checkout pages.

Indie Labels:
We now offer a multi-artist record label solution on cdstreet.com for a one-time setup fee of $24.95. With this option, your label has unique cdstreet pages, and each artist has their own pages.

Label URL: www.cdstreet.com/labels/name
Label's Artist's URL: www.cdstreet.com/artists/name

Consolidated payments, accounting and management for labels
Releases and merchandise can be sold at label pages, site and from individual artist pages. With only cdstreet Basic service, all is displayed on label page and site without individual identity for artists With the Multi-Artist Label Solution, you have artist pages for each artist you manage.


MP3.com
What Does MP3.com Offer Artists and Labels?

A Non-Exclusive Agreement: Digital artists retain control of their master recordings and can terminate the agreement at any time. We have always been deeply dedicated to the artist community. We strive to create the best online experience for digital artists and provide incentives to post their music on our site. Today, digital artists from all over the world come to MP3.com to gain exposure and leverage our sales and marketing tools to generate revenue in a variety of exciting ways.

Increased Exposure: For digital artists, exposure to a global and local audience is secured through the natural boundless reach of the Internet. We enhance their distribution and promotional power with artist web pages that provide the ability to post songs and control the online image. Tools and services have been created that facilitate direct interaction with an artist's growing fan base, allowing targeted messaging and opportunities to announce upcoming concerts or new song releases.

With close to a million visitors accessing our site daily, MP3.com offers exceptional opportunities for digital artists and recording labels to generate exposure and ultimately build profits. Digital artists are promoted in Station pages, consumer newsletters, news articles, MP3.com promotional CDs and other MP3.com-related media.

FREE Artist Web Page and Unlimited Disk Space: All artists receive their own web page at no cost! Digital artists can add songs, band logo, album graphics, band history, song lyrics, photo album, favorite music, links to their fan club and more. Our simple, easy-to-use interface helps digital artists add songs and make changes in just seconds! Artist sign-up Label sign-up.

Feature Compilations in Each Genre: We select various artists to be part of our online genre compilations. In addition, each genre section on MP3.com has featured artists who change regularly. Check out our online store to see some of the genre compilations we currently offer.

CD Program: A fast, FREE way to make and sell CDs that puts a lot more control in the hands of artists! Produce an MP3/CD formatted CD along with its online counterpart, the netCD, which loads instantly into your password-protected My.MP3 account.

Payback for Playback: Payback for Playback is an exciting promotion that rewards members of the Premium Artist Service with cash, based on song plays. In the two years of its existence, the promotion has continued to encourage Artists to promote their music globally using a variety of tools at their disposal.

Premium Artist Service: Digital artists already know MP3.com offers a broad range of free tools to help effectively market themselves. Now digital artists you have the opportunity to enjoy even more tools and services signing up for Premium Artist Service.

Track Your Success Daily: To hone these marketing and revenue-generating opportunities, we provide daily, detailed
statistics about web page visits, number of song listens and downloads, CDs sold and more to enable digital artists to better define, evaluate and connect with their fan base.

Artist Tools and Services: Music Greetings, advertising tools, MP3.com Messenger services, ticketing services, event planning and merchandising services.

Music Licensing: Sign up for MP3.com's Music Licensing service, a low-touch, searchable database system that enables MP3.com digital artists to license their music for commercial use (films, radio, TV, web sites). This service offers music supervisors one-stop "search, sample and license" capabilities.

Promo Auctions: Eligible artists now have another cost-effective way to market their music and potentially earn a share of the monies available in the Payback for Playback pool made available to them each month by MP3.com.

In much the same way that food distributors procure premium placement on store shelves, eligible artists and labels who are seeking additional exposure on MP3.com are participating in an online auction process to secure high-visibility positioning throughout MP3.com's web site. The Promo Auction process can be viewed by visiting www.mp3.com/auction.

Event Calendars: Keep fans posted and drive people to shows and concerts with our free calendar service. Digital artists can add and change their event dates to make sure audiences stay informed of when they are be coming to town. Invite them to shows, notify them about tours, CD release parties and any other planned event.

Advocacy for Artists on the Internet: MP3.com has taken a leading role helping artists distribute and promote their music on the Internet. We host the annual MP3 Summit and participate in numerous conferences and events promoting digital music.

Amazon.com's Advantage For Music Program

Why Join?

The Power of the Internet's No. 1 Music Retailer
Amazon.com is the Internet's No. 1 retailer and has customers in all 50 U.S. states and more than 160 countries around the world. The name Amazon.com is immediately recognized for service, reliability, and security.

Amazon.com is the No. 1 retailer on the Web according to PC Meter ratings (which measure audience reach much like TV's Nielsen ratings). With so many people searching for music on our site, your CD is more likely to be discovered by new fans.

Completely Free to Enroll--No Exclusive Contracts
There is absolutely no cost to join Amazon.com Advantage. The only thing you have to pay for is shipping your CDs to us when we reorder. Plus, there are no exclusive agreements, so you aren't limited in how or where you market and sell your music.

Get Your Own Web Page on Amazon.com--Just Like Major-Label Artists
When you join Advantage, you get your own Web page listed on Amazon.com alongside those for major-labelartists. Your page includes track listings, cover art, customer reviews, liner notes, and more to attract and educate potential customers who may not be familiar with your music.

When you have a Web page at Amazon.com, fans always know where they can buy your CD. Amazon.com is one of the most recognized and trusted names on the Web. People know our reputation for security and customer service. Just say, "Look for me on Amazon.com," and they'll be able to find you.

Upload MP3s to Help Sell CDs
With Amazon.com's Digital Music Network, you can upload MP3 tracks of your music for posting and free download by Amazon.com's visitors. By putting free MP3 uploads of your music in front of millions of Amazon.com customers every day, you're giving a passionate audience of music fans the chance to discover your sound--and to buy your CD. To enter the Digital Music Network, click here.

Your songs can earn you money with the Amazon Honor System
The Amazon Honor System lets you collect tips from fans who listen to your free digital downloads. It's like playing beside an open guitar case in the heart of the Amazon.com Music store. Set up an Amazon Honor System account and start making money today.

Quick Shipping and Fulfillment
You want to catch fans when they're excited about your music. With Amazon.com Advantage, we keep your CDs in stock at our distribution centers for fast shipping anywhere in the world, usually within 24 hours. It's been proven that items available for immediate shipping sell more copies than ones that can't be shipped for
several weeks.

Cover Art, Track Listings and Liner Notes
On the Internet, information sells. The more a potential customer knows about your music and your CD, the more likely they are to make a purchase. That's why Amazon.com Advantage gives you the ability to include track listings, cover art, and liner notes on your page--all at no charge. We'll even scan your cover art for free! When a customer comes to your page, they can see your CD cover, view your track listings, read the liner notes, and even read your comments about the CD. These critical elements bring your CD to life on the Internet.

Make It Easier for Customers to Discover Your CD
You'll have two kinds of customers who purchase your CD from Amazon.com: 1) people who already know your music and 2) people who are browsing our site for something new and cool. The people who know your music will type your name or the title of your CD into our search engine and find you directly. The people who don't know you need to be directed to your page. When you join Amazon.com Advantage, we classify your CD so that it qualifies to show up on our Indie Music browse lists. Our Indie Music Store showcases new artists and independent labels to help fans in search of the next big thing in music. We have hundreds of Indie Music browse lists, ranging from proto-punk to classical to Christian to bebop jazz, so there's likely one that's perfect for your CD. Classifying your music properly gives you the chance to stand out in your specific genre.

Online Sales and Inventory Reports
When you join Amazon.com Advantage, you get access to our secure server, which is updated daily with full sales reports for all the titles you've enrolled in Amazon.com Advantage. It's a wealth of information that's simply not available from other music stores.

You will be able to see:

• Unit sales last month
• Unit sales this month
• Current inventory
• Status of the last order that Amazon.com placed with you to replenish our inventory
• Amount of your next payment

This information is updated daily, so you'll always know how your titles are selling and how much Amazon.com owes you.

Automatic Reordering
When our inventory shows that we're running out of stock on your titles, our ordering software willautomatically send you an e-mail requesting more copies. This way we can keep your CD on hand and available to "usually ship within 24 hours." We continually adjust the number of copies we order from you based on the recent sales performance of your CD.

Easy Restocking and Hassle-Free Fulfillment
Making and promoting a great CD is time-consuming, hard work. So don't hassle with tedious details and chores such as shipping, credit card fulfillment, phone calls, and packaging costs. Amazon.com takes care of it or you--completely free of charge. Amazon.com serves the world, so you only have to restock one store to make sure all of your customers can get your CD. When we start to sell out of your CD, we'll send you an e-mail requesting more. You mail the copies to us and you're done!

Amazon.com saves you time that could be better spent on what you do best: making and marketing yourmusic.

Quick Payment Terms
With Amazon.com Advantage, payment to you is quick and easy. At the end of each month, Amazon.com automatically sends you a check for the copies sold during the previous month. You don't even need to invoice us. Also, you can always check online to see how your CDs are selling and how much we owe you.

Access to Our Marketing Resource Center
Amazon.com Advantage is a powerful marketing tool for the independent musician. And like most things, you get out of it what you put into it. The more time and energy that you as an artist put into self-promotion, the more successful you will be selling on Amazon.com. Advantage members can access our Marketing Resource Center, an online information center for independent musicians, authors, and filmmakers. Inside you'll find information on everything from packaging your CD for shipment to offline guerrilla marketing tactics to tips and success stories from Advantage members who have succeeded in selling their music directly.


Vitaminic.com
Vitaminic helps you discover new music groups who have chosen to put their music out on the Internet in MP3 format and you can get in touch with them. The Vitaminic directory is compiled in order of musical genre and it gives you some information about the band or artist together with some links so that you can listen to their music. If you don't know about MP3 and want to find out more, have a look at the section that explains where to start. In the Software section, you'll find programs you can use to listen to, create, and manage music for the Internet. In the hardware section you'll find a description of all the new equipment for playing back MP3 music. As well as the directory on the Vitaminic site, you'll also find the charts with the tracks most often downloaded, interviews and special reports about musical events. The News area contains all the latest about MP3 digital music. To get all the latest news about the site, just sign up for the Vitaminic Newsletter.

If you're a musician, Backstage is the area reserved for those who produce music and wish to transmit it and sell it online. With Vitaminic, any band or artist can now sell their music. All you need is a computer linked up to the Internet. If you register with Backstage, you can create your own pages, upload your tracks and sell them over the Internet.

Backstage Services
What can I do Backstage? Here's a list of services for all those who play music. Keep an eye on it because there'll be new ones all the time:

Registration in the directory.
Choose which category you want to be in, introduce your band, upload at least one promotional track you want to broadcast free of charge to Vitaminic users and your band will be included in the Vitaminic directory.

Your band's homepage.
You can create a page, putting in information about your band, including biographies, your logo, pictures, members, anything you need to introduce yourselves and describe your music.

Promotion.
You can also include a sentence and a picture which will be shown at the top of the homepage and on the top-level pages of the musical categories, in order to increase your band's visibility.

Broadcast and sale of music.
You can upload your band's tracks so that they can be transmitted in RealAudio. Visitors to the site will be able to download them in MP3. For each track, you decide how you want to distribute them: promo, protected or for sale. A promo track can be heard and downloaded free of charge by visitors to the site; a protected track is like a promo but you need to register with the band's fanzine if you want to download it. You can also sell the tracks: you decide the price.

Site statistics.
You can check to see how your Vitaminic page is getting on: transmissions, downloads and sales.

Translation of your information.
Vitaminic wants you to increase your popularity abroad: just translate your information, and we'll put it onto the fast-growing Vitaminic web sites all around Europe.


IUMA.com
Is their a relationship be between IUMA and Vitaminic?

On March 23, 2001, IUMA was purchased by Vitaminic. As a result, we were able to re-hire the core staff, re-launch the IUMA web site, and continue doing what IUMA does best: providing the best resource destination on the web for unsigned artists to promote their music.

Vitaminic is the leading digital music distributor in Europe, with relationships with hundreds of labels and almost 25,000 signed and
unsigned artists. Over the next few months, we'll work to figure out the best ways for our communities to work together. In general, IUMA artists can look forward to greater promotional coverage over in Europe, as well as closer contact with the large number of the labels in the Vitaminic label network. Stay tuned for more details!

The one place to post your music where actual musicians are watching out for you - not weasels watching the numbers. You have your own URL with your band name first. And a custom web page where you can post all your band info and MP3s, sell CDs, create message boards, fan lists, and of course, get e-mail from your fans - all Free.

The IUMA mission is simple - for every artist with a record deal, on FM radio, or in Tower Records - there are a thousand talented artists chasing that dream and a million new music fans who will never get to hear their music. We're changing all that - bringing these artists and fans together, getting the music out and giving new music fans a cool new way to discover new music.

Using the site is easy. Go to the home page, find a genre of music you like, and start listening to new music. You can sample it in Real Audio and then pull the MP3s when you find something you like. You can also visit Artist's IUMA web site and interact with the artist through email and message boards. If you've got work to do, we suggest you launch IUMA Radio and let your favorite genre play in the background while you work.

At the heart of it all, IUMA is about letting the music speak for itself, and letting the artist speak directly to their fans. We remain committed to the independent musician and will continue to bring you the future of music.

For now, IUMA and Vitaminic will continue to run as separate web sites. However, as we integrate with Vitaminic over the next several months, we expect to be able to offer IUMA artists greater European exposure through the Vitaminic network.


Starpolish.com
Q: I am a StarPolish artist, and see all of these great artists being featured on the site. How can I be one of those artists?

A: Currently, there are 3 ways to be featured on the site, all of them begin with making sure you are indeed signed up as a StarPolish Artist, which is free and easy, and have properly created your artist page (start at www.starpolish.com/account). At that point, you will have access to these 3 outlets:

a) The Buzzing Artist section, within the Features section and also at Buzz. To be a Buzzing Artist, you must submit a success story (that hopefully capitalizes on advice you learned from StarPolish, but isn't limited to such instances) to mybuzz@starpolish.com. Two artists are chosen per month for this section, and the winners and their stories will also be featured to our A&R and Attorney Panels for consideration.

b) The Critics Corner/Discover Music section on the homepage and within the artist section. All StarPolish artists may be reviewed at any time by any of our critics, but to better your chances you should write them an email personally, and explain why and where you should be reviewed. Do not list links to mp3.com or other sites, make sure your music is available on StarPolish. The critics who wish to be emailed list their email addresses on their profile page.

c) The CD Store. To be featured here, you must be selling your CD through the StarPolish store. If you would like to be featured, you can plead your case to info@starpolish.com and we'll try to accommodate.

Q: I am a StarPolish artist and would like to put my songs up on my StarPolish page, but am not technically savvy and have no idea where to start. Can you help?

A: Sure can! Take a look at our digital audio primer in our advice section: Read through that section, and make the decision on whether you want your song to stream (be instantly listenable, but not able to be saved on a hard drive, somewhat like radio) or DOWNLOAD (higher quality, but able to be saved and therefore burned onto CD or traded online, etc). Then it's just a matter of ripping (digitizing your audio) the songs off of your CD and then converting the .wav (pc) or .aiff (mac) files to a smaller compressed format that can be tossed around on the web. If you would like to stream, real audio is currently the format of choice, although you can also do Quicktime and Windows Media encoding. I would suggest going to www.real.com and looking at ways to encode your file into a real audio file. For downloading, mp3 is still the way to go. We personally use Audio Catalyst by Xing to do our encoding here in the office, but there are a variety of programs that will do an outstanding job


Q: I would love to have my music reviewed by the panels of industry veterans represented on your site. How can I do that?

A: The A&R Panel members regularly scour the StarPolish community in search of new talent. They recognize that it is a goldmine of up and coming artists, and we receive requests for individual artists' contact info all the time coming from our A&R panel. However, because of the number of artists in the StarPolish
community, we cannot make available the contact information of our panel members. There are ways to guarantee yourself to be heard by the panels, like winning contests or being featured as a Buzzing Artist (see question #1). Sign up for the StarPolish Newsletter and
stay tuned for your all of the opportunities as they are announced.


JavaMusic.com
JavaMusic provides the ultimate connection between independent musicians and their global audience. How? Through empowerment. We empower Artists by giving them all the resources necessary to build their audience to its full potential. And we empower Fans by leading them to these artists and giving them all the knowledge necessary to choose "the Next Music."

What is the Next Music? Well, it is much more than the latest trend pitched by MTV, Rolling Stone or commercial radio. It is music that fans will choose for themselves by finding, absorbing and critiquing all the material that is available to them from around the world. Empowerment is the key ingredient in determining the Next; it ensures that artists know how to deliver their music to a global audience, and that such a global audience knows where and how to
look for unique and exciting new music.

JavaMusic provides a single, user-friendly destination where both deliverers of the Next Music and discoverers of the Next Music can meet. This is where all music lovers will "Engage the Next."

For JavaMusic to help its users create the next wave of music, it must offer a convenient, one-stop shopping experience for both independent artists and the indie record labels that also use JavaMusic’s services. To this end, we provide distribution, traffic and networking opportunities that truly are global.

Some companies tout their "global" reach simply because they are based online and the Internet is accessible everywhere. But JavaMusic thinks globally and operates globally. We already have many Asian distribution points, and we gear campaigns toward Asian markets as well as the European markets, where we will be distributing CDs soon. Thanks to this extended reach, prospective buyers in these locales will never again have to worry about severe
exchange rates or international shipping charges that are greater than the actual product cost!

Artists and labels that upload music and place CDs for sale on JavaMusic will also experience a significant boost in online traffic. The number of people who view an artist’s name and are exposed to downloadable music and artist information greatly increases with JavaMusic’s specialized audience focus. This focus also makes it easy for users to network with music lovers just like themselves, whether artists are contacting similar artists to discuss swapping gigs; or fans are trading notes and selling each other’s favorite JavaMusic discs at their Virtual Retail Stores.

The Virtual Retail Store, or VRS, is one of the many ways JavaMusic helps users proactively engage in the pursuit of the Next Music. This new affiliate program encourages both fans and artists to own and operate their own personalized, online CD store. These users are already talking up their favorite JavaMusic artists -- now for zero investment and with very little effort they can continue to spread the word while earning an extremely generous commission in the process.

If artists do not yet have a CD to sell, JavaMusic can present them with the most competitive prices in top-quality CD manufacturing. For under a dollar per disc, artists can produce 1,000 albums with all the elements of a professional release: jewel case with clear tray, 3-color print on CD, 4-panel insert, tray card and shrink wrap. If the idea is to present music to the pros while spending as little cash as possible, there are plenty of other cost-effective options available. One of the more popular routes our artists take is to order a short run of custom-recorded CD-Rs; the discs feature full-color thermal printing that easily rivals the sleek look of regular screen-printed compact discs.

Visitors of JavaMusic may also stop by the CoffeeShop for recommendations on the hottest JavaMusic artists, or they can shop for best buys among the apparel, memorabilia and must-read books that are available on the site. Another motivating CoffeeShop feature is the "Featured Product" artist section that promises extra exposure for those artists our A&R staff has reviewed and recommended.

Other services JavaMusic offers: a one-stop indie music solution provider:

• JavaFM grants yet another opportunity for artists to reach their potential audience by streaming live music from all genres 24 hours a day.
• Our premium Espresso Service offers maximum exposure, visibility and income to members by providing them 10 CD-Rs of their music, a 5% discount on disc replication, free email promotion, and up to a $.04 boost in download royalties.
• We offer the best quality and prices for CD duplication and apparel and accessory manufacturing.
• JavaMusic also provides specialized advertising assistance, as well as professional graphic design services that make the promotional process much simpler.

Together with artists, fans and other artist-friendly individuals and corporate entities, JavaMusic will transcend borders, boundaries, cultures and language to help redefine popular music and "Engage the Next."


AmpCast
The AMPCAST.COM web site arose from the growing needs and changes of the musical community. Founded in 1998, AMPCAST.COM is dedicated to introducing and exposing new musicians and bands as well as providing a forum for the promotion of more established musical artists.

Where We Are Today
Today, Ampcast is the place for artists to start their Internet adventures and the place for fans to discover new music. We are very proud to service thousands of dedicated musical artists by providing them with the tools necessary to expand their audience, distribute their digital music, sell their CDs and make more money. We are happy to have introduced new music to millions of fans by providing them with a community and a platform to do so.

We have outlasted the Internet bubble burst through shear determination and independence, and are eager to continue reshaping the music industry by utilizing the internet.

What We Offer: For the Artist
You can establish an online presence through Ampcast.com that serves as a promotional tool for your band, a distribution mechanism for your music, and a revenue generator for your pockets.

• A one-off CD program that delivers "retail ready" CDs with NO UPFRONT COSTS.
• You can design your Ampcast web site using customized HTML.
• A simple royalty system that pays you for every download.
• You can communicate with our very responsive artist support team.
• We have a non-exclusive agreement; you keep the rights to your music.
• Your songs will be uploaded and approved through our ultra-easy, and super fast system.

For the Fans
Search our virtual shelves of thousands of artists, CDs, song titles and videos; a way for you to broaden your musical horizon, and discover fresh talent. CDs are sold at discount prices as determined by the ARTIST and you typically can't find these in stores. You can be a radio programmer by making your own playlists and having them available to the Ampcast community. You have access to a convenient tracking and reporting system of your listening habits so that you don't forget what you have listened to. Participate in the community by rating music, making CD compilations, meeting other fans with similar interests and much, much more.

AudioGalaxy
What we offer:
Audiogalaxy is a community of music fans and artists. Fans visit Audiogalaxy to read reviews and sample new music, discover up-and-coming artists and explore new genres and styles. Musicians can post their music, images and info, host a web page, receive feedback from reviewers and fans and get the exposure they'vebeen craving. And the best part is…IT'S ALL FREE!

Audiogalaxy offers 25 MB of free web space to musicians for MP3 files, band images and a web page. All content (music, images and html) is acceptable as long asit is related to your band (exceptions are pirated material and software). Every MP3 you upload to our site will be available for users to download, rate and discuss. We also have daily spotlight features of bands on Audiogalaxy that run on the front page as well as within each genre section. With over 80,000 hits per day, you canbe assured that your band will receive some newfound exposure.

What is included in each Band’s listing?
Each band’s listing is comprised of several elements. The band’s picture is a link to their web page. Clicking on one of the subgenres listed beneath the bands name will produce a list of more bands of that style. Clicking on the song titles will start downloading or streaming the song to your computer. Clicking on the “comments” button allows you to read and leave comments about the band, with the number in parentheses indicating how many comments that particular band has generated. The Review button will take you to the Audiogalaxy review of that band.

General Info
a. How do I get my band onto your site?
Go backstage to create an account and directory on Audiogalaxy.

b. Is this legal?
Yes, if you are the sole copyright owner or have the expressed permission of the artist, you are free to distribute your music as you please. Distributing copyrighted material without the artist’s and/or label’s permission is illegal and all account holders who attempt to do so will be banned.

c. Am I giving up rights to my music if I post it on Audiogalaxy?
NO! We provide a forum for artists to showcase their music and gain access to a larger audience. We do not force the artist to sign any waivers or binding documents. We will not distribute your music in any physical form (CD, Cassette, LP, etc.), and do not profit from any artist on the site.

d. Am I allowed to sell my CD/Tape/Demo on Audiogalaxy?
Artists are free to sell their music on their Audiogalaxy web page. Sales through means of private distribution are perfectly acceptable. We will not distribute your music in any form, except electronically.

e. Will the information I provide be kept confidential?
Yes. Audiogalaxy does not distribute the personal contact information you provide to anyone. It is used strictly for internal purposes.

Being a band on Audiogalaxy
Joining Audiogalaxy is a two-step process. The first step requires a working email address and other basic information needed to set up your account. Next, a password will be mailed to the address you provided. With this password you will login to our system to provide more detailed information about your music and upload your files. The Audiogalaxy sign-up process has been streamlined to be as painless as possible. If you have any questions or comments don’t hesitate to send an email to bands@audiogalaxy.com.


The Orchard
What is The Orchard?
The Orchard is one of a kind! We are dedicated to giving independent record labels and artists access to the same distribution opportunities the Major Labels have enjoyed almost exclusively for years. The Orchard makes the music of independent artists available, side by side with Major Label albums. We are an entertainment company that has grown in just three years time into one of worlds largest suppliers of new music. Currently we account for about twenty percent of all product released in the United States each week. Through agreements with the nations largest one stop distributors, we are the leading and most dominant provider of independent and global content to all of the major on-line stores including, Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble.com, Borders.com, CDNow etc..., as well as traditional retail.

How does it work?

1. The Orchard charges a 30% distribution fee. As a distributor, we sell things wholesale so that retailers can mark them up. The 30% applies to the wholesale cost. If there is not a fixed wholesale cost, we charge 30% of the total amount of money received by us.
2. The Orchard charges a fee of $90 to join.
3. The Orchard accounts and pays quarterly. We accumulate the money paid to us each quarter and pay 90 days following the end of the quarter. As a distributor, we do not get paid the moment someone purchases your product so we can't pay until we receive the money.
4. The Orchard accepts product as consignment merchandise. WE DO NOT BUY PRODUCT.

How can I get the ball rolling?
Simply send a blank email to join@theorchard.com. You will automatically receive a copy of our application form and agreement. Print the form, fill it out, sign it and send it along with 30 copies of your release and the appropriate payment to our New York address:

Attn: New Product- The Orchard
133 5th Avenue, 4th Floor
New York, NY 10003

What happens when you ship all of the initial shipment of CDs that accompany my application?
Once your stock level has dipped below a certain level, you will receive a request for reorder. This message will note the artist, the title of the release, the amount that we'd like to reorder and a reorder number. It is important that you act promptly after receiving a reorder request and inform us if there is any unforeseen delay in getting the reorder to us. Too lengthy a delay may result in our distributors canceling an order. When sending this reorder shipment to us, please ensure that the reorder number is written clearly on the outside of the box.

When we reorder it does not necessarily mean that product has sold. It simply means that we are anticipating future demand. We do our best to manage this complicated process and it's a difficult juggling act. On one hand we don't want to hold too much product that isn't moving. On the other, we don't want to not fulfill orders because we didn't have enough.

Will I get confirmation that anything that I send to The Orchard has been received?
You will be sent a receipt via email of any product that we receive. It is an extremely good idea to make a note of the tracking number of your parcel before it is sent.

What if I decide to no longer use The Orchard for distribution?
Leaving The Orchard distribution system means modifying theOrchard Agreement. The process starts by faxing or mailing a signed letter, to the attention of Deletion Notices requesting a deletion. Please list the artist(s) and release(s) you wish to delete, as well as a valid shipping address for us to ship your product to (no P.O. Boxes). If The Orchard accepts the deletion request, the Orchard will fax back a letter ending the Term of the Agreement. This letter must be signed by both parties.

The deletion process creates costs for The Orchard that includes shipping charges and restocking fees. In addition, a considerable amount of time is required to notify retail accounts, manage the return of unsold product and prepare the final accounting. There is a $250 fee for filing a deletion notice.

During the deletion process your account will be frozen for at least 180 days or until there is a full quarter without returns. At the end of the deletion process, all product in inventory will be returned and a final accounting of the product will be rendered.


BeSonic
What exactly does the Premium Artist Service include?
BeSonic AG introduced a new Premium Artist Service for artists on the 27th November 2001. This is an optional service. It offers the artist additional features and opportunities to present his or her music evenmore professionally, and promote it even more effectively than before.

The Premium Artist Service provides you with a whole range of advantages allowing you to present your music more professionally and reach your audience more effectively online than ever before.

Unlimited number of titles
Use the freedom to host as many songs as you like on our servers. For example, you can present a different compilation of titles every week, offering more variety.

On the Site
No advertising banners on your homepage - You are your own master on your homepage. The only thing plugged here is the music. The liberty to design your own homepage (different layouts, colours, HTML) - Use your skills (or those of a friend) to make your homepage express something really individual. Make yourself visible above the vast mass of other artists and get yourself more noticed. Graphic emphasis (with a photograph and text) in the new artists'catalogue - A very important place if you want to be found. Visitors flick through whole genres here. An expressive picture and an inviting piece of text will lure lots of visitors to your homepage.

Hi-fi streaming
Visitors can now listen to your music in full hi-fi stereo quality, and be impressed by it. This enables them to appreciate all your acoustic precision work.

Priority activation
Premium Artists' songs are given preferential treatment. Your songs will always be available. In preparation: Individual record sleeve design for your artists' CDs, and considerably lower prices for each CD. In this way you can even order the most limited edition for your next concert - at a good price.

Can I still present my music free of charge on BeSonic?
Yes. The BeSonic service is still available free of charge, subject to a limit on storage space. In the Future, BeSonic wants to carry on offering young talents an opportunity, reducing the initial obstacles. However, against the background of the situation described above, we can only continue to accept those songs that – in our opinion – are suitable for publication in the context of our music service, based on our experiences in recent years.

Does that mean "pay or leave"?
No. All tracks offered by BeSonic (still more than 80%) will still be hosted free of any charge (!) and in the usual manner. It would be nonsense to stop good music from going anywhere. All it means is that we are takingfirst steps to limit access for "poor music attempts" and those tracks that got "lost on the shelf". All artists should definitely wait for a mail announcing which songs Besonic wants to publish. But don't panic! It's not as bad as it sounds.


Mixonic
Because Mixonic is the first and only CD duplication and distribution
company with an entirely web-based ordering and distribution process, we open up all kinds of new ways to help you in the music business. You can use our services anywhere, anytime, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We make it easy!

ORDER IN BULK FOR YOURSELF
You can use mixonic to order short runs of your CDs, which you can sell or distribute yourself. We have the best prices, the best quality and the best delivery times in our class. Order just what you need and have it shipped to your home - or we can ship it direct to your venue if you are on the road. You'll never run out of CDs again! Just click the "duplicate CDs" tab above to learn more.

SELL ONLINE
Tired of lugging around CDs? Instead, just direct your fans to your
Mixonic selling page so they can order your CDs online. All you have to do at your concerts is hand out the web-address on a card. And, you can link the selling page into any other website, including you own. We'll manufacture each CD as its ordered and ship it directly to your customer. No up front money out-of-pocket...you'll get a check for your proceeds at the end of every month!

Selling pages keep your CDs Fresh! You can post your latest music the moment it's ready. You can even post a live concert for sale within minutes of a performance, and start selling CDs immediately!

OTHER GREAT WAYS TO USE MIXONIC:
Make demos with only the cuts you need. Load up all your finished
cuts into your secure library at Mixonic and order custom CDs for each pitch you make. You'll never have to say "just listen to tracks 5 and 12" again!

Change your content as many times as you want, even on the fly. The CDs you order are stored in your account. When you have better tracks or new ones, just switch-out the old ones.

Make custom CDs for special promos or for each gig. With Mixonic's
on-line cd designer, you can customize your CDs to the venue where you want to sell them, giving them "souvenir" quality that will boost sales.

Bring back the CD single - lots of them!

If you have a big catalog, use Mixonic to make all kinds of
compilations in limited runs or on selling pages for different niches in
your audience. For small labels, use mixonic to make monthly artist compilations. Do them in limited small runs and watch them become collectables in a few months.

Our “starter kit” is an easy way to record your content and send it to us.

The kit includes:

One blank 74 minute CD-R to burn your master (printed with a full color sample label).
A postage paid return mailer. After receiving your content, we'll post it to your online library and notify you by e-mail.

…………………………..

So, there you go. I have done a lot of work for you, as far as giving you 'from the horse's mouth' what these web music distribution companies have to offer. Now, the real work begins. But remember, you must decide which of these company's best suit your online music marketing needs. I am not recommending that use all of them. Take it slow and easy at first and add a new Internet marketing company to your mix, as you feel comfortable doing so.

I have been saying for years now that the Internet is the future for independent musicians. All I can do is try to get you fired up about how many opportunities there are for you to promote your music. However, I have never felt more confident about the power of the web to kick-start a music marketing campaign then I do now.

Please note, there are several other websites and companies that may help you get the word out about promoting and selling your music over the Internet. www.muze.com, www.soundbuzz.com, and www.peoplesound.com (purchased by Vitaminic) may be worth your while as well, but I concentrated on the sites I did, because they seemed to me to be the most successful for indie musicians. If you find them useful…great.

If you would like some first-hand feedback from a musician who knows what companies are best at selling and promoting music online, I would suggest you go check out David Nevue's website www.musicbizacademy.com . David has been using many of these companies with various degrees of success, and he might be a good jumping off point for deciding which company to try first.

Web marketing is only a part of your entire music marketing. Online activities must go hand in hand with your offline touring, publicity, radio, and other distribution and sales activities in the 'analog' world. But I sincerely believe that many of the companies I have introduced you to can go a long way to establishing and promoting you as a successful entrepreneurial musician in this new millennium.