More than 500,000 songs are released each year.
Music Distribution
Distributing your music on your own can be challenging and may result in failure. You won’t have the necessary networks to do it, and you won’t know the correct distribution format. So, many independent music artists choose to work with a music distributor.
There are different types of music distributors, each with its strengths and weaknesses. Here is how to select the best music distribution company.
1. Has a Favorable Pricing Structure
The cost of music video distribution is essential for independent artists. Thus, you should know how much it will cost you to distribute the music. Ideally, you should select a distribution company that gives you the biggest profit margins.
First, you have to consider the business distribution model of their music distributor. Some music distributors charge royalty fees. Others prefer to impose an annual or monthly fee.
The distributor may also base their price on your expected yearly releases. If you plan to release many songs, you may get a discount. Similarly, the price will be higher if you plan to distribute your songs on multiple digital platforms.
Other standard pricing models include recurring fees or one-off fees. The key thing to note is that you should make a profit from your music releases.
2. Provides Reporting and Metrics
The music distribution company should produce data about mainstream sales, order volume, completion rate, growth rate, sales ratio of key products, and sales ratio of each platform. They can also track profit, transaction rate (conversion rate), output per capita, and more.
The two most important indicators (sales and order volume) should be available on the dashboard. Similarly, the distribution company should show the target achievement rate so that you can clearly grasp the essential information.
The other metrics are mainly the distribution of orders, such as the number of orders on each distribution platform. The data can also reflect the distribution of customer unit prices.
For instance, if the data on a specific day shows that the number of orders of a certain track suddenly increases, it may be the effect of certain promotions. In contrast, if the number of orders declines and the sales do not increase much, it is evident that the music track was unsuccessful.
In short, by observing the metrics, you will be able to know what type of music to focus on.
3. Supports Multiple Music Formats
The music distribution company should be able to upload music in multiple formats, namely MP3, MP4, MOV, and MPEG4. MP3 is an audio format, and MP4, MPEG, and MOV are video formats.
MP4 Video Format
MP4 is a common video format in the MPEG-4 Part 14 standard and only contains .mp4.
MP4 can store video, subtitles, and still images. It is mainly used for storing and streaming video with subtitles in portable media players and streaming media services. MPP4 is a special extension; MPEG is the umbrella audio format for video.
MP3 Audio Format
MP3 is a recognized audio compression format that follows the base compression protocols in MPEG-2 and MPEG-1. It was developed by Moving Pictures Expert Group. After 1995, the format of MP3 was modified from [.] to [.mp3 ]. MP3 files support bit rates between 8 and 320kbps.
After 1995, the format of MP3 was changed from [.] to [.mp3]. MP3 files support bit rates between 8 and 320kbps, of which 128 and 320kbps are the most common. MP3 is a lossy compression that can significantly reduce the size of audio files by about 75% to 90%.
MPEG4
MPEG4 is a media file format—an enhanced model of the MPEG2 and MPEG1 standards. It encompasses video and audio extensions such as m4r, m4v, m4b, and an open, patented format owned by the Moving pictures expert group.
MPEG-4 Part 14 also includes the famous MP4 format, conforming to several ISO standards. On the other hand, MPEG-4 Part 10 comes with x264 encoders, QuickTime 7, and Nero Digital AVC.
The distribution company should use various formats of MPEG4 to store, transmit, and compress audio, video, and text content. They should also use the format to standardize digital rights management and protect the copyright of video and audio files.
MOV Video Format
MOV, also known as the QT file format, is specially designed for the QuickTime framework and has the extension .mov or .qt. The MOV format is similar to MP4 and can perform both lossy and lossless data compression.
The video distribution company should use the MOV video format for music videos with subtitles.
4. Offers Great Customer Service
A good music distributor should provide instant answers to improve customer satisfaction. This makes customers feel that they are cared for.
When you sign up, the company should contact you immediately to see if there is anything they can do for you. The customer service staff should always be polite and patient when resolving your issues.
The company should also check whether your questions have been resolved well after a few days. This is better than just talking to an automated phone system.
The music distributor shouldn’t use too many technical terms when talking. So, a good distribution company should try to replace those technical terms with simple and easy-to-understand words. This helps you to understand more clearly.
Work With the Right Music Distribution Company
As a musician, you need to focus on composing music and leave the work of distribution to professional companies. PeekSound is a music distribution company that can distribute your music to multiple platforms such as Spotify and Apple Music. We’ll also show you how to monetize your music projects on Facebook, Instagram, and Tik-Tok.
Contact us at support@peeksound.com, and we will respond within one business day.