10 best and free music distribution for labels
An essential part of releasing music in today’s industry is finding such excellent distribution service, so how will you know how you will pick the best for your music in 2022? This article will discuss the labels’ ten best and free music distribution.
What Is Music Distribution?
Today, music distribution means something radically different from what it is used to. Back in those days of the pre-digital music industry, when the radio station, CDs, cassette tapes, and vinyl records were the only listen to the formats available to the audience. These music distribution companies are closely linked with the mainstream records that only championed the music’s most marketable forms.
If your music was deemed worthy by the record label, you have signed a record contract. You would then be granted access to the distribution companies with all the resources to put a physical version of your music in the stores in your own country or, if you were successful, worldwide.
But around the turn of the century, which is shortly after the panic surrounding y2k subsided, music underwent such a drastic transformation, as did the companies that distributed it. Albums, vinyl records, cassette tapes, and the radio station are still around, but they are no longer the dominant listening formats for the music.
For the first time in the music industry, creators of all the budgets, musical genres, fanbase, and experience levels now have the incredible power to put their music in front of audiences around the planet through digital music distribution companies.
What Percentage Do Music Distributors Take?
The most average cut is about 15% of all streaming royalties, but this will vary depending on all of the distributors you choose. Some do not charge anything but will charge a yearly fee to keep your music in the stores.
For instance, if you go with the Distrokid, Landr, or Ditto, they do not have to take a cut. Instead, they will charge a yearly fee to keep your music in the stores, which means that you will get to keep all of the streaming royalties on your track.
Best Music Distribution For Labels
With all of the technology making gigantic strides towards revolutionizing the entertainment industry, digital music distribution is hitting a fever pitch. But unfortunately, with all the plethora of distributors comes to the complexity of choosing one of the right services for your music.
This is because such distributors’ services will offer bear-identical features and good services within the packaged boutique or deal.
However, some differences stem from the scope and the magnitude of these services. As such, you will have to dissect these distributors to pinpoint one with the suite of the services that is so perfect for you in all terms of the budget and the target audience.
In this article, we have done the heaviest lifting just for you. We have rigorously scrutinized the top music distribution service, unearthing their scope of the services, added services, royalties, and some of the added features. In this way, after reading this kind of post, you will be ready to pick a distributor that will help your work of the art to reach as many ears as possible.
Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the US music industry had a good time in 2020. In the first half of this year, wholesale and retail revenues reached around $3.7 billion and $5.7 billion.
It is not only the US music industry that has experienced growth. The most recorded history in Spain saw a significant increase of 4% in the wholesale revenue. This is just in the first half of this year. In the same period, Germany’s recording industry grew 4.8% on a retail basis.
All the Digital Music Segments show you the average growth, which rates about 9.95% every year. By the end of 2021, experts predicted that the global revenue from the stream would reach $23.1 billion. And the music downloads will reach $1.8 billion for a total of $24.8 billion.
Come 2025, the global revenue is projected to reach $34.8 billion. So, many musicians and producers will indeed ride this kind of wave. However, it can also be hard to promote music, especially in a saturated market. So, to give your distribution and the promotions a boost, you will need all of the help you need. This is especially true for all those that did start.
1.CD Baby
At the top of the charts is a CD Baby, besting the competition with its one-two combinations of the most massive network of over 150 stores and the partners and all the suite of the features, most of which are all under the CD Baby brand.
Artists, as well as the musicians, pay for every single album which is uploaded, and they will get a package of the features which is depending on the pricing tier they will choose.
This setup will require no annual fees, and the artists are paid 100% of the royalties weekly. In addition, CD Baby will offer digital distributions, streaming, and physical distribution via CDs and vinyl. Cover the song licensing is also being offered, and reporting and the analytics tools, including the income boosting features such as the most professional publishing administration and the social video monetization, are also available. Finally, the company will also offer marketing tools that are integrated under the CD Baby brand. Pricing starts at $9.95 per single and $49 per album, with a higher tier for more packaged features.
2.Distrokid
Aside from all a similarly massive network or the stores and partners. Distrokid’s push is 10 to 20 times faster than any of the other distributors to get the artist’s music into the digital downloads and the streaming platforms. One of the most significant differences from the CD Baby-Aside from the speed claim is its business model: artists can also distribute the unlimited songs for an annual fee, and you will get paid 100% of their royalties monthly.
Distrokid will also allow the artists to set up the earning splits to route a portion of the royalties to all others, distribute the cover songs legally, and play with the backend music sales administration features. The company will also offer bespoke value-added services that have separate price tags from their music distribution service. Distrokid will distribute to over 150 partners. Pricing will start at around $19.99 every year for a single artist, with the additional plans for the two artists and the five to 100 artists.
3.ReverNation
As the slogan, artists will first attempt to impress all other musicians; ReverbNation will paint itself as more than just a good music distributor, but a good career-maker for the artists. Artists with such tight budgets will also be glad to know that the company will offer a free tier with direct selling, but the digital distribution has separate price tiers.
ReverbNation is the only one in this list that will highlight a website-builder for the artist’s branding and fam of the feedback for the music. Indeed, ReverbNation will suit all the features surrounding the primary music distribution panders to the artist’s career: marketing and the promotion tools with the email and social messaging functions, digital ads and the social media, crowdsourced listeners reviews and the feedback, and even will the sponsorship under the ReverbNation brand where artists are also introduced and will expose to the music industry partner and the events. These value-added services will come with another separate price tag.
4. LANDR
LANDR is unique in this list because, at its core, it is not only the music distribution; it is an audio mastering software. LANDER will offer music production and mastering via the desktop app with all the digital distribution services.
LANDR will take advantage of the AI-powered audio mastering for its software, attempting to give a professional feel and the finish to every track that its own users produce. Once it is done with the production processes, artists do not have to go elsewhere for the digital music distribution with the 100% of the creative control and earnings.
LANDR also has its promotional tools and will offer free sample packs for some inspiration and use. Where ReverbNation will offer crowdsourced listener feedback and reviews, LANDR will let the producer hear the feedback from the fellow users.
5.Tunecore
Tunecore is such a straightforward distribution service that prides itself on being one of the first in the market, starting the business model in 2006. Artists will keep 100% of their royalties for an annual fee.
Aside from the music distribution to over 150 digital stores, Tunecore will provide its users with comprehensive sales data and value-added services: social media promotion and the music publishing administration. Essentially, a complete dashboard of the backend reporting, administration, and marketing to go with the digital distribution. Note that the value-added services incur a one-time fee only.
Artists can distribute the album via Tunecore starting at about$29.9 for their first year and $49.99 each of the following year, which is for a full album, and $9.99 a year for a single. Tunecore will also distribute the ringtones for $19.99 per year. Finally, the company will offer distribution credits that can be easily changed for a single alum and the ringtone plans.
6.RouteNote
RouteNote will offer free distribution services for about 15% of revenues while also offering the artists a premium plan that will require upfront payment but will let them keep about 100% of all royalties. RouteNote claims to cover over 90% of the digital distribution market.
Artists and the musicians to expect the fundamental digital distribution and the direct selling from the RouteNote’s plans, as well as the referral rewards, reporting and data on the streaming and the sales, and the inclusion and the IDs for the Youtube Music Network and as well as a community which is called RouteNoteStudio that will help the member to grow the audiences much faster on the Youtube.
7.OneRPM
ONErpm will actively leverage its global network of the users for much more opportunities and the visibility for its members, amplifying the reach of its artists with the help of the fn engagement for its existing user base. Also noteworthy is that it will offer a free pricing tier, though the OneRPM will keep 15% of all royalties-even for the paid tiers.
The Fundamental will offer music distribution, cover licensing, and direct selling. Still, it will extend to marketing, including social media, rights management, and publishing a Music Video Network that includes video production.
8. Ditto Music
Ditto’s offer is straightforward: unlimited music distribution to over a hundred digital stories for an annual fee, and the artist will keep 100% of the royalties. Ditto is the quintessential music distribution service without a lot of the fluff.
Aside from the distribution, the company will offer pre-relate and promotional tools, sales data plus reporting and streaming, free ISRC and UPCs, and chart registration. Pricing will start at $19 a year for one artist and two higher aid tiers for much more artists and all packaged features.
9. Fresh Tunes
Heavy on Youtube and Facebook, Fresh tunes paid value-added will focus on the advertising and the audience growth on these two leading platforms. Aside from the promotion and marketing, the company will also provide professional consulting for the tracks submitted by the artists. If accepted, these tracks are branded for the promotions, and the artists will receive feedback on their work.
10. Music info
While most of the companies in this list have their partners stored in china, music info is the only distributor that is solely focused on the Chinese market. Music info distributors to the central Chinese music services such as QQMusic, Qianqian Music, and Kugou Music.
Final Words
In this article, we discussed the best and free music distributions for your labels. We recommend you give some time to your research to get the best results possible.
