Music Distribution on the Web: Create Buzz, Sell CDs!
Introduction to Online Music Distribution
CD
Baby Review ( iTunes
& Rhapsody)
Review
by David Nevue, The
Music Biz Academy
Author
of How
to Promote Your Music on the
Internet.
CD Baby
was
started in 1997 by Derek Sivers,
a musician just like yourself
who just wanted an efficient
way to sell his music on the
web. Today, just a few years
later, CD Baby is the 2nd largest
seller of independent CDs on
the Internet, 2nd only to Amazon.com!
Boasting over 42,000 artists
and over 20,000 unique visitors
a day, CD Baby is the best organized,
most talked about web hosting
solution for musicians. According
to the latest posted stats (as
of this writing), CD Baby has
sold over 506,000 CDs online
to customers and paid $3,874,689.41
to independent musicians! That
alone should be motivation enough
for you to sign up. More...
There
is a one-time $35 setup fee
(per CD) to join the service.
However, from that fee CD Baby
creates a beautiful mini-store
page for you with everything
you need. You don't even have
to upload your MP3 files to
make your music available for
streaming. CD Baby will do it
all for you - just send them
your CDs, and they'll take care
of everything else. From your
CD Baby mini-store, you can take
orders, link to your official
web site and receive reviews
from visitors about your CD.
Finally, the administrative
tools CD Baby provides you to
manage your mini-store are very
easy-to-use. When I first signed
up, I was truly amazed that
something so cool could be so
simple!
Once
you start selling CDs, CD Baby
takes just $4 from each CD sold
via their web site. You keep
the rest. So, if you sell a
CD for $12.95, you keep $8.95.
CD Baby also keeps your CDs in
its warehouse, so they handle
all the shipping details, and
when your stock gets low, CD
Baby
contacts you to request more.
You get paid for sales by check
as often as once per week, if
you wish.
CD
Baby
as a whole really reflects the
optimism and energy of its founder.
Check out the amazing ‘flavors'
page at http://www.cdbaby.com/flavor
. That will give you an idea
of some of the creative thinking
behind the world of CD Baby.
While you're there, just browse
around. You will be impressed.
In
additional to all this, CD Baby
is your connection to digital
music distribution. If you spend
any time on the Internet at
all, you can't help but be familiar
with both the iTunes Music Store
and Listen.com's Rhapsody service.
These services provide music
to millions of listeners for
download and purchase. Once
you're a member of CD Baby you
can, if you wish, elect to make
your music available to these
services. CD Baby acts as your
‘label,' and they take your
CD, digitally encode it, and
submit it to the iTunes and
Rhapsody stores.
I
really have to congratulate
Derek Sivers and the whole CD
Baby
staff. They've done a simply
wonderful job, and they are
representing independent musicians
very well. In a way, doing business
with CD Baby feels like hanging
out with your best buddy. They
just make you feel all warm
and fuzzy. Ever ordered something
from them? If so, you'll know
what I mean.
This
is one baby you don't want to
throw out with the bath water.
Check it out.
Sign
up for CD Baby |
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