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Are you sure you want to take down your release? Here are the cons of taking down your music from a distribution service.
“I was thinking about not making CDs ever again… Only streaming. The Yeezus album packaging was an open casket to CDs. R.I.P.” – Kanye West via Twitter, 2016.
Lots of us were born into the CD era and will never forget that feeling of going to a CD shop to buy your favourite artist’s new album to add to your ever-growing music collection. With the constant rise of major streaming services like Spotify, Apple Music and Tidal, many artists no longer feel the need to release physical albums anymore. In this article we’ll explore music distribution services, the pros on sharing your music on them and the cons of taking your music down.
A music distribution service is the link between your music and your future fans. It’s an essential part of music promotion and has become vital in reaching wider audiences.
Traditionally, distributors would enter agreements with record labels to sell to stores. However, digital distribution changed everything by cutting out the middleman and instead allowing artists to distribute music directly to online stores while keeping 100% of their royalties.
It’s no secret that digital music sells the best nowadays and sales will continue to skyrocket. The revenues of the music industry make it clear that digital is the way to go. Check out these stats from 2021 on bpi.co.uk which reflect this:
Therefore, by sharing your music on a music distribution service you’ll be making your music available for streaming and download where fans spend a lot of time, online. So you’ll have more chance of reaching them. You’ll also save yourself the cost and hassle of physical distribution, especially on a first album.
Instead, you could start by building an audience and a name with digital releases. Plus, many digital distributors don’t have exclusivity deals. This means that you’re not giving up the rights to your music so you’re free to end the non-exclusive agreement anytime.
Another major perk is that releasing music to streaming services is much easier than releasing a physical album. One of the many benefits is having the flexibility of submitting your music closer to the deadline. Last year, it was reported that Drake’s verse on ‘Sicko Mode’ was submitted only a few hours before Travis Scott had to turn in his highly anticipated album ‘Astroworld’.
Similarly, Machine Gun Kelly revealed that he took his album down to add his verse to a song because his album was accidentally submitted before the verse was added. If this had already been made into a CD, it would not have been possible.
Also, in the past artists would have to do much more promotional work surrounding an album release. They’d often do a single, a music video, promotion and prepare the album packaging. The album had to be completely mixed, mastered and ready for submission months before the deadline of the album release. Any changes that needed to be made to the album could not be done once it was out on the shelves. Therefore releasing your music on streaming services is one of the quickest and easiest ways to release your music online, especially as an independent artist.
But, what if you decide you’d like to take down a release? It’s your music, you’re free to do what you want with it. Although, there are some things to consider before you do, these include:
Similarly to taking songs down from a distribution service, removing your songs from a Publishing Administrator can hinder your career. Here’s a few reasons why:
Not every artist wants their music used in motion pictures (Sync Licensing & Music Licensing) but those who do, understand that royalties from successful projects can set artists up for life.
Aside from putting your music forward to some huge projects with the likes of Netflix, Amazon, Universal, Warner and more, we track and keep up to date with where your music is being used and ensure the royalties come through accordingly. When you’re busy making music, things can slip through the cracks and we want to make sure you’re being credited for your hard work and amazing music! It’s a big decision to take down your music, but whatever you decide we hope you’ve found this article helpful! If you’d like to find out more, check out our Music Distribution, Music Publishing and Sync Services! Artists can distribute their music for FREE, forever – no nasties, no hidden fees, and no time constraints.
Get Free Music Distribution and find opportunities to get your music in film, TV, and more through sync licensing. Plus get Music Supervision, Music Publishing, Music Marketing, Artist Development and utilize our Free Artist Websites and Rap Name Generator. Finally, you can amplify your music to those that need to hear it with music promotion, TikTok promotion and professional sharing tool. Why not give the gift of music today with our Gifts for musicians package?
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