Album done…now what?

[Wall_E]

Hi!

So, I’ve recently completed the production of a “minimal ambient piano-driven” album with 8 tracks. I didn’t compose this music with libraries in mind (I needed a break) so I was wondering the next move to distribute it.

1) digital aggregators like CdBaby, TuneCore, OneRPM…?
2) search for a label focused on this kind of music?
3) be a one-man band and upload it to band camp and youtube in a personal page?

Thank you!
Wall-E

[ChuckMott]

I was actually considering doing the same with some smooth jazz… would be interested in doing the same. I ask myself would it be worth doing to upload to AS for licensing and external distribution…I want to play nice with the external distribution though and not get on there and compete with myself. Maybe put it up on spotify, see how it does, and click off the external distribution down the road? I don’t want to compete having my streams up there competing against the externally distributed tracks.

In this as of yet imaginary world I am picturing down the road, I would have enough smooth blues/ jazz tracks to add musicians and start a band mixed with original music and smooth blues/R and B/ jazz covers . Nothing like that much here in upstate NY…although there may be a reason for that. But it seems as if it would fill a niche.

As for myself, it looks like do the album….take a crack at self promotion while still making it available for NE licensing..just not external distribution right away. Thoughts? This would be a totally indie thing.

[Denbo_17]

Funny just started to record some tracks I would call Rock Grooved Ambient music… Is that a thing ? Was going to put it up through Tunecore and see what happens after a year and if nothing happens then toss them into AS and see how that plays out… also starting to write actual songs to pitch as well… it’s all fun stuff…

[Wall_E]

I’ve found two recent articles that might shed some light on this

– http://aristake.com/post/cd-baby-tunecore-ditto-mondotunes-zimbalam-or
– https://heroic.academy/indie-musicians-guide-to-digital-distribution/

but anyways I still have the doubts of my opening post.

[Mesa Sand Music]

The answer always starts with this question, “What are your goals?” If you want to launch as an artist, then I say absolutely go with an aggregator. If you’re not sure that’s your direction, then think about it a while longer.

Based on your description, it sounds like something that’s a good fit for music libraries. You may need to do some additional work to really make it work (e.g., 30-second and 60-second edits), but it’s a good way to go. We’ve had some success with Pond5, but they’re not perfect. The really good ML catalogs connected with the majors probably won’t be an option, as they’re usually looking for writers with hundreds of tracks.

I definitely recommend BandCamp, because it’s all under your control, and they only get paid when you do. Although I’m not sure how much traffic they get (we haven’t had any sales on BC so far), but if you’re willing to promote it, I’d suggest it.

I would definitely not pursue a label. Unless it fits perfectly into a particular genre, and you can find a label with exactly that focus, you’ll probably not get any responses.

If I were you, I would:
1. Research music libraries. Non-exclusives are the easiest to get into, especially if you don’t have a large track count. And there’s a whole ton of content on MLR about the details of each one, including extensive debates about exclusive vs non-exclusive libraries.
2. Get busy on editing. See if you can edit your tracks to common lengths – 30-60-90 seconds. Consider if alternate mixes are possible, such as full band vs piano and strings only vs piano only. The more variety for a track, the better chances for placement.
3. Look at pitch services. Again, since you’re a member here, there’s fantastic resources to research pitch services like TAXI (not a fan), Music Supervisor (like), or a new one called Songtradr. This way you can actively pitch your music, and not just wait for other people to find you.
4. Build your own online presence. Get a domain name, build a basic website, and use other services to host your content. I use SoundCloud to build playlists for our main pages, and LicenseQuote to make the music licensable directly from me. Then create links to your BandCamp and YouTube pages for additional ways to find you.

…And I’m sure other MLR members will chime in as well. Guys/ladies?

[Wall_E]

Thank you Mesa Sand Music for your response.

I’ve been working with music libraries for many years now. This album was specifically created to stay outside of them and to try this new road for me.

I totally agree with your 4 points, especially referring to editing, searching here on MLR and web presence. But as I said these tracks have been composed without a licensing-compliant style of writing.

I’ve decided to go with SymphonicDistribution due to the “soundtracky” flavour of the songs and due to their licensing service. They also allow you to upload your tracks on Bandcamp as well.

Hope this helps. 🙂

Have a great day everyone!

[Author]

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