Music distribution is an encompassing industry sector. Once an artist or band completes their single, EP or album it must be distributed throughout stores worldwide for sale.
Spotify and Apple Music currently dominate consumer music streaming services; although independent artists may be able to release their releases directly onto these platforms, working with an established distributor makes this much simpler.
1. Bandcamp
Bandcamp stands out as an extraordinary digital music platform by providing artists the means to sell both downloads and physical copies (such as vinyl records and cassette tapes) directly to their fans. Unlike CD Baby or DistroKid, which often average out sales returns and send payments quarterly, Bandcamp gives artists direct returns from sales made on its platform.
Bandcamp also encourages interaction among fans by enabling them to leave comments and link directly to social media and websites for artists they follow. Furthermore, Bandcamp features a name-your-price option which enables listeners to pay whatever amount they deem fair for an artist’s work; often listeners give more than their asking price – according to Bandcamp this happens over half of the time!
Bandcamp stands out by offering users multiple audio quality options ranging from low-fidelity MP3s to lossless FLAC files that more closely reflect original recordings than standard 320kbps recordings. Furthermore, users are able to create track and album codes which enable sharing free downloads of an artist’s music with friends.
One unique aspect of Bandcamp is their sync licensing program, which connects musicians with music supervisors who license their songs for use in commercials and films. It’s an efficient alternative to submitting music directly for film/TV use – potentially opening up an income stream! Furthermore, on Fridays Bandcamp offers 100% commission-free sales allowing artists to keep 100% of their earnings!
2. 7digital
As with Bandcamp, 7digital allows users to purchase digital music files in various formats ranging from high-resolution FLAC (which provides lossless quality) and standard MP3s to hi-res download collections like Lipstick Vogue’s lively instrumentals and Forgiven’s emotional vocals. The website is user friendly without being overrun with ads but lacks some of the more comprehensive offerings from specialist stores.
7digital offers another great benefit for artists: subscription revenue from streaming platforms they partner with such as Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon, Deezer and Tidal will be paid out via them monthly; payments may fluctuate based on how much revenue has been earned through streamed tracks that month.
7digital offers streaming music services as well as API solutions to partners who wish to integrate music into their own websites, apps, and devices. 7digital has formed partnerships with international retailers, telecoms providers, consumer electronics firms who use its technology as part of their service offering music as part of their offerings.
With streaming platforms being mired in controversy, some people have begun turning back towards traditional downloads and building local collections of digital music files. This can be an excellent way to support artists while having constant access to your own music – making sure it works on any audio hardware available to you. Storing files locally would ideally involve either using solid state drives or computers’ hard drives – however you could connect your collection up via NAS storage to share music amongst friends and family as well.
3. Amazon Music
Although streaming has become a large portion of the music industry, physical sales remain an integral element. As such, music distributors have evolved from supply chain managers into rights administrators; collecting royalties for artists from sources like Spotify, Apple Music, Google Play and Deezer as well as numerous third-party platforms like TikTok, YouTube, Instagram and Facebook.
These platforms — called streaming services or DSPs — allow users access to digital copyright-restricted songs through a central library and features such as creating public playlists and discovering new music based on listening history. Subscription-based services usually feature advertising or may offer limited free tiers with restrictions or usage caps.
Amazon Music is one of the leading streaming services and provides its users with a comprehensive set of features. Their 100 million song library can be enhanced with high-resolution and spatial audio options as well as podcasts. Alexa voice control can also be utilized through their apps available on iOS, Android devices, desktop PCs/Macs as well as Sonos/Roku media streamers as well as Amazon Echo/Fire TV devices – it even works in some cars using Android Auto/Apple CarPlay!
The app itself is intuitively designed, offering album artwork, track information and controls similar to Spotify – making familiarity an ease. Furthermore, it is available as both web player and plugin for other media players for maximum versatility when listening to music anywhere at any time. Like many streaming apps, it allows users to download music for offline playback while its smartphone app supports both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.
4. Qobuz
Qobuz stands out among streaming services by being one of the few that cater to audiophiles specifically, streaming CD-quality FLAC files at up to 9,216kHz – significantly better than Spotify or Apple Music which stream at only 320kbps which equates to roughly equivalent mp3 quality – making Qobuz an excellent option for music enthusiasts who prioritize quality over quantity.
Qobuz provides both streaming and download services, giving its subscribers access to an expansive download store – one reason top audiophile brands such as Astell &Kern, Sonos and Bowers & Wilkins have made their streaming devices compatible with it. Furthermore, you’ll have the flexibility of listening to Hi-Res music even without an internet connection if needed!
Qobuz offers an additional feature with their magazine that showcases interviews with artists and news from the music industry, plus they have their own editorial team that creates unique playlists with fresh perspectives on an artist, era or genre – an invaluable way to discover groundbreaking new artists as well as timeless classics!
User interface of Qobuz stands out from other streaming services; its layout is user-friendly with an elegantly simplistic design, easy navigation and clear display of sample rates for every track so that DAC support can easily be verified – something not always found with other services. Alongside high resolution streaming options and extras that set it apart from its rivals such as Spotify and Apple Music, making Qobuz worth your consideration even if its costs slightly more.
5. iTunes
The digital music market has had a profound effect on how people listen to their favorite tunes. Streaming services have become the primary means of consumption; their revenue surpassing CD sales in 2021. Physical media still plays a part in this industry though.
Digital files offer many advantages over CDs in terms of storage and access – such as being easily transferrable between devices. Many consumers therefore opt to store their music library on either a hard drive or solid state drive (SSD) as this makes accessing their collection simpler wherever you may go.
As the recording industry adjusts to digitalization, it’s vital that it fully grasps how the digital music ecosystem operates. This includes understanding how music is delivered and its effect on audio quality, file formats that offer optimal quality as well as their specific use cases.
Assembling and organizing your music collection can be challenging. Understanding music metadata will enable you to ensure that releases are uploaded correctly.
Music distribution on the internet may have altered how people consume music, but its principles remain constant. Distribution means making your songs available to as many ears as possible through channels such as radio play, blogs, shows or word of mouth – as much money as possible should be collected since recording industry deals in fractional pennies.