Independent music distribution - how?

January 26, 2006 5:40 AM

What's the best way to distribute my sister's music?

My sister writes and sings songs, and after long last has decided that she'd like to pursue it further. She can actually sing and write, so quality isn't a problem; the question is how to proceed. She can lean on musician friends for the recording, but what's the best way to get an unsigned, independent artist "out there"?

posted by bwerdmuller to media & arts (8 comments total)

CD Baby.
posted by cribcage at 5:45 AM on January 26, 2006

I'll second cribcage's suggestion - there's thousands of really good artists on CD Baby, so they must be doing something right. And they're good - I've bought loads of stuff from them and they ship internationally as well.
posted by TheDonF at 6:02 AM on January 26, 2006

My brother uses CD Baby for his band and couldn't be happier. Along with selling the CDs they make it easy to build a website, promote online, sell on iTunes, etc.
posted by mikepop at 6:13 AM on January 26, 2006

as wonky as it sounds myspace is a pretty good place for a musician to connect with fans
posted by psychobum at 6:35 AM on January 26, 2006

As a non-musician but someone who has a profile on MySpace, I would agree with psychobum that it is a good place to connect with fans if done correctly and professionally.

I come across too many musicians/bands on MySpace whose pages take forever to load, who go around begging for folks to add them to their Friends List, who leave annoying huge graphics in the Comments section. It just becomes annoying and unprofessional. It's like the musical equivalent of junk email.

Perhaps the answer is to get a website professionally done, with links to CDBaby to sell and promote and distribute and perhaps a link to a MySpace site to connect with fans, do a blog, etc.
posted by willmize at 7:01 AM on January 26, 2006

Unless she is already, playing gigs is a prerequisite for anything else. After that, it kind of depends on where she wants to go with her music: does she want to make a living at it, or simple be well known in her local scene? If the former, she should either send copies of her album out to every record label (indepedent and, for the hell of it, major) that fits with her genre of music. She should also start playing gigs that A&R guys are known to attend. Plus, if she has any friends in the music business, try and get the word out about herself via them. If the latter, just play gigs and do an album and get it put out on a local label and get a website. If you're good, it's pretty straightforward to get recognition in your local music scene.

Good luck to her.
posted by pollystark at 7:05 AM on January 26, 2006

All of the above. Assuming she (or you) are comfortable doing non-music business things, your task list includes (not in order):

• Record a great album
  
• take a decent picture of herself / band
  
• create a stunning CD package
  
• write bio
  
• make a video of the best song
  
• make free MP3s available of the 2nd & 3rd best songs
  
• get it on CDBaby ---> iTunesMusicStore
  
• buy domain name, secure hosting, build website
  
• set up on myspace
  
• play gigs
  
• build local fan base (where is she located?)
  
• consignment sales to local stores
  
• mailouts to local press/radio
  
• repeat...

I'll disagree with pollystark though on the "send copies to every label..." tactic (at least in the US market.) Better to build a success story on her own first. Once you are generating buzz and doing more business on your own than you can handle, that's the time to approach a label and/or management to help you get to the next level. I think also that you will be a more successful signed artist if you understand the label's role by doing it yourself for a while.

Also try to cultivate an informal relationship with a music lawyer; in fact having the lawyer do the approach to the label instead of the artist is more professional if she wants to try going that way.

(I play in 2 bands & run an indie label...email me direct via the profile if you want to pick my brain some more...)
posted by omnidrew at 8:33 AM on January 26, 2006

Here's a link to some great advice for breaking an act these days. Written by industry veteran Bob Lefsetz.
posted by gfrobe at 11:02 AM on January 26, 2006