Many aspiring musicians wonder “How can I sell my music online?” With the internet and online music retailers, making money and sharing your music has never been easier. Here are some of the first basic steps you’ll need to follow in order to upload and sell your music online.
Audio Quality
Be sure to check your audio quality. Listen to your music on various devices, including those you normally wouldn’t use. Try it on a computer, .mp3 player, car stereo—whatever you can think of.
Audio Files
Although you listen to .mp3 music files, those aren’t the best files to use to upload your music, because it’s a compressed format. Instead use a WAV or FLAC file, and get it mastered first if you want top quality.
Meta Data
The meta data is the information you’ll need to include so that listeners can find your music in the music website’s online search. Information such at the album, song titles, song length, and artist are necessary so the music retailer can attach the meta data to the files.
Album Artwork
You’d be surprised just how crucial album art can be for success. Be sure that it’s in keeping with your genre, is high quality, and is easily seen in a tiny thumbnail. The current standard for many online music stores is an image file size of 3000 x 3000 pixels with a 300 dpi/ppi resolution.
Copyright
Look into music copyright, and get all that taken care of in advance. There are special processes for copyrighting or licensing music, so do that in advance before someone rips off your music.
Music Aggregator
Most major music retailers don’t usually deal directly with indie artists. Instead, you’ll need to make a deal with a music aggregator, which will distribute your music to the retailers. Check the vending contract carefully and make sure you understand the terms, and that they are fair.
There are many other things you’ll need to learn along your journey toward becoming a paid independent music artist, but these steps should get you started in the right direction.