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How Do Independent Artists Get Distribution?

1. They want to get recorded but no one will sign them. Record labels look for a track record of sales so the artists get turned down.

2. If no one will sign them, the artists decide to record their own album.

   They either get the money and hire a studio to do it, or

   They don't have the money to go to a studio so they decide to build their own studio. They spend lots of money on equipment and then discover they will have to learn how to be an engineer. After lots of time and money building the studio, they discover they haven't been writing anything to record.

3. They complete the album but can't get it into the marketplace. No one wants it because it's not from a record label.

4. They "create" a record label. Basically, they name themselves a label and put the name on the CD.

5. They still can't get the album into the marketplace. They don't have a distributor.

6. They try to get a distributor but no one wants them because they aren't selling CDs.

7. They start placing their CDs using Amazon and CD Baby and small retailers and selling CDs on their website.

8. Even when they start selling CDs to establish a track record, they still can't get a distributor. Then their sales start dropping off because all the easy sales have already been made. They may get enough sales to pay for the past CD so they start recording another one hoping it will be better than the first. They basically go through these same steps again and get the same results.

1. The songwriter. There is nothing to perform until there is a song so this is where it all starts.

2. The performer(s). This is where the song gets played. Often the songwriter/performer tries do it all. Songwriter/singer playing rhythm/melody on guitar/piano. It rarely works. Having other artists work with you improves your odds of success. If you are having trouble getting others to work with you, go back to #1 and work more on that. Other artists won't waste their time performing poor songs.

3. The recording studio. This is about engineering and having the right tools to do the job. Becoming a good engineer is as much work as becoming a good musician. As a result, it's rare to see a good engineer and good artist in the same individual. If you want to become your own engineer, it will require putting your music on hold while you learn it. It's counterproductive.

   Good equipment is also expensive. A good sound card runs $500 or more. I have 2 of them and plan on adding another. That's more than many home studios spend on their computer. It also takes a great computer and great software and the knowledge of how to maintain them. You'll probably be upgrading software at least once a year as well. A $200 mic is considered a cheapy. And different instruments and voices require different types of mics. It can take 6 or more mics to record a drum kit.

   Those who build project studios often start recording other artists to pay for them. And what does that do for their own music? We still haven't talked about things like the quality of the room you record in. But I'll leave that for another day.

4. The mix. Recording is actually only half of making an album. Poor mixes are very common among do-it-yourselfers. Part of it may be a lack of objectivity. The artists hear the song in their mind and don't notice that the sound coming out of the speakers doesn't match. Another part of the problem is often a lack of good speakers and a good sounding room in which to mix. Having experience is also very helpful and that takes time.

5. The label. Here is the most misunderstood part of it all. A label isn't a financier to the artist. They may loan money to the artist but that is paid back out of royalties. The label's real job is to sell the album. No, that's not the distributor's job.

   The label will do things like getting radio air play. No one will buy an album if they haven't heard the songs. Promoting one song on the album to 100 radio stations will require contacting all 100 stations every week for 3 or 4 months encouraging them to play the song and letting them know what other stations are playing the song. And 100 stations isn't a big promotion.

   Along with the radio promotion is contacting the retailers to see how their stock is doing and report back to the distributor when it is low. This is why calling yourself a label doesn't mean anything to a distributor.

6. The distributor. They are basically the delivery boy and money collector. Their sales people will promote albums and encourage retailers to carry your album but the retailer will ask what the label is doing to promote it. When you try to make a distribution deal, the first thing the distributor wants to know is what the label will be doing to promote the album and what size is the budget. It's difficult to mount a credible campaign for less than $3,000. If the label can't make a big commitment to promotions and advertising, the distributor isn't interested.

   So here's where another problem comes up. If the artist has been busy doing their own independent distribution, they would be competing against the label and the distributor. Why would a label and distributor work hard on an album if they don't reap the rewards? And you can imagine the embarrassment of a rep trying to place an album where the artist has already done it. And who does the retailer deal with, the artist or distributor?

I'd wish you all a whole bunch of luck selling your CDs but I know it will take a lot more than that.

Rich
Emerald Bay Records