Distributors will usually only work with labels that have been in business for at least 3 years or have at least 3 previous releases that have sold several thousand copies each.

Distributors get records into retail stores and online stores, and record labels get customers into retail stores and to visit online music retailers through promotion and marketing tactics.

Make sure there is a market for your style of music. Prove it to distributors by showing them how many records you have sold through live sales, internet sales, and any other alternative methods.

Be prepared to sign a written contract with your distributor because there are no ‘handshake deals’ anymore.

Distributors want ‘exclusive’ agreements with the labels they choose to work with. They usually want to represent you exclusively. Exception is online distributors such as tunecore.com, iTunes, CDBaby etc.

You will sell your product to a distributor for close to 50% of the retail list price. Online price for a song is set by each online store.

When searching for a distributor find out what labels they represent, and talk to some of those labels to find out how well the distributor did getting records into the various types of retailers, both on and off-line.

Investigate the distributor’s financial status. Many label have closed down in recent years, and you cannot afford to get attached to a distributor that may not be able to pay its invoices.

For traditional distribution find out if the distributor has a sales staff, and how large it is. Then get to know the sales reps.

What commitment will the distributor make to help get your records into stores. Ask them.

Is the distributor truly a national distributor, or only a regional distributor with ambitions to be an national distributor. Many large chain stores will only work with national distributors.

Expect the distributor to request that you remove any product you have on consignment in stores so that they can be the one to service retailers.

Make sure that your distributor has the ability to help you setup various retail promotions such as: coop advertising (where you must be prepared to pay the costs of media ads for select retailers), in-store artist appearances, in-store listening station programs, and furnishing POP’s (point of purchase posters and other graphics).

Be aware that as a new label you will have to offer a traditional distributor 100% on returns of your product.

You must bear all the costs of any distribution and retail promotions.

Be able to furnish the distributor with hundreds of ‘Distributor One Sheets’ (Attractively designed summary sheets describing your promotion and marketing commitments. Include barcodes, list price, picture of the album cover, and catalog numbers of your product too).

Traditional distributors may ask for hundreds of free promotional copies of your release to give to the buyers at the retail stores.

Make sure all promotional copies have a hole punched in the barcode, and that they are not shrink-wrapped. This will prevent any unnecessary returns of your product.

Don’t expect a distributor to pay your invoices in full or on time. You will always be owed something by the distributor because of the delay between orders sent, invoices received, time payment schedules (50-120 days per invoice) and whether or not your product has sold through, or returns are pending.

Create a relationship that is a true partnership between your label and the distributor.

Keep the distributor updated on any and all promotion and marketing plans and results, as they develop.

Be well financed. Trying to work with distributors without a realistic budget to participate in promotional opportunities would be a big mistake.

Your distributor will only be as good as your marketing plans to sell the record. Don’t expect them to do your work for you, remember all they do is get records into the stores.

Read the trades, especially Billboard for weekly news on the health of the industry, and/or the status of your distributor.

Work your product relentlessly on as many of the Four Fronts as possible…commercial and non commercial airplay, internet airplay and sales campaigns, on and offline publicity ideas, and touring…eternally touring!

Christopher Knab is an independent music business consultant based in Seattle, Washington. He is available for private consultations on promoting and marketing independent music, and can be reached at 206-282-6116 or by email at: Chris@Knab.com

Chris Knab’s book, ‘Music Is Your Business’ is available from the Music Biz Academy bookstore.

Visit the FourFront Media and Music website for more information on the business of music from Christopher Knab.

You want to “attack” the internet with a killer online marketing strategy but you do not want to appear like a desperate salesman! Here are some effective promotional ideas to boost your album and merch sales:

“Get 10% discount if you promote our album on your Facebook page!”

Simply post the link of our website to your profile for 3 days and you’ll get 10% discount on our band merch. Additional 1% off for every person who comments on the link.

Ø  This is effective because people find it very easy to execute. This is a good strategy since people will ask their friends to check out and comment on your link so they’d get a bigger discount. People who do not know you yet would definitely get curious.

“Giveaway of the week: Mike’s Sunglasses!”

Get a chance to win Mike’s sunglasses if you purchase our album now.

Or, if you just want to engage…

Get a chance to win Mike’s sunglasses simply by answering this question: Who is the sexiest member of the group and why? Write your comment to our website. The one with the best answer will get Mike’s sunglasses.

Ø  If you already have a good following and you are confident many people now value you as a band, then you can giveaway your stuff to random fans. People love gimmicks and free stuff. It will certainly make them more interested in your band.

Free concert tickets!

Get a chance to win 2 tickets for our concert if you purchase our album this week. We will post the 3 lucky winners this Saturday!

Ø  This is perfect for the bands that are not still very famous but are getting there.

Tour with us!

We will pick 5 fans to tour with us this summer! Simply purchase our latest CD and promote it to your facebook page. We will choose the top 5 with the most number of likes and comments.

Ø Give them anything that’s priceless- like a dinner with the band, a chance to be with the band on tour, etc. Again, this is not for the newbies because they would laugh at you when you’re still a newbie and you’d giveout a contest such as this. For newbies, you can start with simpler ones like free shirts, free CD, free concert ticket.

Do you have cool marketing ideas for bands? Please share!

Radio has the most stringent requirements for the CDs that you send them, the discs you put them on, and the cases you put them in. Let’s go over them…

MUSIC SPECIFICS: Should you make albums or singles? The easy answer is relatively simple: If you are sending to college radio, send an album or EP. If you are sending to commercial radio, send a single. If the format is AAA or Americana (the only formats that are both comm and noncomm,) you can send either one, but preferably send the album.

As for the number of tracks on an album, try to keep it below twelve. And make the first track begin with some energy… don’t begin with a song that has a long, slow, building-start (you can do that later on when you are promoting an accepted talent.) For a station that received 20 or 30 releases for review THAT DAY, an album from an unknown artist that starts slow is going to have a tough time being reviewed.

For singles, generally you should have four versions on the CD: The radio edit (clean lyrics); a full length (i.e., “album version”): an a capella version; and an instrumental version. The radio edit should be no longer than 3.5 minutes long. The a cappella and instrumental versions are sometimes used in station commercials, liners, and ID’s. Others versions which may be useful are mix/dance versions and 12-inch cuts (genre permitting).

SPECIFICS ABOUT THE CD: First off, I should make a point that you NEVER send more than one release to a station. It’s difficult enough getting one release from a new artist reviewed. You are only insulting the station by sending more than one release (i.e., sending a current release and a previous release too.)

CD recordable s (or “burned” CDs) are the type that are blue-ish or greenish in color. They are printed on computers, and they are the type you get when you order small quantities like 10 or 100, or if you order from MP3.com. CDRs can be sent to college stations only. CDRs are too unreliable (and are an insult) to commercial stations.

Manufactured CDs are the mandatory type for commercial stations. These are the types of CDs that have a minimum run of 300 or 500, and are silver in color. They are reliable, and show that you have a serious project that you are not going to skimp on.

On the CD graphics, be sure to state artist, title, label, song lengths, the versions, contact info, and (if it is a single) that the song is “from an album”, with a small picture of the album.

For commercial radio, do not use any CD oddities like mini’s, special shapes, odd colors, built-in videos or anything else that is wildly different. Commercial stations only view these as “tricks” by new artists who want attention. Leave that stuff for established artists. For college radio, however, anything goes for any artist.

CASE TYPES: There is a simple answer to this… use standard (not slim line) plastic jewel boxes ONLY. Period! It is the worst peeve of stations when slim cardboard or vinyl cases are used… they don’t fit the CD racks properly, and will just get thrown away. Cardboard and vinyl sleeves literally “slip through the cracks.”

As for the wording on the case, make sure the artist, title(s), label, song lengths, and version descriptions are all on the OUTSIDE of the case (they can be inside, too). And very important… if you have a bar code (or you’ll have a space for one), put it on the back of the case, in the corner, so that you can poke a hole through the plastic/barcode without harming the CD (you do this by using a soldering iron or drill). Note: If the CD is being sent ONLY to radio (and will not to be sold at retail,) then a barcode is not needed.

Finally, when mailing the CDs, use first-class postage. Third-class postage will cause great delays, and can jeopardize the project’s timing.

Report provided by the Bryan Farrish of radio-media.com

1) Distributors will usually only work with labels that have been in business for at least 3 years and/or have at least 3 previous releases that have sold several thousand copies each.

2) Distributors get records into retail stores, and record labels try to get customers into retail stores through their promotion and marketing tactics. And remember: these days there are fewer and fewer indie records stores around, so be sure to find out what specific stores your chosen distributor works with.

3) Make sure there is a market for your style of music. Prove it to distributors by showing them how many records you have sold through live sales, internet sales, and any other alternative methods.

4) Be prepared to sign a written contract with your distributor because there are no ‘handshake deals’ anymore.

5) Distributors want ‘exclusive’ agreements with the labels they choose to work with. They usually want to represent you exclusively.

6) You will sell your product to a label for close to 50% of the retail list price.

7) When searching for a distributor find out what labels they represent, and talk to some of those labels to find out how well the distributor did getting records into retailers.

Investigate the distributor’s financial status. Thousands of Indie labels have closed down in recent years, and you cannot afford to get attached to a distributor that may not be able to pay its invoices.

9) Find out if the distributor has a sales staff and how large it is. Then get to know the sales reps.

10) What commitment will the distributor make to help you get your records into stores.

11) Is the distributor truly a national distributor? Most large ‘big box’ stores only work with national distributors.

12) Expect the distributor to request that you remove any product you have on consignment in stores so that they can be the one to service retailers.

13) Make sure that your distributor has the ability to help you setup various retail promotions such as: coop advertising (where you must be prepared to pay the costs of media ads for select retailers), in-store artist appearances, in-store listening station programs, and furnishing POP’s (point of purchase posters and other graphics).

14) Be aware that as a new label you will have to offer a distributor 100% on returns of your product.

15) You must bear all the costs of any distribution and retail promotions.

16) Be able to furnish the distributor with hundreds of ‘Distributor One Sheets’ (Attractively designed summary sheets describing your promotion and marketing commitments. Include barcodes, list price, picture of the album cover, and catalog numbers of your product too).

17) Distributors may ask for hundreds of free promotional copies of your release to give to the buyers at the retail stores.

18) Make sure all promotional copies have a hole punched in the barcode, and that they are not shrink-wrapped. This will prevent any unnecessary returns of your product.

19) Don’t expect a distributor to pay your invoices in full or on time. You will always be owed something by the distributor because of the delay between orders sent, invoices received, time payment schedules (50-120 days per invoice) and whether or not your product has sold through, or returns are pending.

20) Create a relationship that is a true partnership between your label and the distributor.

21) Keep the distributor updated on any and all promotion and marketing plans and results, as they develop.

22) Be well financed. Trying to work with distributors without a realistic budget to participate in promotional opportunities would be a big mistake.

23) Your distributor will only be as good as your marketing plans to sell the record. Don’t expect them to do your work for you, remember all they do is get records into the stores.

24) Read the trades, especially Billboard for weekly news on the health of the industry, and/or the status of your distributor.

25) Work your product relentlessly on as many of the Four-Fronts as possible…commercial and non commercial airplay, internet airplay and sales campaigns, on and offline publicity ideas, and touring…eternally touring!

Christopher Knab is an independent music business consultant based in Seattle, Washington. He is available for private consultations on promoting and marketing independent music, and can be reached at 206-282-6116 or by email at: Chris@Knab.com

If you want to make money from your music (who doesn’t?), then you better have your music licensed. Indie Music Tech published a definitive list of music licensing companies arranged in an alphabetical list below.

• AudioMicro (license music for motion pictures, feature films, short films, radio advertisements, PowerPoint presentations, iPhone apps and more)
• BeatPick (showcasing 306 talented artists / 5000+ music tracks for film, TV, advertising and other use)
• Gamecues (music licensing for the gaming industry)
• Getty Images (music licensing through Pump Audio)
• iStockphoto (license royalty-free, pay-as-you-go audio tracks and Flash files)
• Jamendo PRO (music licenses for film, documentaries, promotional videos, websites and more)
• LicenseQuote (a music licensing e-commerce solution for music publishers, labels, artists or bands to license their songs and recordings directly from their own web sites while keeping 100% of the sales revenues)
• Magnatune (licensing for independent music)
• Mango Reel (a UK music consultancy with an extensive catalog of independent music for licensing within the television, film, video game and advertising industries)
• Matchless Music (a music licensing site which helps Indie musicians license their tunes to clients in television, film, video games, commercials and the web)
• Music Dealers (a full-service music licensing company that connects quality artists from around the world with leading brands, networks, advertising agencies, film production houses and gaming companies)
• NaxosLicensing (music licensing for classical music, from Bach to Wagner)
• Pump Audio (artists and labels communicate directly with those looking to license music for TV, film, commercials, etc. without giving up any ownership)
• Renommee (European based music licensing provider)
• Ricall (music licensing marketplace, connecting users wanting to license music directly with the relevant copyright owners)
• Rumblefish (licensing for television, film, advertisements, websites, videos, games, podcasts, and sonic branding – e.g. your music inside your local Gap)
• Sentric Music (has contacts across the globe that look for opportunities for their artists music in TV, advertising, film and games)
• SoundLounge (music consultancy helping clients to license their music across all platforms and territories)
• SoundReef (private beta service exchanging music for promotion in television, film, advertising, etc.)
• YookaMusic (a music licensing marketplace for music supervisors, marketing/advertising firms and the like looking to license music, as well as those providing music to license like artists and labels)
• YouLicense (music licensing marketplace, enabling artists and those seeking music to contact each other directly)

Redbox, the popular DVD rental kiosk provider, will begin renting out VIDEO GAMES for PlayStation 3, Nintendo Wii, Xbox 360 and Nintendo DS at their Kiosks around the U.S. this month. There hasn’t been any press release about this new service but Redbox’s website already has a section where we can search for games and locate nearby kiosks where they are offered.

The process for renting remains the same –you reserve online, go to a nearby kiosk, swipe your credit card, and return it to any Redbox kiosk when you’re done.

Redbox began testing video game rentals back in August 2009, but this month, they will be expanding its video game rental test to include additional markets in the West, Midwest and Atlantic Coast. It is part of an ongoing test designed to gauge consumer interest in video game rentals.

The list of games comprised mostly of recent, top-selling releases. Each rental costs $2 per day — that is twice as much as a DVD movie and $0.50 more than a Blu-ray.

Mashable

YANGAROO Inc., the industry’s leading secure digital media distribution company, announced that it has successfully completed the first commercial delivery of a broadcast quality music video to MTV Networks and other destinations on May 27th via its Digital Media Distribution System (DMDS).

The music video for the song “21@12″ by the band Hot Hot Heat was uploaded into DMDS at DVS, a video production and duplication company in Los Angeles. The music video was then transferred via DMDS to Video Static Promotions in New York where it was reviewed and then delivered to music video broadcasters via DMDS, saving all parties considerable time, effort, and money. The process was also environmentally friendly, with no tapes, packaging, or jet fuel wasted in the process.

Traditionally, this process would have taken up to a week to complete at a cost of hundreds of dollars; with DMDS it was completed in minutes at a fraction of the cost. Ten new record labels, video promoters, and production houses have signed up since this first delivery. YANGAROO’S team is currently in discussions with all major and many independent label groups to use DMDS to deliver their music videos to MTV Networks and many other music video broadcasters in the U.S. and Canada.

“This was a remarkably simple and efficient process,” said Steven J Gottlieb, Owner, Video Static. “No more waiting for expensive tape dubs, and couriers. Using DMDS saved the two most important elements for me…time and money!”

“The idea of sending the video digitally excites me – We are honoured!” said Steve Bays of Hot Hot Heat. “I do like the idea that it can be distributed to people almost instantly after being edited. That’s the way it should be! Minimizing the time from ‘idea’ to ‘distribution’ inspires me greatly.”

“This first billable delivery of a music video is the culmination of years of leading-edge technology development and work with the television broadcast and recording industries,” said Josh Zieman, YANGAROO’S New York based Senior Vice President, Business Development. “The response from the industry has been terrific with new signings every day. I expect that DMDS will rapidly become the standard method for delivering music videos throughout the U.S. and internationally.”

SOURCE: Yangaroo Inc.

Every musician is looking for that perfect gig- the gig at a dream venue with a huge payoff both in terms of money and exposure.  Unfortunately these are typically unattainable without already having a fan base to work with. Venues likes bars and clubs are not the only way to get the word out about your music. In fact, it is the non-traditional venue that are most likely to have return customers.

Music Think Tank enumerated 20 interesting venues that can boost fanbase. Here are 5 of what I recommend in their list.

1. Restaurants: These venues are ideal as your ‘audience’ will likely stick around for at least an hour. More than enough time to allow you to establish that emotional connection.

2. Charity Event:  Not saying that you should be exploiting the emotional state of people involved certain charities, but if you feel strongly about something, a charity event is a great way to present your music as a way to help uplift spirits.

3. Local Performing Arts Centers: There are plenty of performing arts centers of all shapes and sizes in every area. Seeking out some of the smaller performing arts centers may be an easily attainable gig, and can be a great way to create an intimate setting for a small gig with some close and dedicated fans.

4. Art Gallery/ Art Shows: Art galleries are usually close quarters which means playing up-close and personal with the attending crowd. This is typically better for an acoustic set of some sort, but is a great way to showcase your music as the people there are already in the open-minded spirit.

5. Bookstore: With bookstores becoming synonymous with cafes, a similar crowd will ensure. This is a good, close quarters venue to put on a quite (or maybe not!) and intimate show. Many bookstores will look for live music for books signings, concert series or even just a weekly live act.

Top EMI executives, in their effort to save the struggling company, had  cut 2000 jobs worldwide and could cut hundreds more jobs soon.

EMI owners Terra Firma must get the votes of 75% of its investors – who have already lost most of their initial £1.8 billion investment – to inject £120M ($183M USD) in additional funds by June 14th or risk losing control of the company to lender CitiGroup. New CEO Charles Allen is expected to tell investors this week that profits at EMI Music could reach £300M by 2015 vs £200M in the last 12 months, according to The Times.

But in order to hit that target, EMI has to cut down hundreds of jobs as well as find a way to lease EMI’s U.S. music catalog to a rival label group for the next 5 years.

The Melbourne-based indie label Rubber Records, which in the past has released albums by the likes of Jet, 1200 Techniques, Underground Lovers and the Casanovas, will no longer sell CDs in traditional outlets. Instead, all its releases will be digitally delivered from its own online store.

“Physical retail distribution is dictated by a business model that no longer works for either the customer, the artist or the label,” says Vodicka, who also serves as chairman of indie trade association AIR. “It’s also anti-competitive. We can’t sell-in direct to the biggest national retailer JB Hi Fi, we have to go through a third party distributor with an account. Distributors take a minimum cut of 25%, and we have to pass that onto the consumer.”

Vodicka says Rubber’s direct-to-fan marketing and consumer approach is a cost-effective solution that will appeal to other indies. “To an extent, it’s already started. Anything considered ‘marginal’ by traditional retail, no longer gets shelf space, so niche music fans have already learned to either buy direct — either at shows or via the Web — or digitally,” he tells Billboard.biz.

All existing Rubber Records CD and vinyl catalog will be sold at a warehouse clearance sale May 15 at the label’s corner building in West Melbourne. Leftover stock is to be destroyed.