Whether you’re releasing a new album or EP or launching a series of singles, you’ll want to have a plan in place to help you sell your music online. This will help ensure that people do hear it and that fans are able to support you by purchasing your songs.
It takes time and effort to create new music. You can get more engagement from fans if you make the same effort when selling your music online.
This comprehensive guide will break down the process of selling music online into small, manageable steps that any musician can follow. It is important to create a strategy that engages your fans. Use a combination of services to sell your music online. Focus on your website and mailing list to maximize revenue.
Sell your music online.
Selling your music online is so much more than uploading it and hoping that fans will find it and want to buy it. To get started with selling your music, you’ll want to decide where to place your music for sale.
Think about your fans. Where will they most likely buy or consume music? Focus your efforts on the areas where your music fits best. Be realistic when it comes to your genre and your fan demographics. It would be best if you then were prepared to play music in all the places they are likely to frequent.
Own website
create a website to sell your music. You can control everything and make more money with a service like Bandzoogle.
You can sell as many products as you want, and your fans can support you by directing them to this online space.
Your fans can always find your music on your website if you have a dedicated page. Fans of all ages, genders, and listening preferences can access it.
You will also own all the emails and data you collect from the website sales. It is important for your long-term career success that you use your emails to keep in touch with your most loyal fans and sell them music.
Create a professional site in just a few simple clicks, where you can sell music or merchandise commission-free. Join Bandzoogle and start a music sale.
Music stores that offer digital music
Don’t forget to sell your music through digital retailers. Your music will reach more people if you release it in as many locations as possible. Music fans are more likely to purchase new music at a store that they trust and use frequently. They also prefer to do so from a place where they have their credit card stored.
You’ll need a distributor such as CD Baby to sell your music digitally. Your music will be distributed to 150+ download sites and streaming services worldwide. It includes well-known retailers such as Google Play and Amazon so people can find and purchase your music the way they prefer.
Bandcamp
Bandcamp allows you to sell music directly to fans and collect their data. The service does take a 15% cut, but they also put a lot of emphasis on discovering new music. Bandcamp recommends music through its blog, its app, and its podcast, Bandcamp Weekly. Many music lovers are already familiar with Bandcamp and go there to discover new music.
You can embed your music and sell it on your Bandzoogle site by using the Bandcamp integration.
SoundCloud
SoundCloud is a platform with a large user base and curators. Including your music on this platform can help you gain exposure through discovery. Pro users are able to edit track metadata or add a “Buy” link. This allows fans to purchase tracks from other sites.
Streaming platforms
Spotify and Apple Music are popular music streaming services. Although the income an artist may receive from streaming music is not large, these platforms are helpful for discovering new music.
Including in a Spotify playlist can help you attract new listeners and connect with them. This will hopefully lead to a relationship that continues beyond the initial discovery. It is the goal to make true fans who will keep up with your musical tastes. You can then sell your music to them in the future once you have their contact details.
Sell your music online.
Once you have a plan in place to make your music available, you’ll want to be sure that your fans are able to find it. Create some momentum for your music by first estimating your efforts and then lining up the timing prior to releasing your music.
Prepare all the photos and videos as soon as you have a rough sketch. The release will move fast, so you’ll need to be organized to maximize it.
Decide on the phases you will use to sell your single or album. You want to create anticipation for your music, build your relationship with fans, and raise money. This might look something like:
Create a plan to help you sell your music
Before you begin selling your music online, you will want to develop a marketing strategy. When you do this, remember the places that you selected from the list to sell your music and where your fans can easily access it.
It would be best if you created a timeline to help you stay on track. It will also help you reach your goals in terms of selling and promoting music. First, you should know what music you want to sell. You should then decide if you’re going to release singles and when. Consider the best ways to promote your music.
Engage your fans
You’ll want to engage your fans from the beginning once you know the timeline that you will follow to sell your song. It’s important to start early so you have time to create a journey for your fans.
Plan some promotion in conjunction with recording, production, and seeing through your songs to completion. Use ideas that showcase your new songs. For example, video teasers and snippets can be posted on Facebook and Instagram. Send photos of the progress to your fans on a regular basis.
Create a crowdfunding campaign.
Consider crowdfunding the ultimate pre-ordering method. Before you record your song, create a crowdfunding campaign on your website. This way, you can retain 100% of all pledges.
The addition of perks will not only fund your album but will also give you an idea of how many CDs, vinyl, or other items you need to produce. Crowdfunding your album can also be a good way to get your community behind your upcoming release.
Pre-orders can be placed.
It’s a great idea, whether you crowdfunded your album or not, to put it up for pre-order in the weeks before the release. You can then use this as an opportunity to inform fans about your music (e.g., “album is available for pre-order at these stores”). It’s also a great way to invite people who didn’t participate in your crowdfunding campaign to buy your album.
Create a pre-order for your music to maximize your revenue. If you want to chart your music, the sales will be reported by Luminate (formerly SoundScan).
Pre-sales is where you engage your biggest fans. Drive pre-sales orders to platforms that will maximize your revenue. You can do this by using your website and Bandcamp to collect email addresses. Apple Music, for instance, is less profitable and doesn’t share valuable customer data or email addresses with you.
You can also explore other options in the pre-release phase, such as releasing music early on Spotify or using a site like Show. Co to create Spotify pre-save ads or audio advertisements. You can try out a few options to release one and decide what works best for you.
Allow yourself enough time to complete the process.
Release Singles
Release singles at a regular pace to prepare for an album release. This keeps you in the minds of your fans and provides you with a variety of promotional materials. Choose which singles to release and when.
Then, create a pre-release strategy that you can use to build momentum for your music. You can sell singles on your website and all the platforms on which you would list your album.
Release your album
When your album is finished, you can release it to those who have pre-ordered. Make it available on your website, in digital online stores, and streaming services.
It is important to coordinate this with online promotions, such as email newsletters and social media posts. You can add each new song to your YouTube channel to be discovered ( music videos or simple lyric videos with a link to your website).
Your website is still the best place to drive fans to buy your album, even though it will be sold in popular online shops.
Use a landing page to draw your fans’ attention to your new music. Smart Links can be used to create an organized layout that offers options for your fans to purchase or listen to music across different platforms. Send your fans to the site while it is still fresh.
The Homepage of your site should contain the latest information about your music. Your website’s Homepage should also include the latest information about your new music.
