As The World Tunes

Uploading Your Music To The World Wide Web

by Steve Bussey
GeoSynchronous Records

We look at how you can sell your music directly over the Internet, without having to press actual hard copies of compact discs or cassette tapes. This is a really exciting change in the way of record sales, since it eliminates the costs of manufacture, shipping, distribution, and stocking of product. A customer anywhere (if they have Internet access) can buy your song!

There are many formats for sound files on the Internet, but the MP3 format appears to be the most popular. The MP3 technology allows you to compress a relatively large audio file into a significantly smaller size that can be more easily downloaded to your computer. You can then play the MP3 file on your computer, a portable player, or even create customized CDs. The quality of the sound is quite good. Some sites use another format called Real Audio for a quick sample of the music, so the customer can decide whether or not to take the extra time to download the higher quality MP3 file.

We talk about sales of MP3, but a lot of the web sites are giving songs away for free. Of course this is illegal if the songwriters and copyright owners do not give permission, and there have been several highly publicized arrests recently. However, many unsigned bands and even some major, well known artists are offering songs for free downloading as a promotional tool, hoping that free music will inspire the customers to buy more later. So, giving away a song or two on the web for free can be an effective marketing technique which will make you money in the long run.

MP3 software Encoders and Decoders are required. All of the sites offer free decoders, but the encoders cost a few dollars and are reasonably priced. Some of the sites will encode your music for you.

Here are some MP3 hosts:

Internet Underground Music Archives(IUMA) - The grandfather of all the music downloading sites, committed to the independent musician since 1993. You get your own URL (bandname.iuma.com) and a custom web page where you can post all your band info, images, biographical text and MP3's (up to 10 songs), sell CDs, create message boards, fan lists, and get e-mail from your fans. Once you've completed your site, your music will be showcased throughout the IUMA site. No charge to you or your customers. IUMA also offers CD/Tape distribution for the artists on the IUMA site. Their consignment fee is $5 per CD/Tape. You set the selling price, so if you set the price at $15, you will net $10. www.iuma.com

Emusic.com (affiliated with IUMA) - EMusic.com sells downloadable songs or complete albums. You can buy just that one-hit-wonder single or the whole album. Most songs only cost $.99, and whole albums typically cost $8.99 www.emusic.com

Licensemusic.com (LM) - For labels, publishers, music production libraries, and unsigned artists. You will receive the actual contract only if your music is selected for the unsigned artist program. LM serves as your agent to get your music placed in audio-visual productions, but this is non-exclusive and copyright ownership is not affected. LM will not charge you any set-up fees or agency fees, but will retain 50% of all license fees involving the use of your music. LM has the exclusive right to determine the price for each license fee, and for each downloading transaction. www.licensemusic.com

Lightning Capitol Music - Offering musicians, producers, and songwriters a complete music publishing deal including global on-line audio distribution for their works. Get paid forty (40) U.S. cents sales royalty per MP3 download. You will also receive Mechanical Royalties, Performing Rights Royalties and Sales Royalties in addition to marketing and promotional activities performed by Lightning Capitol Music as your Publishers. Be careful, this is way more than simple song downloading, it is a complete signing away of your publishing rights. It might be good for you, or it might not, check the fine print, www.LightningCapitolMusic.com.

MP3.com - For free, artists can promote and distribute their music through MP3.com and, for free, audiences can play and download music from MP3.com . They had a promotion running recently where the highest activity songs earned money, up to several thousand dollars! No obligation, simple non-exclusive agreement can be terminated by you at any time!

Lycos - Lycos Music Listening Room will provide all the elements you need to reach new fans and retain the current ones, all for free. All you need to do is provide your music in MP3 format and some biographical information. There's even short articles on how to build an effective music site and increase your Internet fan base. listeningroom.lycos.com

These are just a few of the MP3 sites, new ones are being added everyday. Look around, read the fine print, and hop on in. Hope to hear you on my computer soon!

About the author: Steve Bussey is a singer/songwriter/guitarist and is currently the owner and general manager of GeoSynchronous Records (http://www.pan.com/geosync, Listening Line 800 235 9193, ask for a free catalog), an indie label handling artists such as Les Dudek, Mike Pachelli, Bong Water Taffy, and Big Red & The Bus. Prior to this, Steve earned Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Electrical Engineering and Acoustics from Georgia Tech, designed sound equipment and guitar amps for Fender, and supervised design of communication systems for the Space Shuttle at Kennedy Space Center.