Tuesday, July 18th, 2023.
Hey, it’s TJ Miller, “you want some game?” Let's #tipundathehat!
For the best indie music from indie artists, click, and follow the Spotify Playlist Indie Artist Of The Week. This week - Anisa Fowler. Be sure to follow the artists that turn you on.
The Big 3 - Let’s Go -
Nowadays, when you mention the Big 3, you are either talking about Ice Cube’s new basketball league or the three major record distribution companies Sony, Warner, or Universal. But this time here at Unda The Hat, we are talking about the big three in digital distribution. Now, not to make anybody mad, there are a ton of music distribution companies who claim to be “the best” at what they do. “The best” however, is going to be determined by what your goals are. Make sure you have clear-cut goals for distributing your music. Music distribution helps you build your brand as an artist or label. Making your music available on popular platforms increases your visibility and reaches a wider audience. This can help you establish yourself as a serious artist or label and attract new fans and followers. So for this writing, we will focus on the Big 3; CDBaby, TuneCore, and DistroKid; albeit ever so briefly.
CDBaby, TuneCore, and DistroKid are all popular digital music distribution services that allow artists to upload their music to online stores sometimes called DSPs (Digital Service Providers) and streaming services. However, there are a few differences here and there between the three services.
CDBaby is one of the oldest (and they act like it) and most established digital music distribution services. It offers a wide range of features, including the ability to distribute music to over 150 online stores and streaming services. This is the tricky part, CDBaby doesn’t directly offer marketing of any sort, however, it is aligned with companies like show.co which offers things like the ability to offer pre-saves, digital banners, and other offerings. But for concentrated marketing and promotional services, you got to hit the street and find your own, or just call me. You really need to have your act together with CDbaby, or your release will get rejected. They give you a timeline with dates that you need to follow or you will get pushed back to another date. So don’t be late.
TuneCore is another popular digital music distribution service. It offers a similar range of features to CDBaby, but it charges a lower commission rate. TuneCore also offers a few unique features, such as the ability to distribute music to TikTok and other social media platforms.
DistroKid is the newest of the three services, but it has quickly become one of the more popular. Primarily because you can come late with your release and they will try and push it out for you. They are pretty lax in that regard. DistroKid offers a straightforward and affordable service that allows artists to distribute their music to over 100 online stores and streaming services. DistroKid does not charge any annual fees or commissions, and it has a few cool tools to help artists promote their music.
Ultimately, the best digital music distribution service for you will depend on your individual needs, goals, and budget. As for the artwork, they all want something around 3000x3000 pixels, but make sure you read before you submit. Your timeline is important only to you, you don’t want to wait weeks just to find out Spotify didn’t approve your artwork. See this is when being strict can help you. CDBaby will stop you before you submit. DistroKid will send what you give them and you find out later that your cover was not approved.
CDBaby is a good option if you are looking for a comprehensive service with a wide range of features. If you are looking for a lower-cost service, TuneCore is a good choice. And if you are looking for a simple and affordable service, DistroKid is the way to go. And I’m here to help no matter which way you choose to go.
This week's #IAOTW - Independent Artists Of The Week is - Anisa Fowler. 
Anisa is Trinidadian-born, now New York-based singer-songwriter who has stepped out of the box of traditional gospel music and creates music from life experiences that we all can relate to. Click on her name link, scroll down to her picture, then click and support. You won’t believe how talented she is.
For more information on this or to hire Unda The Hat as your brand or label consultant send a message via undathehat.com. See you next week!!