Digital downloading accounts for 80% of the digital music sales on the internet. As an independent musician, you will want to get your music into digital downloading because it creates an opportunity for you to publicize your music. Besides illegal downloading which reduce a substantial amount of traditional sales, legal downloading services such as iTunes, eMusic and Napster allows you to market your music to a diverse group of people with minimal costs.

Before uploading your music to iTunes, the music must go through the process of mastering. The process of mastering involves evening out the dynamics and EQ as well as maximizing the volume of your recording. If you want to compete with the major labels, you must make sure your songs stand out with the best quality. The mastering process is important because it make sure the quality of your release match the commercial standards. You can manually carry out the mastering process or hire a professional to help you. If you choose to manually conduct the mastering process, make sure the final product of the sound is optimized.  You should also make sure the album artwork is complete and the track credits are assigned appropriately.

If you want to distribute in iTunes, you must assign the UPC code to your release. . If you are registering a UPC as your own company, there is a $750 fee that you have to pay. There are a number of alternatives which allows you to register for a UPC at an affordable price.

One of the ways to get a UPC is through a CD duplication company. CD duplication company charges a fee between $20 – $50 for a UPC to be assigned to your product. Users will have the opportunities to distribute their album as a regular CD or digitally distributed version.

Another option is through music services such as CD Baby, musicadium, nimbit, ReverbNation, Songcast, Tunecore, The Orchard. Some music services charges a fee for the UPC code while others don’t. In addition, you will also need ISRC code. The ISRC code can be obtained from the music services.

If you are an independent musician, you will not be able to upload your music directly to Apple. In order to deal directly with Apple, you must be affiliated with an established distributor. Publishing your music with a distribute enable you to have the opportunity to work with high volume sellers. Before signing a contract with a digital distributing partner, be sure to read the terms carefully and make sure you own all the rights to your music. If you cannot comprehend the terms in the agreement, you should seek the advice of an experienced entertainment lawyer. You’ll also want to make sure you receive a fair amount of royalty. The average pricing for a music download is $0.60. The digital distribution company usually obtains 10% profit per song download.

Some of the best digital distribution companies include CDBaby and TuneCore. Both services will set up to sell your CD on major stores such as iTunes. In addition, they will also distribute your songs on their online store.There are a number of pricing models which you can choose from. If your music is not widely publicized, a commission fee structure may suit you. If your music is very popular, you should opt for the flat fee structure with 0% commission. When choosing a service, make sure you get the most out of your money.

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