How to Sell Music Online – Step-by-Step Guide
The music industry has grown in leaps and bounds over the last decade thanks to the rising trend in digital platforms where musicians can sell their music online either through streaming or downloads. According to Statista, revenue in the Digital Music segment currently amounts to US$18,613m. Streaming, one of the avenues fans are engaging with online music, accounted for 56.1 percent of the total global recorded music revenue.
Source: Statista
This is an indication that music lovers are gradually moving away from traditional CDs, Vinyl and physical albums, and consuming more on the digital front. Therefore, whether you are releasing a single, a compilation, or an album, selling your music online is your best bet to have your music reach a wider audience while monetizing your craft.
It is crucial to have a solid plan in place to optimize your sales. There are numerous ways you can sell your music online and maximize revenues. Let’s get right to it and discover the best ways to sell your music online.
How to sell your music online
- Build a website
- Email marketing
- Social media
- Find online music retailers
- Promote your music through Digital Distribution services
Website
A website is a great way to brand yourself as a music artist. It is also a great platform to let your fans know more about you and engage with more of your music. Music fans may come across your music online, and like what they hear, they will probably want to know more about the artist. A website provides information about the artist and presents a reliable and direct channel to engage with more of your music. This, in turn, could easily lead to direct sales. The Ecommerce Foundation states that 88% of consumers will research product information before purchasing a product online.
Your website should reflect your style from its custom design. You also need to provide your audience with an easy to use song section within your website where they can engage with your music. Simply upload your music and offer your fans free music and previews of music for sale. Ensure that the music is in standard formats such as MP3, WAV, or FLAC, which are the most common formats.
There are still some music fans who still love buying vinyl and CDs. Selling CDs online can be seamlessly integrated into your online sales. Add a personalized touch by signing them to show appreciation to loyal fans who may want to keep them as souvenirs. To ensure that your physical products like Vinyl or CDs reach your fans, track inventory of your products (Payever products offers an efficient tracking inventory system). You are sure to have loyal fans coming back for more.
A music selling website is the backbone of your business as a music artist; it sustains all the digital marketing efforts. All your social media platforms should be linked to your website to direct traffic to it. Also, take advantage of the emails from your online sales to build a mail list that is crucial for your business in the long term. This should also channel people to your website.
Build your website with just one click, and you can start selling your music. Sign up today and sell your music at Payever
Email marketing
The impact of email marketing cannot be underestimated in this digital era. Statista indicates that by 2019, there were 3.9 Billion email users globally and estimates that by 2023, the figure will have risen to 4.3 Billion users. A further report indicates that of all mails sent out, 49% are accessed through mobile devices.
Take advantage of the fact that people check their mail daily and, increasingly, on their mobile devices. This means that every other minute someone could be reading your mail. Keep your fans informed by sending out personalized offers, creating unique newsletters whenever a new song or album comes out, or even selling directly via email.
Email marketing is a sure way to drive your music sales. The mailing list generated from your website sales is a database of your loyal fans.
Payever Mail is a great tool to help you do this with just one click.
Social media
The music industry thrives on publicity, and social media platforms are a great way to publicize your music and grow your brand. It is essential to curate content that resonates with your audience as an artist. In doing so, you are connecting with your audience on a more personalized level.
Establishing a robust social media presence is crucial for building your audience and creating diversified revenue streams. There are different ways you could keep your fans engaged on social media;
- Keep them updated on your day-to-day activities.
- Connect, follow, and engage with other musicians on social media
- Flaunt your skill by performing via live stream, or record a work in progress
- Offer exclusive giveaways and promotions of music along with your merchandise.
- Keep your content varied and consistent.
- Get creative with interactive features. You could ask your followers to do covers of your new song.
Also, ensure that you monetize your social media platforms to increase your income. Carry out social media campaigns to boost your revenue. Payever Ad will help you harness the power of social media in one simple click.
Online music retailers
There are numerous online music download and streaming platforms that will offer your music a wider reach. Think global. Statistics indicate that streaming has fast become the best way to sell music online. Music streaming has rapidly surpassed physical music product sales and downloads. Statista suggests that as of May 2020, revenue in the Music Streaming segment amounts to US$16,632m. Revenue is expected to show an annual growth rate (CAGR 2020-2024) of 5.8%, resulting in a market volume of US$20,829m by 2024. This is not to say that you should not diversify on other digital platforms. The more platforms your music is on, the more fans it reaches, and more revenue sales for you. Integrate them into your Payever shop to maximize your sales.
Let’s take a look at some music platforms where you can sell your song or album.
Spotify
Rated as the most powerful digital music platform, Spotify boasts of 33 million premium users. It is among the leading on-demand music streaming apps that could push your music to more fans worldwide.
Pros
- Easy to use interface
- It has a comprehensive catalog
- It is compatible with almost all devices.
Cons
- Only premium subscribers can listen to music offline
- Ads on the free version
- No lyrics feature
- Available in a limited number of countries
Apple Music
Apple Music is an online streaming platform that blends your music catalog with live radio and on-demand streaming. Apple Music offers over 50 million songs streaming. With over 60 million subscribers, you are guaranteed a far-reaching audience.
Pros
- Users can combine their music playlists to iTunes catalog
- 24-hour Live radio station
- You can play offline
- Device compatible
- Easy to use interface
Cons
- Best integrated with Apple products
Amazon Music Unlimited
A more enhanced version of Amazon Prime Music, this streaming platform offers 60 million songs ad-free.
Pros
- You can use one account on multiple devices
- Download music while offline
- Compatible with iOS, Android, and FireTablet platforms
Cons
- Available to Amazon Prime members only
- Available in a limited number of countries.
Bandcamp
Touted as the most artist-friendly site, Bandcamp is an excellent platform for upcoming independent artists. Bandcamp allows the artist to upload music and offer it either as a free download or a paid download. Also, users can decide the amount of money they want to buy music on this platform. Bandcamp is your ideal site to grow your audience.
Pros
- Ability to build a mailing list
- Clean, user-friendly and customizable interface
- Free for artists
- Artists can sell their merchandise on the platform
Cons
- Not easily integrated with social media platforms
- Lacks diverse features to suit seasoned artists
YouTube
Developed by Youtube, this streaming service accounts for an estimated 15 million users. Research indicates that Youtube Music is the world’s leading music app, with currently over 13.3 million downloads from the Google Play Store and over four million downloads from the Apple App Store in 2019. This makes it the ideal platform for you to promote your music.
Pros
- Available in 77 countries
- Easy to use interface
- Offers a free version
- Search a song by lyrics
- Time-based playlists
- Easy to share music across social media platforms
Cons
- Privacy invasion
- Users can download music illegally
- Does not provide much non-music programming
Promote your music through Digital Distribution services
One of the most effective ways of expanding your music base is by promoting your music through a digital distribution platform. As mentioned earlier, a majority of people consume online music through streaming platforms. A digital distribution platform can send your music across multiple streaming channels like Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, and the rest to reach your fans worldwide.
Some of the top distribution platforms include;
- Tunestore
- CD Baby
- Landr
- Ditto Music
- Reverbnation