Question 1

Which music distribution is free?

Hugh McIntyre · Accepted Answer

Sorry to break it to you, but no major music distribution companies are entirely free. If they didn’t have a way to make money from the music they’re distributing, how would they stay in business?
How these music distribution companies earn money from what they share with streaming platforms and download stores differs from option to option, and what is most appealing to you and your band may be the opposite of what another musical act wants.
Most music distribution companies make money by:

Charing an upfront fee to distribute music
Taking a percentage of the revenue earned by the music they distribute
Some combination of the two

Some other music distribution companies also charge an annual fee, or there may be money that must be paid at sign up, but that’s not a common practice any longer. Beware of the fine print though, as a handful of music distribution companies require artists to pay a certain amount every year in order to keep their work on streaming sites and more, and that’s not always immediately made clear.

Question 2

How do I distribute my own music?

Hugh McIntyre · Accepted Answer

In a word…you can’t. None of the most popular streaming music platforms or MP3 download stores allow artists to upload their work without going through a middleman of some sort. Sorry!
There are still a very small number of sites that let you post your own work–such as Bandcamp–but if you want to be featured on all of the majors–Spotify, Apple Music, Pandora, iHeartRadio, and countless others–you’re going to have to pick a music distribution company to work with.

Question 3

What does a music distributor do?

Hugh McIntyre · Accepted Answer

While there is a lot of metadata, business relationships, and certainly technological processes that are involved, when it’s whittled down to a basic definition, music distribution is:
The process by which music is shared to platforms where the public can access it.
Decades ago, that was only record stores. Now, there are hundreds of social media platforms, streaming sites, and MP3 download stores that need music, and they’re all important. This is what music distribution companies focus on today, but the general idea remains the same.

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