Bandcamp & SoundCloud are NOT sufficient (Why you want music distribution)

It’s at all times a shock after I hear it.

It shouldn’t be, as a result of I’ve heard it lots of of instances.

However it surprises me all the identical, at any time when I ask an artist if their music is on Spotify or Apple Music, and so they say, “No, I’m solely on Bandcamp.”

Or “I’m solely on SoundCloud.”

Or sound.xyz, or BandLab, or Beatport…

Solely this. Or solely that.

The issue isn’t these platforms. They’re all nice and have unimaginable music communities with distinct habits, cultures, and alternatives.

The issue is that phrase “ONLY!”

I’ve been round lengthy sufficient to ensure one factor: YOU may solely be in a single place, however your potential followers are NOT.

I get it although. It could really feel extra manageable, streamlined, and connective to focus on a single platform and user-base. You may assume it’s saner and extra community-minded. Which might be why it’s such a typical mistake artists make.

Now, let me caveat this argument by saying the plain: It’s your music, and it is best to do no matter is finest for you, your creativity, and your followers. Nevertheless, when your music is obtainable in ONLY one place, you’re not accounting for three fixed challenges within the digital age:

1. The fragmentation of listenership

We used to solely have a handful of choices:

• Radio
• CD or cassette or vinyl (relying on the period)
• Stay exhibits
• After which (following the Napster years) “obtain” principally implied a single dominant platform — iTunes

Right now listening is unfold out throughout:

• Dozens of DSPs
• Livestreaming platforms like Twitch
• Video platforms like YouTube and TikTok
• Video video games
• Digital AND terrestrial radio
• Artist and label web sites
• Music blogs
• And sure, music companies like Bandcamp and Soundcloud

However even diehard followers of a specific style aren’t all loyal to the identical platforms and apps. And amongst a single class akin to DSPs, completely different platforms are dominant in several international locations.

You must NOT assume all of your potential followers desire what you like. You can also’t assume they’ll change their habits or subscriptions to fulfill you the place YOU are at.

The world is stuffed with an excessive amount of music, and too many competing types of leisure. Your music must be available within the locations they ALREADY spend their time.

Correct music distribution solves this, by releasing your music in every single place that issues.

2. The altering of phrases & options

One other downside with placing your eggs in a single basket? It assumes issues will keep the identical (or enhance) in the case of your capacity to develop and nurture an viewers on that platform.

However how usually has that occurred for the reason that days of MySpace?

Eventual platform dangers embody:

• Your natural attain will get throttled
• The rev-share percentages tilt in direction of the platform
• Workers will get laid off and the tech suffers
• The algorithm begins recommending different kinds of issues
• You’re requested to subscribe for instruments you used to take without any consideration
• You need to pay advert prices to compensate for misplaced consideration

That’s not even meant as a knock in opposition to firms that must monetize. After all they do! They’re companies. However you may’t depend on the phrases remaining the identical. As a result of you aren’t in cost, and the viewers you construct on any platform is barely partially your personal.

I’m additionally not arguing that such platforms gained’t be useful to you as soon as they alter. META, as an illustration, is now an absolute skilled at taking cash from labels and artists in change for attain and conversions. I’d nonetheless argue it’s probably the greatest methods you may spend cash as a musician.

But when ALL your exercise is remoted to a single platform, the dangers to you’re all of the better, if and when the platform evolves.

Correct music distribution helps restrict these dangers, as a result of your music has already been despatched to many competing platforms. And by extension, which means chances are you’ll have already got audiences on these different platforms too.

3. Platforms aren’t endlessly

Not like diamonds, platforms don’t final.

Consideration shifts. Habits change. Codecs die. Firms merge, or go extinct.

And whereas it might sound absurd to you as we speak to contemplate that (insert your favourite music or social platform) will probably be out of enterprise tomorrow, it’s occurred earlier than. And it’ll occur once more. Again and again.

Music distribution future-proofs you in opposition to this danger. As a result of whereas any distributed catalog will possible go down with the ship on these dimming or lifeless platforms, who cares? As a result of those self same songs will ALSO be delivered to all the brand new upstarts who stand to switch the previous giants.

Conclusion

Maintaining your music and your neighborhood engagement restricted to at least one platform might sound like the best, most centered, and even hippest path ahead.

However it’s shortsighted.

You need your music to final a very long time, proper? Then don’t depend on ONLY Bandcamp, or SoundCloud, or some other single platform.

Correct music distribution is likely one of the finest methods to outmaneuver these three large challenges talked about above. And fortunately, it’s fairly simple as we speak to launch your music the suitable means.

Take a look at ReverbNation distribution.