November 21, 2008

How to get your Music on iTunes

iTunes has without a doubt become the leader in the field of digital downloads currently controlling approximately 70% of the market, surpassing Wal-Mart and Best Buy this year to become the #1 music retailer in the United States.

This has caused Latino Hip-Hop artist's everywhere to ask themselves 'how can I get my music on there and get a piece of the action'?

Well here are two companies that can get your music on iTunes quick and easy: CDBaby.com and Tunecore.com.

Of these two companies I have used CDBaby.com since 2002 and have been very happy with them. They have great customer service (they always answer the phone), their website is easy to use, and they are inexpensive. CDBaby charges a $35 album setup fee and if you do not have a UPC barcode (which you will need in order to have your music on iTunes) they can provide it for an additional $20. The main reason I choose CDBaby over TuneCore is because they only charge a one time fee to get your music on there site and sent to iTunes along with an additional 9% of each digital down load sale.

TuneCore on the other hand charges a yearly maintenance fee of $19.98 per album, and 99 cents per song, but they take no percentage of sales. I personally prefer to pay the one time CDBaby album setup fee and 9% per download charge in order to never have to worry about yearly fees for each album I have on iTunes. But if your moving serious amounts of digital albums and song downloads (over 500 song downloads per album, per year), TuneCore would be a better option in regards to your bottom line.

Regardless of which company you choose to use, the times have changed and iTunes is today's equivalent of Tower Records. But unlike Tower Records the digital revolution has empowered independent artist's to get their music on the shelves of digital stores all by themselves.

So what are you waiting for?

Wishing you continued success!

Cristopolis Dieguez
latinohiphop.org
cristopolis.com
202.730.5012

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