First, let's answer the question: Why NETunes?
NETunes is world's first online independent record store with quality control.
Unlike sites which charge artists set-up and/or monthly fees, NETunes does not accept all product submitted. Unlike the huge warehouse sites, NETunes does not carry every major label CD ever recorded.
Instead, NETunes seeks to promote a select group of artists and strike a balance between an interesting variety of product and an overwhelming mass of CDs.
Amazon and CDBaby have way too many artists, tens of thousands of them. No one is going to browse through and discover anybody there. And no one is going to consider acceptance of your work by these sites to be any great accomplishment.
Artists will never get a high search engine ranking (and thus massive traffic, exposure and sales) with an individual band web site. The ranking algorithms of the search engine robots require a greater diversity of product.
To maximize the worldwide reach of your music, you need an online distributor that promotes a select group of professional artists and strikes a balance between an interesting variety of product and an overwhelming mass of CDs. This is NETunes.
Are you going to browse through 45,000 CDs? Of course not and no one else is either. But would you browse through, say, 25 or 30 jazz artists (or whatever genre you prefer) if the first, second, third and, in fact, every artist you listened to was great?
So this is why, if your music is good enough, you need to distribute your project through NETunes. You need to associate with other top-tier independent artists. At NETunes you are not buried under a pile of 45,000 (or more) amateurs. Nor are you a lone artist invisible to the search engines.
At NETunes your concert fans and others that are specifically looking for you will find you (as they will on any other distribution portal) but you will also be discovered by new fans... those brought in by music download and other searches and those of NETunes' other artists as they browse through our roster.
In this fashion, every great NETunes artist helps every other great NETunes artist by driving traffic to a select catalogue of artists which is large enough to maximize promotional synergies but still exclusive enough to be practical for browsing.
So, how do you get on NETunes select and exclusive catalogue of artists?
Step 1: Record a great sounding album.
Step 2: Put together your artwork and press at least 1,000 CDs.
Step 3: Send a copy of your fully-completed, fully-packaged CD to:
NETunes.com, Inc.
3183 Airway Avenue, Building E
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
Step 4: If your CD is accepted for NETunes distribution and promotion, you will be contacted very soon after our receipt of your package.
Step 5: Sign off on the Distribution Agreement.
Here are the basic terms:
You grant NETunes the non-exclusive right to market your product via electronic distribution for one year (which you may terminate on 30 days notice).
You retain ownership and control of all masters, original copyrights and publishing.
You remain free to distribute your product via conventional retail systems including the right to enter into subsequent agreements with independent and/or major label distributors.
NETunes will even provide you with contact persons for suggested regional and national independent retail distributors, if desired.
You may provide an initial consignment inventory of 20 to 50 CDs or you may opt to handle order fulfillment yourself.
You provide all necessary copyright clearances.
NETunes will sell your CD at whatever price you set (from a minimum of $9.99 to a maximum of $19.99 per CD shipping included). If NETunes handles fulfillment, NETunes will pay the shipping cost and for each CD sold, pay you your sales price less $4.99. If you handle fulfillment, NETunes will pay you your sales price less $3.99 per CD sold.
You will get a monthly accounting, payment and FREE regional tracking report.
As a NETunes distributed Artist or Label, you can also sell your ancillary products (hats, T-shirts, autographed photos, videos, etc.) from the NETunes Merchandise catalogue.
NETunes will post all of your live performance dates on our Concert Calendar and send notices out to our proprietary email list of fans who are eager to receive such information.
NETunes will update your web page with new information, mp3s, photos, etc. Just email your stuff and we'll put it up.
There are no set-up charges, hosting or maintenance fees.
NETunes' mission is to promote great music from a very select roster of world-class artists. Accepting every amateur project submitted would enable NETunes to create an income stream from set-up and maintenance fees (a strategy embraced by any number of our competitors) but it would also bury your great CD under a pile of mediocre-to-bad ones and destroy any contribution your great CD may have otherwise been able to make in terms of helping NETunes establish a brand based on quality and integrity.
Step 6: Get all your site materials together; deliver them to NETunes along with your initial consignment inventory CDs (if you chose to have NETunes provide your fulfillment services).
Step 7: Within a few days, your frontpage and catalogue will be electronically published and your product will be available for 24-hour interactive preview and wholesale purchase worldwide.
Step 8: NETunes will provide you with a list of radio stations that are most likely to play your type of music and a script for use in contacting them. Mail each station a copy of your CD, wait about a week and then call them. Ask them if they have received your CD. Let them know that you are distributed by NETunes and that their listeners may preview your CD in its entirety and purchase it at wholesale ($9.99 shipping included) over the Internet at NETunes.com, N-E-T-U-N-E-S dot com. Tell them you'd be happy to call back at any time, day or night, if they would like for you to do an on-the-air-interview. (Your NETunes supplied script will walk you through this.) Believe it or not, most radio people are very receptive to this approach. They are not nearly as arrogant as many of the major label A&R people you may have been trying to contact.
Step 9: Play as many live engagements in as many geographical regions as you possibly can. Contact the radio people in each town or area about a week before your gig. Always send any radio station or DJ playing your CD at least two to five extra copies to be given away over-the-air to generate free advance publicity for your show.
Artist Development and Promotion
NETunes is actively developing concert and other promotional opportunities for our select roster of artists. For artists interested in a partner to promote their publishing interests, NETunes can present your music to television and film producers.
You'll connect with dozens of radio folks who will genuinely like and be happy to play your music. You'll know for sure that the promotional CDs have, in fact, been sent out and the DJs contacted. A lot of major label artists complain that, although the label deducted tens of thousands of dollars from their record royalties for radio promotion, they can't find any radio people who ever actually talked to anyone from the label.
Don't be afraid to call on radio stations. This effort is critical to the success of your release. Do not expect disc jockeys to help you (by playing your record) if you're not willing to help them (by doing on-air interviews).
During your on-air interviews, always mention how much you appreciate the support you have received from the DJ and his/her radio station. Also mention that your CD may be sampled in its entirety and purchased at wholesale (usually $9.99 shipping included) at NETunes.com (N-E-T-U-N-E-S dot com).
Disc jockeys are basically good people. They do what they do because they love music. If you send out your promotional CDs and follow up with a friendly phone call, you will establish a network of on-the-air friends who are ready, willing and able to promote your music and your career.
If you follow this procedure for each and every release, you can establish a national radio audience and a fan base that will support economically viable touring in a number of geographical areas.
When you tour an area, always be sure to show your appreciation to those DJs that have helped you by dropping in on with them free passes to your gig. Your visit breaks up their daily (or nightly) routine and gives them something to talk about (your gig) and give away (your tickets) on their show. It also shows that you appreciate their help and have enough class to show your appreciation.
Another thing that almost all DJs love to do is to get on stage for a few moments and introduce a band. These "personal appearances" are not only fun they provide an opportunity for the otherwise visually-anonymous radio personality to connect with his or her audience... your basic win-win situation. Likewise, always invite any DJs attending your gig to introduce your band on stage.
Basic radio promotion coupled with NETunes wholesale, interactive distribution put the keys to success squarely in your hands. If you are serious about a long-term career as a recording and performing artist, you will overcome your fear of calling on DJs, employ these strategies and get results. NETunes will help with up-to-date lists of stations, scripts and counsel.
