Tweak your music until its as professional and clear as possible. Whether you choose to sell it as a download, CD, vinyl LP or all of the above, strong production values will give you the best sound and the best product. Consumers and distributors will notice that, and you'll sell more copies. Don’t cut corners because you are distributing the songs digitally. Obtain a UPC (Universal Product Code) before offering your recording to the public. It’s the barcode you see on all products, from toys to canned food. iTunes and the other indie music services can do this for you. Additionally, you’ll need an ISRC (International Standard Recording Code). Contact the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for information on obtaining this code.
Set up the most professional website possible. Companies for musicians like Indieband or Ariel Publicity can set up a full-service site for you. The packages from these companies include streaming and site mp3 players, similar to the ones you see on MySpace, photo galleries and message boards. If you choose to design your website on your own, you can still maximize profits and exposure by using iTunes, Rhapsody or other digital music sites to sell your music. Link from your website to these indie music services. Some services like imeem offer a player for your site that features one or more songs to be streamed and downloaded. Listeners can stream your songs and have the option of clicking on a link to purchase digital downloads through the service. Most music services pay monthly.
If you want to sell physical CDs and vinyl you can link to CD Baby or, if your recording is affiliated with a small record company or distributor, link to Amazon or the record company's website. If you have the time and patience to do it yourself, place a link on your page to sell CDs, vinyl and mp3 downloads directly. After choosing items, the customer is sent to a a PayPal page and there's no middle man to cut into your profits. To sell music directly from your website and not via a link to another service, purchase selling software such as 1-2-3 Music Store, which will help you set up download capability on your own website.