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How to Sell Independent Music by Yourself

The rise of the Internet and the decline of the mainstream music industry have made it possible for independent artists to carve out lucrative careers by and for themselves. If you want to sell independent music by yourself, there are many different steps you can take, from using the Internet to being creative with the way you sell your music at live performances.

Instructions

    • 1

      Copyright all of your songs. Contact the U.S. Copyright Office and follow the directions on its website to copyright your songs. A record company or publishing company would normally take care of this process, but you can do it by yourself and retain all of the rights to your songs.

    • 2

      Press CDs. Contact a company like Disc Makers or Oasis Disc Manufacturing and send them the MP3 files of your songs. Order in small quantities. You can always order more once you sell the first set of CDs.

    • 3

      Join a performing rights organization like ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers), BMI (Broadcast Music, Inc.) or SESAC (Society of European Stage Authors & Composers). These organizations will help you to sell your music and monitor any royalties you earn on songs that you end up licensing to various media outlets.

    • 4

      Sign up with a distribution company like TuneCore or CD Baby. For a small fee, these companies will make your music available for online distribution via services like iTunes and Amazon Music.

    • 5

      Use your live shows as a selling point for your music. Set up a nice-looking merchandise booth at all of your shows. During your performance breaks, announce to the crowd that you are selling independent music. Do not be bashful about selling your music. Offer deals; for example, offer a free button or sticker for the purchase of your music.

    • 6

      Promote your music online via social networking sites and forums. Include links to your songs. Offer a song or two free in an effort to get people to buy the rest or all of them if they really like your music.

Music Basics

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