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What is music distribution? What does it cost? Do I need it? How do I go about it? There are a lot of questions around this side of the industry. In this article, we're going to take a look around Move Music, a relative newcomer into the sector that offers the most features under one roof, for free, and is well suited to independent dance music producers and labels.
If you're serious about getting your music in stores, just like in physical days of the past, you're going to require a distributor. The work required to manually place each release in all the main music stores is enormous. A distributor takes care of all that for you.
Cast your mind back to the physical age. You couldn't drop off your bag of shiny CDs and cassettes domestically, or for that matter internationally, but a distributor could. That's their trade and it works the same online.
There are a lot of digital distribution services available. They offer a wide range of similar services at different price points. It's difficult to decide which one suits your own needs. In this article, we're focusing the lens on Move Music and how it is best suited for dance music producers and labels. One of their long-term customers is Deborah De Luca. If it's good enough for her, it's probably good enough for you. What is it that helps Move Music stand out? Let's take a look under the hood.
As ever, click on any image to enlarge.
Move Music is a German distributor from Frankurt that was founded in 2016. If we assume most customers are price-led, it's worth jumping straight to the cost of using Move Music. We've covered it in more detail a bit later but unlike the majority of their competition, there is no subscription fee for using Move Music. It's a 15% commission per track and that's it. Or in other words, labels and producers keep 85%. There is no further fee for using the service.
Move Music is the only distribution service with a full suite of features under one roof. These include:
That's a lot you get for free because if your music isn't earning, you're not paying a subscription to keep your account. Let's take a further look at the feature set.
Which stores does Move Music distribute to?
Move Music currently distributes to more than 150 stores, and growing, worldwide. These include Spotify, Apple Music, Deezer and Beatport to name a few. With such a vast array of options, you can be sure your music will land on the right shop fronts online. With just a few clicks, your music will automatically be available to customers saving you hours, if not days, of work. Music is delivered instantly once you submit your tracks.
YouTube Content ID is also included with Move Music. This means that if your music is being used on YouTube your earnings will appear in the system.
Promo Tool System
Anyone who is serious about releasing music will understand the need for a promo service. While we may have joked about it in years gone by, it's a very important part of the journey.
Move Music offers a promo tool system that is similar to FatDrop or Promo Jukebox. However, Move Music competes again on price as they offer a free package to all music distribution clients. You can:
If you are using an email CRM, something like Mailchimp, you'll be aware of how expensive it can get adding thousands of contacts. The Promo Tool system will help keep your costs down while you get your music out to the right industry heads and fans.
Find out more about the Promo Tool system.
"Cast your mind back to the physical age. You couldn't drop off your bag of shiny CDs and cassettes domestically, or for that matter internationally, but a distributor could. That's their trade and it works the same online. ever, click on any image to enlarge."
Music Link Solution
Music Link makes it easy for a fan to find your music all in one place.
Using one link, provided by Move Music, you can group all the outlets with your music in one place. It's a highly cost-effective way, especially when compared to a website, to keep your overheads down and your fan user experiences easy.
Simply make the page and you can drop the link onto a website or your Instagram bio. Once done, you're set. A good example of this can be found on the Queen of Naples techno website.
Find out more about Music Link.
Feature Request Form
Ever tried to make a press release? You can take it from us at Attack, recipient of billions a year, it's not easy and it's often done wrong.
Using Move Music's Feature Request Form makes it easy. This feature is composed of the most vital information for the release such as release date, artist name, track name and label. Alongside that, it includes information about the feedback the track has had from the industry (namely DJs), magazines, radio pluggers and other tastemakers.
Lastly, it includes other viable information for example social media activity and other relevant stats that will help your music get noticed.
If you are considering doing your own PR, this is a viable alternative to test the water without testing your budget.
Find out more about the Feature Request Form.
Reporting and Payments
We trialled a back-end staging service to get a feel for reporting. It's thorough and straightforward. If you have a label with various splits in various territories all that can be done for you. It's going to save you a lot of time and effort either doing it yourself or using a bookkeeper.
You can access real time reports and assess where your music is being heard and brought. The data provided is part of the free package and will assist you making informed decisions about your fan base and reach.
Once all reports are done, invoicing is also hassle-free. Using the advanced invoicing tool that matches your data, invoices are automatically processed at the click of a button. Your reports are generated monthly which includes split accounting. And perhaps best of all, there is no payout threshold.
Find out more about reporting and payments.
"Using the advanced invoicing tool that matches your data, invoices are automatically processed at the click of a button."
Mastering
The only chargeable service from Move Music is mastering.
Mastering is charged a €9.99 fee for 1 credit of track mastering.
Where the mastering service really stands out is, unlike something such as Landr or Soundcloud, Move Music has a one size fits all pricing model. You don't pay for different levels of mastering, it's a flat fee of €9.99 fee and it has significantly more algorithms than its competitors.
We tried two different settings on two different tracks with the results below. We inputted a 48kHz WAV file unmastered at -6dB.
Track 1: Audio before mastering for 4 bars and with mastering for 4 bars. The settings are in the screengrab beneath the audio file. We have left the black notice viewable so you can understand what the Intensity setting is doing.
Track 2: Audio before mastering for 4 bars and with mastering for 4 bars. The settings are in the screengrab beneath the audio file.
Mastering is essential. It pays to do it right and in this case won't break the bank either. AI mastering tools like these are also priceless for running a viable sample pack label where you need to master hundreds of sounds.
The standard deal that Move Music offers is that the label gets 85% of all of the royalties earned across all stores that month. Move Music takes a 15% commission. There is no subscription fee.
As far as the PREMIUM SERVICES go (White Label service) the pricing is dependent on the scope of work required to finish the job.
Let's take a look at the STANDARD deal:
As you can see, if you are starting out, it's a 15% charge for a wealth of features that will help you increase your music sales. Our advice would be to start slow and work your way up. Music for many is a long game and with Move Music's support in helping you cut back on costs, you can focus on building the sales exponentially.
Move Music is a great option for producers and label owners. Whilst they do welcome any genre, the team behind it are fans and producers of electronic music. They have a thorough grasp of what the industry requires and then facilitate it at a very reasonable commission.
Speaking to the team about the service when putting together our feature, there was a genuine sense the company wants to help people make money releasing music. With a dedicated team of support and a passion for electronic music, you're in safe hands.
