iTunes

Kettleson

Anyone got recent experience of uploading your own songs on iTunes?

Whats the criteria nowadays? They were pretty choosy a while ago.

Kettleson

I just got the outline requirements: 20 albums!

What download providers (aggregators) do any of you guys use?

Cheers

Requirements
The requirements to work directly with Apple are listed below. If you do not meet all of these requirements, you can work with an Apple-approved aggregator instead.

Aggregators are third parties that can help you meet technical requirements, deliver and manage your content, and assist with marketing efforts.

Technical Requirements:
A Mac running OS X 10.5.8 or later
At least 512 MB RAM
QuickTime 7.0.3 or later. This is so you can encode and deliver content using our dedicated software.
For optimal performance, use an Intel-based Mac running Mac OS X 10.5 or later. However, PowerPC G4 and G5 are also supported.
At least 20 GB of available hard drive space (more for larger catalogs) is recommended.
A broadband internet connection with an upload rate of 1 MB/sec or faster is recommended.
To deliver music video or concert film content to the iTunes Store, you must use an Apple-approved encoding house. Encoding houses typically charge fees for their services. Learn more about the differences between encoding houses and aggregators.

Content Requirements:
At least 20 albums in your catalog
UPCs/EANs/JANs for all products you intend to distribute
ISRCs for all tracks you intend to distribute
Financial Requirements:
A U.S. Tax ID
A valid iTunes Store account, with a credit card on file
Apple does not pay partners until they meet payment requirements and earning thresholds in each territory. You should consider this before applying to work directly with Apple as you may receive payments faster by working with an Apple-approved aggregator.
If you meet these requirements and wish to apply, click Continue.

maccored

?

Use TuneCore.com. You can putup as little or as much as you want, via a website so it doesnt matter what OS you have.

Nervous Wreck

maccored wrote: »

?

Use TuneCore.com. You can putup as little or as much as you want, via a website so it doesnt matter what OS you have.

Do you know how much that costs by any chance?

Kettleson

maccored wrote: »

?

Use TuneCore.com. You can putup as little or as much as you want, via a website so it doesnt matter what OS you have.

Thanks for that, and indeed I noticed that iTunes defaluted to Tune Core.

I have used CD baby before, seems to work OK easily enough, lots of partner download providers. But I always get a bit cautious when using cover songs as they (the download providers) go global and you need licences in all territories...

I'm in permanent avoidance of covers now just in case.

maccored

its costs roughly around €30 to put an album out on itunes, cd baby and a list of other places. Well, its probably more expensive now but it was around that when I last used TuneCore in 2008

maccored

for covers, go to IMRO and they get clearances for you.

Kettleson

maccored wrote: »

for covers, go to IMRO and they get clearances for you.

Indeed, IMRO issues Mechanical licence for UK and Ireland, but have to be careful when "publishing" covers on CD baby.

CD Baby, as a digital distribution agency, distributing to numerous download partners, worldwide and as far as I know, licences are needed for sales in those territories also, particularly North America.

The uploader of the cover also needs to take responsibility for the collection of the royalty fee at source and forwarding this to the copyright owner.

Would this also be your understanding?

maccored

We released a Velvet Underground cover worldwide via tunecore and IMRO didnt outline any issues. Plus we never had any problems. I have no idea of the legality though.

roast

Tunecore charge 30$ for all stores, per album, per year.
An additional 10$ can be paid to automatically add the release to any new stores that are added to Tunecores catalog during the year.
Otherwise, it's ~ 1.50$ I believe to amend the list of stores you're distributing to.

Kettleson

Just interested on this one:

Macored: Did you have to get permission from the Copyright owners of the Velvet Underground works prior to publishing on Tune Core?

I gather that Tune Core collect the royalties at source for the Copyright Owners for all CD Downloads

Some copyright owners are more willing than others.

We were working on a project and I applied to IMRO/MCPS for a Mechnical Licence...but the Copyright owners managed the licencing themselves and a licence was not available from MCPS.

So I contacted them (major record label in the States) directly, and very promptly after received a legal "Cease and Desist" Notice and had to provide all demos to the record company and fill out an application form.

I wasn't sure what the fee would be, if indeed it was granted at all, so we shelved the recording project.

Some artists don't want you to record their songs, or certainly are very specific about how and who records it, and they can name their price in the licence fee.

To sell to North America you have to get a licence from Song Clearance, where you have to pay upfront for anticipated CD downloads, say 100 or 200.

Not sure if Tune Core covers that in their agreement?


http://www.songclearance.com/

maccored

imro looked after everything for us - I assume the VU tune we covered was covered by their licence.