Why YOU need CLG Distribution's Digital Distro!

CLG Distribution recently added a partnership with YouTube to their digital distribution offerings. Their digitally distributed artists and labels are now able to reach not only the traditional digital outlets (iTunes, Napster, Rhapsody, etc.), but a growing number of untapped, burgeoning sources as well.

The fact is that people are watching hundreds of millions of videos a day on YouTube. YouTube is the number one video site on the internet and the fourth largest internet destination in the world, attracting 300 million unique video viewers across the world (according to Nielsen's NetRatings, December 2008). In addition, YouTube is the number two search engine in the world after Google and before Yahoo (according to comScore, October 2008)!

Honestly, if you're not creating video content for YouTube you're missing the boat. Information from a leading digital content provider controlling in excess of 25,000 tracks reveals:

• In January 2010, the ratio of revenue from iTunes to YouTube was 25:1
• In December 2010, the ratio grew exponentially from 25:1 to 2:1
• In 12 months, YouTube streaming revenue grew to fifty cents on the dollar in relation to YouTube
• Every day on iTunes, a few thousand people buy their content on iTunes
• Every day on YouTube, a few million people stream the same content on YouTube

Quite simply, YouTube is a VERY important retailer!

The fact is that, by your hand or someone else's, your content is likely available on YouTube and, at this time, you are failing to profit from this content. As the trends continue to move away from the purchase of music toward the streaming of music, you don't want to be left in the dark. Few digital distributors can plug you into the monstrosity known as YouTube in order to capitalize on your content. But CLG Distribution can.

Contact CLG Distribution NOW to find out more information about their digital distribution programs!

About CLG Distribution:

Nashville, Tennessee-based CLG Distribution is a distributor of music, video and other Christian-related product to the Christian and general markets. The company was founded in 2004 to create a flexible solution for accessing physical and digital distribution channels and to enable independent Christian rock, pop, gospel and worship acts to focus on what they do best – share their vision with the world through music. For more information, visit www.clgdistribution.com

Walmart.com Digital Easter Promotion

JesusWired.com & CLG Distribution have been opted in to an exclusive opportunity to partner with Walmart.com to build an Easter Playlist & Free Download Promotion. There are only a handful of companies that have been given access to this program, so this is a tremendous opportunity. In all the promotions we have seen, those with FREE downloads have had the best results in creating impulse buys.

Congratulations to the CLG Distribution & JesusWired.com artists who have been selected and submitted for consideration by Walmart.com.

Tip of the Day - Are You an Artist or a Label?

Copyright © 2010 by David C. Coleman

If you are an independent artist trying to go it alone you are not only an artist. You are, by proxy, a label as well. On the new musical frontier, the opportunities are certainly greater. But so are the responsibilities. Risk vs. reward becomes a key element in the equation for success. As things continue to trend in favor of independent acts, reality reveals that you must learn to function as a label in order to break through. You must be willing and able to build a team of competent people around you who can carry out certain essential tasks...or be willing and able to do it yourself. Labels exist for a reason – primarily to provide knowledge and financial resources. That's what sets them apart. Regardless of the delivery method for music, though, exposure (and a good song, of course) will always remain the fundamental building block upon which your success will rest. Therefore, building customer awareness is crucial.

Also, remember that distribution and label activities are different and distinct. There are a very limited number of things distribution can do to generate interest...virtually none of which are aimed at the music-buying public. An inordinately large percentage of the digital tracks available to the public are never purchased even once. And physically, placement on store shelves is only half the battle. The cold, hard fact is that bringing product TO the public doesn't generate sales. Distribution, whether physical or digital, can only rise to a level directly proportionate to the marketing plan (and corresponding budget) available through the artist/label. It will typically require some sort of financial investment to begin any marketing campaign. From touring to hiring a publicist - it all costs money. As you can see, it all boils down to exposure and your ability to create demand. Distribution without consumer awareness is like a car without gas – you’re not going to get very far. So what are you doing to create awareness? Developing a structured game plan will help you get a leg up on the competition.

Tip of the Day - The Downside of TuneCore

Copyright © 2010 by David C. Coleman

Considering the fact that my company deals exclusively with independent artists and labels, we tend to hear about all the “latest and greatest” opportunities available for artists/labels to market, promote and sell their music. TuneCore burst onto the scene with what, at first glance, appears to be an incredible offer: the artist/label gets to keep 100% of the revenue received from digital retail sales. This, of course, is great news for artists/labels that have a solid following and are able to generate sales on their own behalf. But there is definitely a downside to the TuneCore model (there’s always a downside, right?).

An in-depth study of the digital retail phenomenon recently discovered that approximately 85% (correction - 77% is the accurate figure) of the content available on digital retail sites is NEVER purchased – not even once! This is a very alarming discovery for all the do-it-yourselfers out there. Considering the nature of the TuneCore model, the initial set-up fees and annual “maintenance and service” fee can cost more than many artists accumulate in a full year's worth of sales. For instance, the initial set-up fee for an album containing 12 tracks delivered to 16 separate stores (iTunes, Napster, etc.) would cost $47.70. Boosting the track count on an album up to 20 tracks delivered to those same 16 stores would cost $55.62. Each year thereafter, a recurring $19.98 charge is assessed to “store” the content in the TuneCore database. As you can see, this can become quite cost-intensive, particularly as the law of diminishing returns begins to affect the sales of an album. Over the course of time, an album will typically begin to generate fewer and fewer sales per month. The various international iTunes stores are all counted separately so if you wish to deliver content to the domestic and five additional international iTunes destinations (Canada, Australia, Japan, etc.), you'll pay $5.94 to deliver content to the 6 separate iTunes destinations.

CLG/JesusWired deals with many digitally distributed titles. Some sell very well but, honestly, a good portion of the titles never accumulate $19.98 in sales for an entire year, let alone the approximate $50 necessary to list a title through TuneCore for the first year. So, as you can see, the TuneCore model can actually be an expense rather than a source of income for artists/labels that aren’t generating a respectable amount of sales. Once the model is dissected, it is a little less attractive than the tagline “get 100% of the royalties” might suggest. Nothing is ever free but the air we breathe! Effective marketing can often disguise the true nature of an opportunity. For those just starting out, a risk-free digital distributor is a safer bet. Besides, TuneCore and virtually every other digital distributor do nothing to address the issue of marketing your title to the various sites.

New Napster Retail Plans

Digital music retailer Napster is introducing a new subscription plan. For $5 per month it offers unlimited streaming of songs from its library of seven million tracks, plus five MP3 downloads.

The plan is a large discount from their other service, "Napster To Go". It is only available in the U.S. which permits unlimited tethered downloads to supported portable devices for $15 a month.

Also, Napster plans to sell prepaid cards for the new service in Best Buy retail stores.