CD baby

Edward Meisse · From: Santa Rosa, California, USA

Does anyone have any actual experience with this site? I've been thinking of trying to put something out there. But all I've really got is covers of swing and popular jazz tunes. Looks like alot of monthly work. And that is just for sales inside the US. There are, appearantly even more hoops to jump through for international sales. I do have a day job. They are unreasonable enough to insist that I show up for ALL of my scheduled shifts.
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Amor vincit omnia

Steinar Gregertsen · From: Arendal, Norway, R.I.P.

CD Baby is the best thing that's ever happened to independent CD sales, period.
My CD has been there for nearly two years and I have nothing but positive experiences. It's run by young enthusiastic and idealistic - and highly professional - people, and they offer some of the best deals and services available for us independent musicians today.

* A small one time fee to sign up ($35), covers all future releases as well as your current.

* You send them 5 copies to start with, they do all the work involved in making the site, including mp3 files. The only work involved on your part is to ship the CD and provide them with the necessary info for your site - you can just sit back and enjoy the ride, they do the rest.
I don't understand your point about international sales,- CD Baby handles the orders and shipping and you won't have to worry about a thing.

* Only keeps $4 per copy sold, regardless of the price to customer (you determine the sale price).

* Offer distribution to all major download sites, including iTunes, my CD is now available on 16 download sites.

* Real-time and reliable reporting of sales and they transfer money once a week.

* Offers newsletters with lots of valuable advice on how to best promote your music.

For more info go here - http://www.cdbaby.net/ - and click on "Sell Your Music".

CD Baby may have a silly name, but they're dead serious and I can't recommend them enough.

Steinar
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"Play to express, not to impress"
Website - YouTube

Gordy Hall · From: Fairfax, CA.

They are a great organization, offer many services to musicians, help you promote and sell your music, and I would recommend them to anyone interested in getting more sales of your music.

They will help set up digital downloads, send you money promptly for your sales, offer a web site, and much, much more.

Go for it. It's not rocket science. And you WILL sell your music.

Jim Cohen · From: Philadelphia, PA

All of my CDs are on CDBaby, and I have sold thousands of dollars worth over the years. It's great and very fairly priced.

I don't know what you mean about it being a lot of monthly work and hoops to jump through. I do ZERO work for either domestic or international sales. They do ALL the work. All you do is pay them $35 and send them a CD. Period.

Edward Meisse · From: Santa Rosa, California, USA

As I said, all my plans would be for covers of swing and popular jazz tunes. CD baby, at least as I understand it, doesn't deal with royalties to song owners. Someone, either me or my representative, would have to send a letter of intent, monthly statements and payments and an annual statement to every owner of every song. This is just for distribution in the U.S. There is more for international use of the song.
That is what the CD baby web site says. But it does give addresses of people who will do that sort of thing for you at what the CD baby people call, "Musician's prices." That may be the way for me to go. They give stern and dire warnings about ignoring these requirements.
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Amor vincit omnia

Jim Cohen · From: Philadelphia, PA

Ed, all of the songs on my CDs are covers of swing, pop and jazz tunes. Every one of them. I have never done what you are talking about. I pay for my mechanical royalties in advance at the Harry Fox Agency's website and that's that.

Can you post a link to what you're talking about on the CD Baby site, with dire warnings, etc.? I have never sent them or anyone a monthly statement for anything at all. Ever. And neither has anyone else I know who uses CD Baby. This is all very odd, indeed.

Steinar Gregertsen · From: Arendal, Norway, R.I.P.

Edward, I believe you misunderstand how it works. When you release a cover of a song you will need to pay a licensing fee to whatever agency in the US that deals with that (I believe it's the Harry Fox Agency?).

That is a one time fee based on how many copies you print of the CD,- you register your CD with the agency and receive a bill for the licensing fee, that's it. The agency will then see to that money are distributed to the various copyright owners, you will not need to worry about any of that after you've paid the fee.

You do not need to get permission from the copyright holder as long as you don't claim copyright for arrangements (that would cut into the original owners fee), make fundamental changes to the songs (write a new bridge, change the lyrics, etc), all you need to do is find out who wrote it and who owns the publishing rights and make sure that is presented properly on the CD.

That's all there is to it.

Steinar
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"Play to express, not to impress"
Website - YouTube

Edward Meisse · From: Santa Rosa, California, USA

Aha,

they do have a mention of the Harry Fox agency as one of the alternatives to direct contact with the owners. They also have mention of some intermediaries who they say work cheap. I probably would have eventually stumbled onto this in my research. I'm just beginning. I'll post the link, though, as soon as I can. It's a little difficult for me to figure out the whole thing off of the sight. Lucky for me I have the Forum. Winking

Thanks.

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Amor vincit omnia

Steinar Gregertsen · From: Arendal, Norway, R.I.P.

I think I found what you're referring to,- it sure is confusing reading, but I believe the important thing to remember is that the page describes the process concerning digital downloads, not CDs.

It's this page, right? http://cdbaby.net/dd-covers

The rules may be different in the US than in Europe, but I believe they're pretty universal, and the important thing for you is this paragraph:

Edward Meisse · From: Santa Rosa, California, USA

That's it exactly. So do you not engage in digital sales? Or do you use an intermediary? Or does Harry Fox (could that really be somebody's name?) take care of that sort of thing as well? Maybe I should talk to one of these Lawyers.
_________________
Amor vincit omnia

Jim Cohen · From: Philadelphia, PA

To date, I have not done digital and, yes, as I recall, the reporting requirements seemed too much. Now I understand what you were lookin' at.

Steinar Gregertsen · From: Arendal, Norway, R.I.P.

My CD is available for digital downloads, but when I checked with the Nordic Copyright Bureau they told me that the fee I had already paid them for the physical CDs also covered digital downloads so I didn't need to worry about it.

There's obviously some differences between Europe and the US in that matter, but the way I read the CD Baby page Harry Fox can also handle the fees for downloads, you'll just need to get a separate license for it.

I would write CD Baby and ask, tell them that you've read the page and say you're still confused about how to proceed and how much work it involves.

Steinar
_________________
"Play to express, not to impress"
Website - YouTube

HowardR · From: N.Y.C.-Fire Island-Asheville

as a consumer......I love cdbaby.......the length of their sound samples are ample and I have discovered so much good music and musicians that I would have never been made aware of....

everytime I visit that site,.....I buy something......matter of fact, I'm such a good customer....they even threw in some of Jim Cohen's cds for free..........

Jim Cohen · From: Philadelphia, PA

Dave Harmonson · From: Seattle, Wa

I have a CD on CDbaby and there's been no problem whatsover. A great way to sell independantly. Now if a few million of you buy it I'll be set.

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