Can You Use Multiple Music Distributors? (The TRUTH)

The history of the music industry coincides with the origin of music distribution. Even when sheet music publishing firms were in charge, someone still had to print the scores and get them to the retailers. Distributors' primary responsibility has always been and continues to be to ensure that the general public can purchase music. Simple as that.

While music distributors' primary function has remained unchanged for the past century, their processes and business models have evolved considerably. As a whole, the music business was profoundly impacted by these shifts. We still utilize predominant distribution media to characterize the stages of the industry's progression, from the "period of CD" before the year 2000 to the "era of streaming" that we currently enjoy.

This method is the standard means of getting albums into stores. A music distributor deals with record labels and musicians to sell their music in retail stores. Distributors will only sell to vessels that have an established account with them. Simply put, a distributor acts as a go-between for the recording artist or label and the retail outlet.

The process for disseminating music digitally is similar, albeit implemented in a different medium. The distribution company will not deliver albums to stores but make the music available in digital form (usually mp3 or .wav). The songs are uploaded to streaming services like Apple Music, Spotify, and Online MP3. Distributors are then responsible for getting any royalties from the musicians and rights holders.

• More money

Distributing your music digitally through streaming platforms and any income you get through song purchases and CD sales is a great way to boost your earnings. Suppose you're an aspiring musician and own the privileges to your music and recordings. In that case, the money you make from streaming services will go straight to you rather than a record label, a songwriter, or a manager. While it's true that digital distribution can save artists money on things like producing LPs and CDs, it's essential to keep in mind that some fans prefer traditional distribution.

The author of a song uploaded to a streaming service is also the sole owner of that song's publishing rights and will receive royalties from each stream as payment for their work.

• Get discovered

To be heard, your music must be distributed widely. You can't predict who will be captivated by your music on the vast internet. Remember that not everyone shares your preference for listening to music via digital download; some listeners still enjoy the convenience of CDs. 

Get your music on as many platforms as possible, like iTunes, Amazon, and Spotify, to reach the broadest possible audience. You'll also likely gain listeners if your music is available on the various platforms and streaming services your target audience uses.

• Prepares you

Even starting, you must get your music uploaded to streaming services and platforms so your fans can find it. Make sure your songs can be available for streaming whenever your fans want them because you can never tell which song will become a smash hit. 

To avoid missing out on potential sales and streams while waiting for your music to resonate with listeners truly, you might consider distributing it now.

Two music distributors can be used together; however, using multiple music distribution services to distribute the same song or album is impossible. For example, if you want to distribute a song, you can do so through a record label but not an aggregate service simultaneously. If you wish to use a different distributor, you'll have to make a new song. 

You can have one single distributed through LANDR for example and another single distributed through Tunecore or Distrokid, but you cannot have the same song distributed through multiple distributors at the same time.

Nowadays, people are always on the lookout for new music listening and sharing methods, so it's helpful if you can work with various formats. Thanks to services like Pandora and Spotify, music fans can listen to their favorite tunes on demand without downloading anything. 

iTunes provides definitive album versions in addition to unlimited skipping of radio stations. If you sign up as a premium member of SoundCloud, you'll have access to millions of songs that you can save to your computer. You may use multiple distributors simultaneously, but avoid sending the same content to the same partner twice.