How to Publish Music Independently: A Step-by-Step Guide

Publishing music independently has become more accessible than ever, thanks to the rise of digital platforms that enable musicians to distribute, market, and promote their work without needing a traditional record label. Independent publishing allows you to retain control over your music, collect all your royalties, and manage your releases.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through the steps to publish your music independently, including how to set up distribution, collect royalties, and leverage platforms like Muibas to enhance collaboration and production.

  1. Prepare Your Music for Release

Before publishing your music, it’s important to ensure that your tracks are fully ready for distribution. This means having professionally mixed and mastered versions of your songs, as well as preparing the necessary visual and promotional assets.

Steps to Prepare:

  • Mixing and Mastering: Ensure that your songs are professionally mixed and mastered. High-quality audio is essential for attracting listeners and making a good first impression.
  • Album Art: Create or commission professional album artwork. Visuals play a crucial role in grabbing attention on streaming platforms.
  • Metadata: Organize your music metadata, including song titles, artist names, genre tags, and songwriting credits. This information is essential for digital distribution and royalty collection.

Muibas Tip:

Use Muibas to collaborate with other musicians, producers, and visual artists to refine your tracks and artwork. With real-time chat and track-sharing capabilities, you can receive feedback and enhance your project before publishing.

  1. Choose a Digital Distribution Platform

To publish your music on platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, and more, you’ll need a digital distribution service. These platforms will upload your music to streaming services, online stores, and even social media platforms.

Popular Digital Distributors:

  • DistroKid: Offers unlimited uploads for a flat annual fee and distributes your music to all major streaming services.
  • TuneCore: Charges per release but lets you keep 100% of your royalties.
  • CD Baby: Offers one-time pricing for releases, along with physical distribution options for vinyl and CDs.

Key Considerations:

  • Distribution Reach: Ensure that your chosen platform distributes to all the major streaming services and platforms where you want your music to be available.
  • Cost: Some platforms charge per release, while others offer unlimited uploads for a flat fee. Choose based on your budget and how often you plan to release music.
  • Royalty Split: Some distributors take a percentage of your revenue, while others let you keep 100%.
  1. Register Your Music with a Performing Rights Organization (PRO)

To ensure that you collect performance royalties whenever your music is played on the radio, live venues, or online, you need to register your music with a Performing Rights Organization (PRO). These organizations track the public performance of your music and ensure that you are paid for it.

Major PROs Include:

  • ASCAP, BMI, SESAC in the U.S.
  • PRS for Music in the UK.
  • SOCAN in Canada.

Once registered, these organizations will collect royalties on your behalf and ensure you’re compensated when your music is played publicly.

  1. Set Up Publishing Administration

Beyond performance royalties, you also want to ensure that you collect mechanical royalties (earned from digital downloads and physical sales) and other royalties. This is where publishing administration comes into play.

Platforms to Help You Collect:

  • Songtrust: Offers publishing administration services, ensuring you collect all royalties from around the world.
  • Sentric Music: Provides a straightforward way for indie artists to manage their publishing rights and collect royalties.

By registering your music with a publishing administrator, you ensure that you’re collecting every possible stream of revenue, including mechanical royalties, sync royalties, and foreign royalties.

  1. Promote Your Music

Publishing your music is only the first step—promoting it is just as crucial to ensuring it reaches a wide audience. With digital tools and social media, independent artists have numerous opportunities to market their music.

Key Promotion Strategies:

  • Social Media Marketing: Use platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter to engage with fans and promote your releases.
  • Playlists: Submit your music to popular playlists on Spotify, Apple Music, or YouTube. Playlist placements can significantly boost your streams.
  • Music Blogs and Press: Reach out to music blogs, journalists, and influencers to get your music reviewed or featured.

Muibas Tip:

Collaborate with other artists on Muibas to create unique promotional content or remix each other’s songs. By building a network of musicians, you can amplify each other’s releases and expand your audience.

  1. Monetize Your Music Beyond Streaming

Independent publishing opens up multiple avenues for monetizing your music. Beyond streaming royalties, explore other revenue streams that can help you earn money from your music.

Monetization Options:

  • Sync Licensing: License your music for use in TV shows, films, commercials, or video games through platforms like Songtradr or Musicbed.
  • Merchandise Sales: Selling merchandise such as T-shirts, posters, and vinyl records can be a lucrative side business.
  • Live Performances and Virtual Shows: Perform live or host virtual concerts through platforms like Stageit or Twitch, where fans can support you directly.
  1. Track Your Royalties and Analytics

Once your music is published and promoted, it’s important to keep track of your royalties and analytics to see how your songs are performing. Most distribution platforms and PROs provide analytics and insights into your music’s performance, including streams, downloads, and royalty earnings.

  • Streaming Platforms: Spotify, Apple Music, and others provide artists with detailed analytics on listeners, demographics, and performance.
  • Royalty Platforms: Your digital distributor or publishing administrator will help you track the royalties you’ve earned and when to expect payments.

Conclusion: Leverage Muibas to Enhance Independent Music Publishing

Publishing music independently allows you to maintain control over your creative work, collect all your royalties, and build a music career on your own terms. By using digital distributors, registering with a PRO, and promoting your music effectively, you can publish and monetize your work successfully. Platforms like Muibas provide you with collaborative opportunities that can enhance your music production, build partnerships, and expand your audience, helping you make the most of your independent music career.