This is a great article and answered most, if not all of my questions. This is assuming of course that iTunes and Rhapsody also allows singles and submits info to Neilsen SoundScan?
Hey Jerry, great question. I’m answering here and also in one of my posts responding to readers.
itunes and Rhapsody are legally required to submit each sale, including single sales, to Nielsen SoundScan. Do they? Hmmm, we’d honestly have no way of knowing, but according to recent articles they do, we’ll give them the benefit of the doubt.
Here’s the real problem, people think when they put their music on itunes or Rhapsody a barcode is automatically created for their music. THIS IS NOT TRUE!! You still have to buy a barcode and you cannot buy one from Rhapsody or itunes. You can buy one from CDBaby and some new online distributors like tunecore and songcast are offering UPC barcodes for free (check their faq pages).
So how are barcode sales charted from itunes and Rhapsody to Nielsen SoundScan? Just like when you buy a CD at Wal Mart, the sales clerk scans the barcode and you pay. When somebody buys your music form itunes or Rhapsody the barcode is scanned, just like at a register during check out. The problem is many indie artists do not have registered barcodes and are not getting credit for their sales.
You (the indie artists) are responsible for registering your barcode and music with Nielsen SoundScan. Just because tunecore gave you free barcode does not mean it’s registered properly with Nielsend SounScan. You need to verify it yourself and get it in print!
You can register your album as a whole or as a single. If you’re low on cash register the album as a whole. I also recommend registering the album as a whole because it looks like you move more units. Also Nielsen SoundScan, according to USA Today, now counts ten digital track sales as one album, so it really does not matter (read the USA Today article here http://www.usatoday.com/life/music/news/2008-01-03-digital-sales_N.htm ). However, you do need a new barcode for each album, don’t use the same barcode you used on a different album you produced over a two years ago.
Rhapsody and itunes report all their sales to Nielsen SoundScan almost daily/weekly. To ensure that Nielsen SoundScan can identify your itunes and Rhapsody sales indie artists must do this:
When registering your music with itunes or Rhapsody indie artists must title their music the same way they titled when they registered their barcode with Nielsen SoundScan. If you bought your barcode through a distributor like CDBaby, you must title your music on itunes and Rhapsody the same way you titled it on CDBaby. So when your music sells on itunes and Rhapsody, itunes and Rhapsody report their weekly/daily numbers to Nielsen SoundScan. Once Nielsen SoundScan received the data they line it up with their barcodes they have registered and record the sale under the proper barcode.
This is a brief summary of the overall process. If you’ve done all this and you still don’t see your sales on Nielsen SoundScan do the following:
Find your receipt from your barcode purchase (a receipt showing your bought a barcode for your music). Find your paperwork showing that you registered your barcode and music with Nielsen SoundScan. Next, print and save your sales reports from CDbaby, itunes, Rhapsody and any other online retailers and distributors selling your music (with that barcode). Email your complaint to Nielsen SoundScan, tell them you have proof of sales and barcode registration and then submit copies (keep the originals) of all of the above mentioned.
Stay on it and keep contacting them until they update the information. Also keep us informed here at jamilleluney.com. We’re glad to help anyway we can =).
Hello, I was just wondering if I could get a way to sell or market my musical works online. I am a gospel music artiste and will be very interested in marketting and selling my works digitally online.
Can you give me some info? Or are you into marketting online too?
Hey Tam,
thanks for reading. I’d be glad to offer you some advice. Rarely do I market for indie artists per say, although I am involved in a few projects.
There are a number of online posts I’ve written that can help you with marketing and selling music online. All the posts are located at the links below. Also feel free to explore this website, the whole site is devoted to teaching indie artists how to market and sell their music online.
You said you’re into gospel. Gospel is great because it’s a niche market. Music marketers love gospel because it is easier to market. Why? The target audience is already identified, churches and people of Christian faith. Other genres have to find their target audience through mass marketing and test audiences. That takes a lot of time and money.
If you belong to a church, I recommend consulting with the pastor and asking them if you can be added to the church website. Offer the website designer one of your viral music widgets (I mentioned it in an earlier post on the above links). The widget catches the attention of website viewers and it has an embedded link that takes them directly to your online music store.
Online retailer like itunes provide one free, for an example of a widget look at the one on my MySpace page. http://jamilleluney.com It’s that little black thing that features snippets of articles on this very web page. When you click on it, it brings you directly to this website. Widgets are great because they’re eye catchers. They grap the attention of web viewers, bring them to your web site or music with one click and they’re easy to make and use (the code is generate for you, just cut and paste).
I also recommend asking other churches the same question. Again consult with your pastor about being listed on other church websites to avoid conflict of interest. If you get the okay ask to be added to their web pages as well and offer them a widget, this will save the web page editor a lot of time and it helps to ensure you don’t get stuck with a bad link or advertisement design on their web page.
Perform at youth conferences when possible. Again ask if you can be added to the conferences website, most of them have one, especially an online registration page. The younger generations spend the most time online.
There are a number of faith based youth outreach programs that will allow you to perform. Ask to be added to their web site. When you perform you can give kids the web address and more importantly your MySpace and Facebook music web pages so they can add you as friends. This way you can always post live update about your new music and performances via MySpace Comments, messages, or FaceBook Wall writings. College students and teenagers love online networking communities like MySpace and FaceBook and spend hours online everyday.
Make sure to keep Postcard size promotional cards handy when performing at churches. When you perform ask the pastor or other governing bodies if they can be placed in the book store or by the front doors where people enter and leave. Also make sure your web page addresses (yourbandname.com, Myspace Music, FaceBook, YouTube, etc…) are listed on the card in addition to future performances.
Don’t forget to pick your online distributor to sell your music if you have not done so already. My website covers this and all the above topics in more detail.
There are infinite ways to market online as technology
Ask Jamille on Hot Indie Music World
Responding To Readers’ Comments
Question #1
http://myspace.com/bigjezza
This is a great article and answered most, if not all of my questions. This is assuming of course that iTunes and Rhapsody also allows singles and submits info to Neilsen SoundScan?
Thx.
From Got Barcodes? Got Registered, 2008/07/09 at 12:39 AM
My Response to Jerry
Hey Jerry, great question. I’m answering here and also in one of my posts responding to readers.
itunes and Rhapsody are legally required to submit each sale, including single sales, to Nielsen SoundScan. Do they? Hmmm, we’d honestly have no way of knowing, but according to recent articles they do, we’ll give them the benefit of the doubt.
Here’s the real problem, people think when they put their music on itunes or Rhapsody a barcode is automatically created for their music. THIS IS NOT TRUE!! You still have to buy a barcode and you cannot buy one from Rhapsody or itunes. You can buy one from CDBaby and some new online distributors like tunecore and songcast are offering UPC barcodes for free (check their faq pages).
So how are barcode sales charted from itunes and Rhapsody to Nielsen SoundScan? Just like when you buy a CD at Wal Mart, the sales clerk scans the barcode and you pay. When somebody buys your music form itunes or Rhapsody the barcode is scanned, just like at a register during check out. The problem is many indie artists do not have registered barcodes and are not getting credit for their sales.
You (the indie artists) are responsible for registering your barcode and music with Nielsen SoundScan. Just because tunecore gave you free barcode does not mean it’s registered properly with Nielsend SounScan. You need to verify it yourself and get it in print!
You can register your album as a whole or as a single. If you’re low on cash register the album as a whole. I also recommend registering the album as a whole because it looks like you move more units. Also Nielsen SoundScan, according to USA Today, now counts ten digital track sales as one album, so it really does not matter (read the USA Today article here http://www.usatoday.com/life/music/news/2008-01-03-digital-sales_N.htm ). However, you do need a new barcode for each album, don’t use the same barcode you used on a different album you produced over a two years ago.
Rhapsody and itunes report all their sales to Nielsen SoundScan almost daily/weekly. To ensure that Nielsen SoundScan can identify your itunes and Rhapsody sales indie artists must do this:
When registering your music with itunes or Rhapsody indie artists must title their music the same way they titled when they registered their barcode with Nielsen SoundScan. If you bought your barcode through a distributor like CDBaby, you must title your music on itunes and Rhapsody the same way you titled it on CDBaby. So when your music sells on itunes and Rhapsody, itunes and Rhapsody report their weekly/daily numbers to Nielsen SoundScan. Once Nielsen SoundScan received the data they line it up with their barcodes they have registered and record the sale under the proper barcode.
This is a brief summary of the overall process. If you’ve done all this and you still don’t see your sales on Nielsen SoundScan do the following:
Find your receipt from your barcode purchase (a receipt showing your bought a barcode for your music). Find your paperwork showing that you registered your barcode and music with Nielsen SoundScan. Next, print and save your sales reports from CDbaby, itunes, Rhapsody and any other online retailers and distributors selling your music (with that barcode). Email your complaint to Nielsen SoundScan, tell them you have proof of sales and barcode registration and then submit copies (keep the originals) of all of the above mentioned.
Stay on it and keep contacting them until they update the information. Also keep us informed here at jamilleluney.com. We’re glad to help anyway we can =).
From Got Barcodes? Got Registered, 2008/07/11 at 1:31 PM
Question # 2
Hello, I was just wondering if I could get a way to sell or market my musical works online. I am a gospel music artiste and will be very interested in marketting and selling my works digitally online.
Can you give me some info? Or are you into marketting online too?
I will be expecting a response from you soonest.
Tam
From About Jamille Luney, 2008/07/10 at 8:21 PM
My Response to Tam
Hey Tam,
thanks for reading. I’d be glad to offer you some advice. Rarely do I market for indie artists per say, although I am involved in a few projects.
There are a number of online posts I’ve written that can help you with marketing and selling music online. All the posts are located at the links below. Also feel free to explore this website, the whole site is devoted to teaching indie artists how to market and sell their music online.
For selling your music online
http://jamilleluney.wordpress.com/category/how-to-sell-your-music-online/
For marketing your music online
http://jamilleluney.wordpress.com/category/how-to-market-your-music-online/
You said you’re into gospel. Gospel is great because it’s a niche market. Music marketers love gospel because it is easier to market. Why? The target audience is already identified, churches and people of Christian faith. Other genres have to find their target audience through mass marketing and test audiences. That takes a lot of time and money.
If you belong to a church, I recommend consulting with the pastor and asking them if you can be added to the church website. Offer the website designer one of your viral music widgets (I mentioned it in an earlier post on the above links). The widget catches the attention of website viewers and it has an embedded link that takes them directly to your online music store.
Online retailer like itunes provide one free, for an example of a widget look at the one on my MySpace page. http://jamilleluney.com It’s that little black thing that features snippets of articles on this very web page. When you click on it, it brings you directly to this website. Widgets are great because they’re eye catchers. They grap the attention of web viewers, bring them to your web site or music with one click and they’re easy to make and use (the code is generate for you, just cut and paste).
I also recommend asking other churches the same question. Again consult with your pastor about being listed on other church websites to avoid conflict of interest. If you get the okay ask to be added to their web pages as well and offer them a widget, this will save the web page editor a lot of time and it helps to ensure you don’t get stuck with a bad link or advertisement design on their web page.
Perform at youth conferences when possible. Again ask if you can be added to the conferences website, most of them have one, especially an online registration page. The younger generations spend the most time online.
There are a number of faith based youth outreach programs that will allow you to perform. Ask to be added to their web site. When you perform you can give kids the web address and more importantly your MySpace and Facebook music web pages so they can add you as friends. This way you can always post live update about your new music and performances via MySpace Comments, messages, or FaceBook Wall writings. College students and teenagers love online networking communities like MySpace and FaceBook and spend hours online everyday.
Make sure to keep Postcard size promotional cards handy when performing at churches. When you perform ask the pastor or other governing bodies if they can be placed in the book store or by the front doors where people enter and leave. Also make sure your web page addresses (yourbandname.com, Myspace Music, FaceBook, YouTube, etc…) are listed on the card in addition to future performances.
Don’t forget to pick your online distributor to sell your music if you have not done so already. My website covers this and all the above topics in more detail.
There are infinite ways to market online as technology
From About Jamille Luney, 2008/07/11 at 2:47 PM
Filed under: responses to comments | Tagged: answering questions, Jamille Luney, Jamille Luney Answers Questions, Jamille Luney Music Analyst, questions about music industry, Questions about Music Industry answered