About DistroHelp
I have helped thousands of musicians distribute their music, troubleshoot Issues and navigate the complexities of the music industry. My time working in independent distribution gained me invaluable inside knowledge and skills regarding releasing music and I'm here to lend a helping hand to those who need it!
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Overall, I have been working in the music industry in some capacity for over 20 years, but have been passionate about it for close to 30. As a teenager I dreamed of owning my own label and producing music, and as a young adult I ran a recording studio, produced music and learned the basics of how the industry works, especially regarding independent distribution and promotion. I also worked in Radio for 6 years, where I learned even more about the music industry, mostly regarding labels, promotion, touring and royalties. Then, some years later I spent 3.5 years at CD Baby, one of the worlds longest running indie distributors. It was here that I learned all there is to know about digital distribution, digital platforms (DSP's), mechanical royalties, performance and publishing royalties, sync licensing, content ID (YouTube, IG, FB) and more!
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More importantly, it was here that I learned how insanely complicated all of these processes can be. I talked with musicians every day and helped them navigate the distribution process and troubleshoot issues that arose on both the distribution side, and the DSP side. What became very apparent is that every music product has nuances, every distributor has different methods, and every DSP has different guidelines, quirks and common issues. This makes for a lot of confusion and potential problems.
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The more time I spent there, the more I became concerned with how many musicians navigate this process with distributors who don't have a customer service team that they can call, email or chat with. Not to mention it's almost impossible to contact most DSP's. I also realized that while not everyone can obtain a record deal, there are artists out there who want or need someone to walk them through processes and concepts, or even complete certain tasks for them. Unfortunately distributors are not like labels in that regard and even the customer support staff at any given distribution service isn't robust enough to help clients to the extent they may need.
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So many times I had clients who said, "can you do this for me, I'll pay you!" and unfortunately due to the workload of our small staff serving over a million artists, it just wasn't possible to walk clients through the entire process, upload files for them, etc. It was also time consuming and not necessarily within our wheelhouse to personally educate our clients in depth about concepts related to our services, but there was no shortage of those who wanted to learn. Sure, the help center is great study material, but sometimes it's hard to apply general information to your specific situation, because as I mentioned, there are so many nuances.
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So, with CD Baby in my rearview as I pursue other business opportunities of my own, I thought maybe I could help some folks with the things that their distributors can't.
You might be new to the game and need consultation, or you might be experienced but have a question regarding a process or industry concept that you can't seem to get an answer to. For example, those pesky rejections regarding your art or metadata due to digital platform guidelines, or copyright claims on YouTube.
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You might be technically or even physically challenged and need a helping hand getting through the processes of distribution and publishing administration. For example, trouble with art or audio formatting, how metadata should appear, or simply general distribution form navigation.
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You might even be a seasoned vet who's on the road and simply needs assistance with the mundane tasks associated with uploading music and metadata or registering your music in all the places. For example, you have the files, the track list, the credits and splits, but just don't have the time or patience to upload and enter everything into your distributor's forms and register your songs with all of the collection societies.
No matter what level you're at, or what your challenge is, it's nice to have a friend in the industry who's been behind the scenes and can help you get your music live so that you can focus on the music itself, and reaching your goals.
That said, I don't promote music or have label contacts, so I can't influence how successful your music will be. I also can't make any guarantees about if, when, or how your music will appear on any given platform (and neither can your distributor TBH). I simply help you get your music online, provide education/advice regarding industry concepts, and assist in making sure you are covering your bases regarding royalty collection. To put it metaphorically, I'll get your car on the road, and help you avoid or navigate roadblocks, but how far you go is up to you and subject to the road travelled.