How to Stream Music and Why it’s Absolutely Important

The Importance of Music Streaming

Music streaming offers us many advantages. One of them is the relative ease of getting signed up on most streaming platforms, but more than the ease of signing up, let us look at some other interesting advantages that come from streaming music. 

Sound Quality

One of the important perks of music streaming is the quality of the sound. Sound quality is usually preserved at the highest levels to give music listeners the chance to enjoy their music without dampening the sound’s quality. From Spotify to SoundCloud, Apple Music, YouTube Music, and more, the sound quality maintained is unparalleled on many levels to other conventional modes of delivering music such as CDs. 

Easy Access

Music streaming offers users unlimited access to music from artists from all parts of the world. Users can create playlists and download music they like. It is easier to share and discover new songs on streaming sites than on other platforms.

Artist’s Success

Another benefit of streaming music is the opportunity to widen your fan base. Streaming platforms offer great opportunities to relatively unknown artists and popular artists alike. Everyone has a level playing field, and the preferences of users determine which songs rank highest. 

Zero Piracy

Piracy is a bane to many music artists, but music streaming platforms have rightly taken care of all piracy issues. Every artist gets what they deserve for their creative endeavors because of these music streaming platforms, there is no room for illegal music download or piracy. The strategic influence of music streaming platforms in this regard has helped rebuild the music industry globally and recovered a lot of lost revenue back to the pockets of music artists where they rightly belong.

Top Streaming Platforms and Their Guidelines

There are more than 200 million paid users enjoying music streaming services around the world. Collectively, they are responsible for nearly 40% of all revenues generated from recorded music. What are the platforms raking in such cool bucks? How do they operate? Let’s look at them together.

Apple Music

Apple Music is a platform developed by Apple Inc. The platform caters to the music streaming needs of music lovers with several existing and carefully curated playlists. With over 60 Million songs to choose from for your listening pleasure, Apple Music is a very good platform to whet your musical earbuds.

YouTube Music

YouTube Music is a streaming platform that leverages Google’s rich information database. Since its launch in 2015, YouTube music has been providing users with an extensive array of songs across different genres, playlists, and languages. YouTube music users can search for songs using the lyrics search feature, by their location, and can, in fact, use the weather condition to create a playlist.

SoundCloud

SoundCloud hosts a large and vibrant community of artists and creators in the music space. SoundCloud unlike most of its competitor streaming platforms, allow people to upload and monetize their music directly without the involvement of a third party or distribution company. No middlemen involved. SoundCloud is regarded by most pundits as a fast and easy streaming revenue payer, with high revenue rates that allow artists to grow independently.

Spotify

Spotify provides music for people of all ages and demographics. With monthly subscriptions under $10, Spotify ranks as one of the top music streaming platforms with its impressive archive of deep music, quality playlist, easy album access, and allowance for podcasts.

Pandora

Pandora offers users a customized music streaming experience. You can simply type in a song or artist to find their music, and gives you music with similar styles. A major downside to Pandora is its limited availability to United States audiences.

Tidal

A brainchild of one of music’s biggest players, Jay-Z. Tidal offers users high fidelity sound and exclusive content. Tidal gives artists more control than other music streaming platforms. Users also have access to live concert recordings, podcasts, and it offers creators the chance to make more money since its owners are also players in the music business.

Google Play Music

Google Play Music offers users music and podcast streaming services, and complimentary access to YouTube Premium for paid users. Google Play allows users to download or stream songs at an incredibly high quality of up to 320 kbit/s.

Others include Deezer, Gaana, iTunes, SoundHound, Napster, JetAudio, etc.

The guidelines for streaming music on all the platforms/sites listed above are quite similar.  Fortunately for most artists, they can utilize all of these platforms to upload their music. What many of these platforms mostly look out for is the quality of the music so, as an artist, you must ensure that the body of work you are putting out there is of good value. If you are sure that your music is good enough to be out there, then it is time for you to get it where everyone can access it.

How to Monetize Your Music on Streaming Sites

Unless you have a deal with a record label, you will need the services of a music distributor company to get your music on most streaming sites. On all of these streaming sites, there are various options available which are typically paid options, although their charges are minimal. To get your music on streaming sites such as Apple, Spotify, and YouTube Music, it is advisable to contact the services of music distribution companies who will not only stand in for you as your record label, but also take care of submitting, and maintenance of the music online. Distribution companies will help you distribute your music and will not lay claim to ownership of the music. You will still have claims to the songwriting and publishing rights.

Here are a few steps to making cool bucks from your music.

Music Distribution Platforms

Upload your music on the music distribution site where they’ll distribute it to almost every streaming platform. Make sure to include your track names, artworks, and release information. Distribution platforms will help you manage and act as representatives for you. Some of them are Spotify for artists, Amuse, TuneCore, and the Husk. 

Share Your Music

Sharing your music by selling digital downloads on platforms that create connections between you and your fans. What’s good music without people who love it? It is not enough to put the music out there alone; you must consistently pursue opportunities to bring you closer to those who love your craft. Bandcamp and SoundCloud are good examples of platforms that offer services like this.

Sell Your Music

Selling your music on your sites is another way to monetize your music. From your website, you can charge people to download your music. The benefit of this is that you don’t get to share or split the revenue generated through this medium with anyone. You have 100% control of branding, customer relationship, and you will also connect easily with your fans.

Music Licensing Services

Music licensing services gives you the power to grant organizations and individuals the permission to use your music for events, adverts, and other purposes. This permission is sold as a license. Examples include LuckStock, Music Vine, and Epidemic Sound.

There you have it. If you haven’t been making the most of music streaming platforms, now is the time to find your place and milk all the goodies available. Trust us, there is a lot on the table for you and millions around the globe.