Guide to Success

 

Intro

It’s about time the power in the music industry shifts back to the artist. And with all the fakery and manipulations happening behind the scenes, it’s hard to know what’s what these days. We created this platform to allow artists to share their projects and sounds with the world so that:

    a) they can generate a good income
    b) educate people about their musical wizardry
    c) inspire and provide the tools for people to replicate their sounds
    d) grow their worldwide fan base

 

We are a platform for artists to sell their project and sounds to producers around the globe while retaining 100% ownership of their music. We believe that sharing and collaboration are key to the evolution of music.

 

How It Works

Register an account, and after our admin approves you, you’ll be able to login to your artist backend portal and upload your music files. Please allow us time to process your application.

Once you’ve created your profile, you are set to upload your products via our simplified upload page.

 

Promotion Guide

We strongly encourage you to promote in every way that makes sense for you and your brand as an artist. Here are some guidelines/ideas/strategies:

 

a) Facebook

Despite it’s lack of reach, it’s still the largest online network in the world. Keep your page up to date, share news with your fans, and make sure to post your products to encourage sales. Encourage comments, respond to your fans’ comments, and drive them to your products in our network. Give them tips and advice on how to use your products. The more you give, the more you get.

b) Twitter

Twitter is an invaluable promotional tool. Tweet often and do what you can to increase your fan base. Retweet relevant news and add followers organically. Tweet links to your products to drive sales and encourage your network to retreet such posts to drive traffic. Use proper hashtags to target your posts to your target audience.

c) Instagram

This platform provides you a way to connect with millions. Make sure to use proper hashtags, post relevant content to drive traffic to your products. Encourage dialogue through clever text and engaging images. It’s a visual tool so make it count! Respond to comments, like other people’s content, and respond enthusiastically to commentary.

d) Blogs and Forums

The more exposure you have, the better. Connect with people in the scene, collaborate and reach out to other artists and find a way to create some buzz for yourself. Reddit has some active forums that are great to post your music and get feedback. Contact us anytime if you need any more ideas.

e) Other Social Media

Depending on your country and local fanbase, you may find it helpful to advertise yourself on other networks such as VK.com. You’re the CEO of your career so take charge and understand your market.

f) Soundcloud/Bandcamp/Beatport

These are all great ways to get your music out there. Selling MP3s is great but as you know, $1.49 doesn’t add up very quickly. Nonetheless, look at it as an opportunity to drive sales to your products in our network. In all your profiles, link to your producer page on our site so that people who want what they’re listening to in their DAW are one click away from getting it. Vary your posts - some links can go to your Artist page while others can be drive to individual projects. Use your best judgement and see what works best for you.

g) YouTube/Vimeo/ect

Video is the most powerful tool for driving traffic. Post videos of all your products on YouTube, and alert us so we can post them also on our Youtube channel. Make videos of how you make your templates and then in the description post your links to drive traffic to the very product you’re showing your audience. Further, you can take an existing product and do a video tutorial showing how you built on the template - add MIDI, add vocals, compression techniques etc.

h) Your own website

It goes without saying that in order to be taken seriously as an Artist, at some point, you should have your own website. There are lots of great, affordable ways to go about this: WIX.com, Jimdo.com, Tumblr.com with your own domain...your call entirely.

 

 

Making It Happen

Before uploading products, please read through the Getting Started section. It’s essential that you follow the instructions so that your products are created properly and the system accepts them. We’ve simplified the process as much as possible.

We’re PSYCHED to have you the team. Anything and everything we can do to help, we’ll try our best to do it. We’re 150% committed to your success. We Make Dance Music is not a label, but is an amazing springboard for you to sign with one. Yes, it’s about the music but at the end of the day this is showbizzness. The greater network and fanbase you bring to the table, the more desirable you are to the labels.

 

Sales Statistics / Numbers / Expectations

What you put in is what you get out - it’s a basic law of the universe and it’s certainly applicable in this instance. Your success depends upon an imperfect balance of various factors:

 

    1) the quality of your products
    2) the quantity of your products
    3) the popularity of the genre of your products
    4) the saturation of your products relative to others
    5) your marketing/promotion savvy and understanding of social media
    6) your consistent effort to drive your career forward and continually invest in providing new products for your fans
    7) your name as an artist and over fanbase - established vs. unknown
    8) the network of people pushing for your success
    9) the press you’re able to garner for yourself
    10) your overall attitude and effort determines your exposure on the site - it’s a true meritocracy because we’re artists too, not some dark corporate entity.

 

Our top seller has almost 500 products on the site and has 15 years of producing and audio engineering under his belt - he’s doing great and makes sales everyday. There are more casual Art Engineers who have 1 or 2 products and are not active with their marketing efforts. They still make sales, but it is a more passive income and the numbers reflect that.

We’ve created the infrastructure for you to flourish and are here to support you in every way we can. Email us anytime with questions, comments, ideas, or otherwise. We’re growing TOGETHER.

 

 

Payment

All artists can monitor their sales in real time, your dashboard includes complete statistic for all sales you make. On the first of every month you will have the possibiliy to request a payment if you reched the treshold of 50$ US. We will then process your payment within 30 days, just in time for the next cycle. 

You will receive 50% of all sales of your products.

Your income from the sales of your products as an artist is entirely separate from your payments as part of the affiliate program. Read below.

 

Affiliate Program

We Make Dance Music affiliate program which allows both artists and promoters to earn revenue from the sales they drive to the site. You must register for the program and follow the instructions carefully in order to be credited for your efforts. You receive 25% of all sales you drive through your traffic - this is tracked through the Unique Links that you create. This is the only way for us to track your participation in the program so ensure that you have the proper links posted in your promotions to get full credit.

While we encourage you to drive traffic to your products, it’s inevitable that some of your traffic will spill over and buy other Artists’ products. Once they click on your Unique Crew Links, a cookie is entered into their device that allows us to track their purchases - you will receive credit for ALL sales you drive - yours products and others’.

Payment for the program is entirely independent of your career earnings as an artist. When you have a minimum balance of $25 in your account, you simply request a withdrawal and the money is transferred to your Paypal account. You can do this anytime you meet the minimum balance threshold.

  

By selling your project and sounds to an international coalition of producers, you are spreading your sounds in immeasurable ways and casting your influence over the globe through your music. You are developing loyal fans who will keep you on your toes to innovate and create the sounds of the future.

Lead the way.