1. What are the key benefits of IndieStore to an artiste or label?
Indiestore is a cost-effective digital download platform for independent and unsigned artists. By way of distribution, marketing and consumption, indiestore empowers artists with direct access to the digital music marketplace. Using indiestore, artists are able to upload their own music, set their own track pricings, control pre-order and release dates, create albums and receive 80% royalties.
2. What’s your policy on DRM, formats and bit rates?
All music on indiestore is sold in high quality 192kbps, in 3 different currencies and in multiple formats (aac, mp3, wma) without DRM. All previews are full length (in the artist indiestore and in their widget). For independent artists, tracks without DRM is the preferred way of selling music in order to have the widest market for consumption.
3. How does Indie Store work within the artiste website or within a Social Network
Every indiestore artist is given a music widget loaded with the music they have made available on indiestore. The widget allows the artist to take their indiestore to their MySpace, Bebo and any other site which accepts embeddable widgets. Not only does the indiestore widget allow bands to paste their music store on their social networking page, fans of the artist have access to the widget code which they can subsequently place on their page – effectively promoting and marketing the artist.
4. What other benefits does IndieStore offer that may not be immediately apparent, i.e. Special features or little used functions?
Every artist on indiestore using the Pro service level is enrolled into a music synchronization service to have their music synched to adverts, films, video games and television. This provides artists further commercial opportunities to increase their auxiliary revenue. indiestore also works with a network of 7digital affiliate partners including Fopp, last.fm, Bebo, Vice, Drowned in Sound and Club Fandango to expose new indiestore music and help give upcoming artists a broader reach. These partners feature indiestore in their digital download area and take part in the editorial of indiestore. In addition, indiestore is the preferred DIY download partner of last.fm, bands are able to link their last.fm artist or label page directly to indiestore. We are working closely with last.fm to help indiestore artists expose their music through the last.fm PowerPlays tool.
5. Any case studies or examples of artiste promotions which other artistes could follow
With the 2007 UK combined singles chart rule change to allow download-only sales to count towards the chart; indiestore was used by 4 unsigned artists’ to break into the charts (Koopa <http://www.indiestore.com/koopa> , Ugly Rumours <http://www.indiestore.com/uglyrumours> , Midas <http://www.indiestore.com/midasstore> and Daz Sampson <http://www.indiestore.com/nuxx> ). These artists used indiestore tools such as SMS purchasing, pre-order sales, the indiestore widget and promotion across indiestore affiliate partners.
6. Any future developments you can tell us about?
With open forums creating dialogue between the artists using indiestore and the indiestore team, the service has developed with the intent the artists driving the service. Future developments that indiestore artists have requested include a multi-artists label edition of indiestore, email/SMS alerts for artists and their fans and a new discovery and recommendation tool combining major label content from 7digital with indiestore music.
Million thank Tejas at Indiestore for this feature!
