Other DIY music link pages: Zines • DIY projects
The music biz download sites don’t deal with individual artists, they only deal through record labels or download aggregators. These sites offer some indie and some retail, but individual artists without a label can upload. Beware sites that ask you to sign a record or publishing deal (How do I get signed?).
| Download site | Owned by or related to | Format, player |
|---|---|---|
| Audiogalaxy | Audiogalaxy | MP3, Real, WMA, Rhapsody |
| ACIDplanet | ACIDplanet | WMA, Real |
| ARTISTserver | Marken Media | MP3 |
| BURBS | BURBS | MP3 |
| BandSpace.com | Bandspace.com | MP3 |
| Cornerband | NT Media LLC, CBNT Radio, KaZaA | KMD, MP3 |
| Dancetech.com | Dancetech | MP3 |
| 7161.com | Dancetech.com | MP3 |
| Electromancer | Electromancer | MP3 |
| Garageband | Evolution Artists Inc | MP3 |
| IntoMusic | IntoMusic | MP3 |
| Indiestore | Indiestore (7 Digital) | MP3, WMA |
| MP3.com | c|net | MP3 |
| MP3tunes.com | Michael Robertson | MP3 |
| Download.com | c|net | MP3 |
| Music Rebellion | Music Rebellion | MP3 |
| NoWhere Radio | NoWhere Radio | MP3 |
| SongScribbler | SongScribbler | MP3 |
| SoundClick | SoundClick Inc. | MP3 |
See also indie download aggregators.
These sites reward users for sharing tracks and attracting new customers. Weed is well-established, and PassAlong is partnered by eBay. There are others. They are mainly used by DIY and indie artists.
| System | Commission | Player |
|---|---|---|
| Weed | 20% for shared tracks that get bought | WMA, Real, MusicMatch and others |
| PassAlong | 1¢ for tracks passed on, 2% to 10% if bought | WMA |
Open standard (Ogg) and full bandwidth (FLAC) files are becoming more popular.
| Download site | Features |
|---|---|
| Mindawn | Ogg Vorbis, Ogg FLAC (lossless encoding) Cross-platform Mac/PC/Linux, no DRM Artist gets: 75% exclusive, 55% non-exclusive |
| Magnatune | Ogg Vorbis, Ogg FLAC (and many other formats) Artist gets: 50% (no DRM) |
| Zunior | MP3, FLAC |
Sharealike licenses are used by artists who want to distribute their tracks freely while reserving some rights.
| Sharealike site |
|---|
| Loca Records |
| The Sheep Farm |
| easyMusic (not up yet) |
| Common Content (music links) |
Other DIY music link pages: Zines • DIY projects