Music Distribution Unraveled for Artists & Labels | Guest: Hen (CD Baby) & Sarah (FUGA) 🍑 Ep 14
As heard on 🍑 Bitesize Bodacious Babes Podcast 🍑✨OUT NOW ✨
🎧 LISTEN HERE TO PODCAST
My guest Hen Heimdal (CD Baby) & Sarah Johnston (FUGA) talk about their job roles in, their paths to their current roles, and gives advice and insight into distribution services.
EPISODE GUESTS
✨HEN HEIMDAL ✨
Market Development Coordinator UK & EU (CD Baby*)
- From Norway, lives in London
- Hen’s main job is building brand awareness across these countries for CD Baby
- Previously worked at WIN for Music (an international trade organisation for Independent Record Labels — like AIM here in the UK. Worked closely with Merlin to build new trade associations for Indies around the world. Where she met Sarah!
✨SARAH JOHNSTON ✨
Client Services Account Manager (FUGA**)
- From Scotland, lives in London
- Her job is to look after clients, that are made up of record labels and distributors, and make sure that her clients can get their content delivered to all the stores like Spotify, etc. Predominantly looks after the UK but also German, Russian, West and East African.
- Worked at Merlin (a global licensing agency) previously for 5 years. The role was Member Services Manager — where she met Hen.
- CD Baby is an online independent distributor originally started in Portland, US
**FUGA is a Dutch-based distribution company and supply chain technology company
WHAT WE TALK ABOUT:
✨What their roles and day to day of their jobs are
✨The difference in services between distribution services that are available
✨What do you need from your distributor? Know what you want as that will affect the partnership you negotiate with your distributor
✨Advice to artist and labels about music distribution + advice to get into a similar role
✨Shout outs to other bodacious babes in production they admire
As I was visiting from Scotland, today’s “dinner” was a rare Scottish delicacy…dark chocolate Tunnocks Tea Cakes.
WHAT DO YOU NEED FROM A DISTRIBUTOR?:
✨What do you need from your distributor? Know what you want as that will affect the partnership you negotiate with your distributor
✨Each label/artist sits back and evaluate:
- What do I really want and need from a distributor partner?
- Am I really cost-conscious or am I willing to give up a higher percentage of my earnings so I can have constant help?
- What additional services do I want from my distributor partner?
- And what services are actually available?
ADVICE TO ARTISTS /LABELS:
✨Pre-save campaign
✨Email — build your email list
✨Live — Be proactive and engaging with the community
- Does your country have a large ex-pat community?
- Research: if you are an electronic musician you might want to look at Beatport and Tracksource
- Trigger cities — certain cities that are influential in streaming markets. You can be smart at how you target these parts of the world.
✨BE ORGANISED
- Make sure to have a list of different showcase festivals and when application deadline are, contact details, forms of all in your area.
- Have a list of publications, blogs and what genre they write about / play.
- It will make your life easier when you reach out to them
✨Make each reach out to a publication fro example personal — let them know that you know what they do and write about. Just like a cover letter for a job.
✨If you go to Spotify and Apple website have the names of preferred distribution sites — Preferred plus partners means that the distributor meets the requirements to deliver for you.
✨Make sure you have the artwork and audiofile within correct specifications (you can find these easily online yourself
ADVICE IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO GET INTO SIMILAR JOB ROLE:
✨Transparency — part of job to educate ppl to better manage content so they can go on and create a better business for themselves
✨Utilise trend and analytical tools — aka could see what your top city is listening to your music. This may help you decide where you decide to play live. For example — electronic music does really well in Russia.
✨Be hard working, but do not over work yourself
✨ Say YES!
SHOUT OUTS:
❤️ Lucie Watson. Head Of Music at Platoon
❤️ Robyn Edwards, Digital Accounts Manager at Domino Recording Company
❤️ Natalie Portman, wore a gown and cape embroidered with the names of snubbed female directors, but some fans are calling the gesture ‘performative.’
❤️ Kameil Sattar, UK Regional Manager, FUGA
❤️ Dorothee and Darren, at FUGA
❤️ Richard Orchard, Director for Marketing Develepoemnt for EU CD Baby
✨✨This Week’s ARTIST SPOTLIGHT ✨✨
Full podcast playlist HERE
JOSIE MAN’s EP: aLOVINGoothang
Yes, Josie’s Colours featured as my spotlight on Ep 12, and I just love her and wanted to celebrate the release of her EP. She will be my guest on Ep 15, along with her fellow songwriter on the EP, Hannah Yadi. They are both beautiful souls and I love the love they are putting out there.
Listen to ‘EP’ HERE.
THE NEXT EPISODE…will be on Songwriting with Hannah Yadi & Josie Man✨LIVE Wed 4th March ✨
Please just hit REPLY to let me know what you think, give any feedback/advice and I’d love to hear any ideas for other guests or areas of the music industry you’d love to know more about!
Enjoy, do share any ❤️ and subscribe to the podcast!
Cheers!
Gabrielle Corbett
Website: bbbpodcast.xyz
