Sell Your CD on iTunes

In real-time, the Music Thoughts Yahoo! Group is in the midst of a red-hot forum thread, titled something like

“RE: Cut to the Damn Chase! Who is Really Making Money on iTunes??”

While, I’ve been lurking in this forum for a month or so now, the current thread is of particular importance, so I’m tuned in like a hawk. One forum member, musician Cameron Mizell, responds with some info, and then includes a seemingly harmless little link to a blog post he’s written on the subject of selling your CD on iTunes. It’s a subtle suggestion, easily ignored. But being the curious girl, I am, I click that link. I proceed to print the article, and read it a few times over a half hour.

Wow.

After all my internet marketing independent studies this summer, I find his strategy extremely powerful and elegant (not to mention no-cost!). Crazier than that, I am blown away at his generosity at including his how-tos, for the betterment of all musicians. Says Mizell:

Being an independent artist is a lot like competing in a decathlon. To be successful you need to be more than competent at many different skills, from the creative process to the business side. But most of us spend more time perfecting the artistic side of our craft, so much that we can’t even comprehend the rest. I’ve heard people say most musicians spend more time practicing their craft than brain surgeons do theirs. Think about that next time you have a headache.

The key to making this work is to NOT think like a business person or marketer. Instead, think like a fan. When you’re writing songs or practicing, you’re trying to reach the level of the artists you love. You’re looking at the target from the perspective of a fan. If you want somebody to buy your music, why not use the same approach?

For the how-to’s, read Cameron’s article How To Effectively Promote and Sell Your Music on iTunes

Cameron Mizell is on to something, and I’m going to have to test it for myself. Stay tuned!

Just try to tell me that there’s no such thing a musical middle class. More musicians are proving this every day.

3 Responses to “Sell Your CD on iTunes”

1. danielnathan Says:
   December 1st, 2008 at 2:07 pm

   What a great idea! I will definitely check this out.

   I also agree very much with the closing paragraph.

   “Finally, the business end of things can be a big distraction from the creative process. When an artist with a record deal isn’t selling records, they usually point their finger at the label. They think the label is doing something wrong. But most of the time the label drops the artist, not the other way around. The problem is usually the product, not the marketing plan. In contrast, if you have a really great product you don’t need much of a marketing plan. So focus on what goes into your product before you worry about selling it.”

   The bottom line is you need something special, not just good, for people to reach for their wallets.

2. Carla Says:
   December 2nd, 2008 at 12:30 am

   Thanks for stopping by, Daniel! I totally agree with you, and I’m looking forward to trying out Cameron’s strategy too!

3. James Judy Says:
   December 4th, 2008 at 8:56 pm

   I’m so glad you’ve posted this. I’ve been making a couple hundered dollars off of Itunes a month for a few years now doing though making playlist and, well, having a ton of Myspace friends. There’s is def money to be made on Itunes 🙂

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