Gators - Getting your music to the public

For those of you who have no idea what Gators mean, please take heart - you are not alone! Gators (no, not the swamp dwelling thing) or Aggregators as they are formally known, are fairly new to music artists but have now become a mainstay on the indie music scene. For lack of a better definition from Webster, here is an offering from one of our associates:

"In the digital music world, an aggregate or aggregator is a service that distributes your music to a variety of online music distributors or outlets and collect a fee for that service. Some aggregates also handle physical distribution as well."

Now that we've covered the definition, here is a list of some of the main aggregates and their websites. (Independent artists, please take note...do not hesitate to take advantage of these resources to aid you in your career, because they are definitely in business because of you and are there to assist you.)

GATORS

Avatar
Note: This aggregate deals with both indie artists and labels

TuneCore
For the individual artist with no label support – this is my top recommendation

CD Baby
NOTE: Although you may know them as an online CD distribution company, they have over 40+ digital download partners, and they deal with individual artists and indie labels

Redeye Distribution
NOTE: This company works with individual artists and labels

IODA
NOTE: IODA has become so popular that unless you have a roster of artists, they may not be as accommodating as they once were. So if you’re one of those artist/label owner types, this is a good aggregate to consider.

The Orchard
NOTE: Works with individual artists and indie labels

Iris Distribution
NOTE: Mainly works with independent record labels. So if you have your own "shop" this is a good bet

Virtual Label
NOTE: For the established artists reading this, if there are any, this digital distributor is strictly for you.

Happy trails!



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