With Rhapsody, Pandora and Rdio, we (music listeners as a whole) seem to have forgotten that traditional radio still exists. Why listen to a radio station spin music that they’ve chosen, when we can essentially DJ our own music and genres with the click of a mouse? However, publishers quarterly performance royalty statements suggest that traditional radio is not only alive…but still lucrative.
Knowing this, rather than becoming frustrated over your nine cents in royalties from Rdio — you should spend your time more wisely. Reach out to your local and college radio stations. Develop a relationship with these stations and understand that, while not being as hip and cool as telling your friends to check out your new album on iTunes, traditional radio formats ultimately serve the same purpose, which is the promotion and distribution of your music.
Don’t get me wrong — I highly recommend having all of your music available on online music streaming sites. Especially for smaller and indie artists, nothing bad can come from having your music available for potential fans and consumers — and the royalties will eventually be there. But after you’ve uploaded the new album to CD Baby, iTunes, and SoundCloud – get in touch with your local radio stations.