Would you like to make money selling music downloads online?  The Internet opened many business opportunities, and this is one of them. Options are available to bands as well as independent musicians for selling music downloads online.

What Are Music Downloads?

Music downloads are songs, beats and tunes that can be downloaded online.  Consumers purchase music and get a link to download it right onto a computer or mobile device instead of purchasing a physical CD.  Music downloads allow consumers to obtain the music they want without spending time or money going to the store.

Selling Music Downloads

As an artist, you probably have some ideas on what selling your music downloads is all about.  You know you need to use the Internet, have music and market the music to make money.  This guide is designed to help you learn the specifics about selling music online.

What do you think sells regarding music?  Do you think unknown singers sell better than recognizable stars?  Probably not. But with the right marketing and talent, even an unknown singer can sell music.  Susan Boyle, the Scottish singer who received international attention after appearing on the TV show, “Britain’s Got Talent”, is a good example of what one chance can do for someone who loves to sing.

Conduct online research regarding what is currently selling.  Find the answer for how some unknown people have made it big.  What did their music have that made it sell?  Can you use your own skills to create something that will sell?  If you think you have the musical talent to create your own music downloads, then do so.  Consider hiring a professional to bring out the best music possible.  A professional recording using a recording studio and good equipment sells better than recorded music from your garage with cheap equipment.

If you can’t create your own music, determine what popular music you would like to sell.  Affiliate programs provide the chance for you to be a distributor for record companies as well as unsigned artists.  Producers announce affiliate programs for music they want to sell.  You earn a commission for selling music downloads as an affiliate.

Marketing Music Downloads

If you use great marketing, it doesn’t matter what you sell.  This is true to a degree.  Great marketing often causes people to buy products they don’t know much about.  The downside is if the product doesn’t reach consumer expectations, people won’t come back, and they might tell others not to buy the product. Marketing is an essential part of selling music downloads, but you also need a good product.  Here are some marketing activities that can help sell music downloads:

• Participation in music communities
• Social networking
• Music reviews
• Affiliate marketing

Several online communities exist for online musicians. Use them to present your work to other musicians and music fans.  Present samples of your music for people to listen to and give feedback.  When it comes to selling music, people like to hear first and buy only when they like it.

Social networking is a good way to generate interest for your music downloads.  Use Facebook and Twitter to discuss updates of new music you recently added to your store. Social networking provides you with a presence online and with the tools and methods to engage the audience.  A short blurb about what’s new, what concert you went to and other music-related discussions help point consumers to you.

Many people read reviews about albums and artists before buying music.  Get bloggers to review your music to help promote it through word of mouth.  If trusted bloggers who provide genuine music reviews write positive reviews about your work, expect to see a sharp rise in sales.

Affiliate systems are another way to market your music by having other experts working to sell your music downloads.  Affiliate marketing helps not only with multiplying the number of storefronts but also with generating positive word of mouth.

Other marketing options exist that can help.  The ones mentioned here are just the beginning. They can give you an idea on how to sell music downloads successfully.

Sales Platform

Once you have music to sell, it’s time to determine where you wish to sell it online. Three factors need to be part of your decision:

• Reputation/reliability for storage and security
• Multiple payment options
• Pricing

Reputation and reliability of your sales platform are paramount. This concerns the company that runs the sales platform and the adequacy of the storage and security. You want to store your music files and do so safely. You need to know that your files will not be hacked, stolen or become infected with a virus from your storage place. High security is important.

Multiple payment options ensure you can accept any form of payment or currency people use to purchase products. A sales platform that works with many payment sources and that allows access from one platform is better than one where you need to sign up for multiple accounts or tie them in separately.

Pricing is perhaps the most important aspect of your sales platform when you begin. Funds are usually limited when starting a new business venture. Paying for services when you are not earning anything in return doesn’t work.

Suggested Sales Platform That Has It All

Consider a sales platform that can offer you all the marketing tools you need.

PayLoadz is an online sales platform for digital goods, including music. You have options to upload all your music files in bulk.  All you need is an Excel file. Additionally, PayLoadz is a highly secure service with unlimited storage.

PayLoadz works with multiple payment systems like PayPal, Google Checkout and others to ensure you can receive any payment a customer might make. PayLoadz opens your store to accept credit cards, ACH transfers, bank transfers, debit cards and e-checks. The payments are accepted in more than 20 currencies from more than 90 countries. Your potential customers have the option to pay and download your product from anywhere in the world.

Set up your own website and use other storefronts like eBay and the PayLoadz store for your sales platforms.  PayLoadz offers an affiliate network that you can use to promote and sell your music.  When you want to sell music downloads online, PayLoadz is the way to go.

Find us at www.payloadz.com  Facebook: www.facebook.com/payloadz  Twitter: www.twitter.com/payloadz