We agreed to an exclusive, worldwide license with a U.S.-based aggregator. Meanwhile, were about to do a record deal in Canada that gives the label digital rights for Canada. Do we have to give those up?
Its no surprise that your Canadian label wants to control or at least benefit from your digital sales in Canada. Even though they didnt do the original aggregation deal, the marketing and promotion the label provides are going to end up driving digital sales in Canada, which then give the label a little more revenue to carry on pushing your career. Its also possible that the label can get a better overall deal. So while you dont have to give those rights up, it may be a benefit in the long run.
If we do a deal with an aggregator, can we still sell downloads on our website?
Thats usually a matter of negotiation between you and the aggregator. You have to ask, and theyll probably say yes. Alternately, instead of fulfilling the sales directly from your website, you might find it cheaper and easier in the long run to have your site link to one of your retailers.
We used to be on a small indie label that had digital distribution through an American content aggregator. Our record deal expired a couple of months ago; we decided not to renew it. The other day I noticed that the record is still for sale at a big online retailer. What should we do about that? We want to license our own stuff from now own.
Start by putting in a friendly call to your former label. Remind them that the deal has expired and ask them to send the aggregator a "take down notice. If for whatever reason your label cant or wont initiate the take down, you should get in touch with the aggregator directly. In either case, make sure you get an account and rendering of all the sales up to the moment the product actually comes down.
We want to sell Master tones. Do aggregators do that?
Yup. The larger content aggregators will have deals with all the major mobile providers, and if all you want is for them to service mobile, then you can opt out of all the other stuff.
Its no surprise that your Canadian label wants to control or at least benefit from your digital sales in Canada. Even though they didnt do the original aggregation deal, the marketing and promotion the label provides are going to end up driving digital sales in Canada, which then give the label a little more revenue to carry on pushing your career. Its also possible that the label can get a better overall deal. So while you dont have to give those rights up, it may be a benefit in the long run.
If we do a deal with an aggregator, can we still sell downloads on our website?
Thats usually a matter of negotiation between you and the aggregator. You have to ask, and theyll probably say yes. Alternately, instead of fulfilling the sales directly from your website, you might find it cheaper and easier in the long run to have your site link to one of your retailers.
We used to be on a small indie label that had digital distribution through an American content aggregator. Our record deal expired a couple of months ago; we decided not to renew it. The other day I noticed that the record is still for sale at a big online retailer. What should we do about that? We want to license our own stuff from now own.
Start by putting in a friendly call to your former label. Remind them that the deal has expired and ask them to send the aggregator a "take down notice. If for whatever reason your label cant or wont initiate the take down, you should get in touch with the aggregator directly. In either case, make sure you get an account and rendering of all the sales up to the moment the product actually comes down.
We want to sell Master tones. Do aggregators do that?
Yup. The larger content aggregators will have deals with all the major mobile providers, and if all you want is for them to service mobile, then you can opt out of all the other stuff.
