Top 5 Music Platforms Where an Artist is Their Own Boss

What does every artist value the most? Their independence, naturally. Choosing your path as a music producer doesn’t entail being told what to do, what kind of music to write and how to sell it anymore. With the help of today’s business models shaped by the growing accessibility to various selling tools and practices on the Internet, independent music makers can finally be their own marketers, promoters, and their own bosses.

However, while promoting music on social media is a no-brainer, a lot of beginners find it challenging to figure out the best method for selling their music. Everyone is different, and every music selling platform or library attends to different needs of the music producers. Even though there’s so many to choose from, experienced beatmakers admit that finding a perfect music marketplace often seems like the task of a lifetime as they’re on a constant search for a better platform.

So what’s the first thing you should look for in a music marketplace? We suggest you start with platforms that ensure the most freedom when it comes to submitting, pricing and selling your compositions.

Check out our Top 5 picks of music platforms where you are in control of selling your music.

AudioJungle
No wonder why AudioJungle is considered the giant of the industry. Owned and managed by Envato Marketplace, AudioJungle music library has an extensive set of rules and conditions that establish how all the parties (seller, buyer, and the platform) can do business efficiently. AudioJungle also gives you the freedom to sell your works on either an exclusive or non-exclusive basis. Essentially, it affects the fees and therefore your earnings, but the choice is completely yours to make. When opting for a non-exclusive agreement, AudioJungle applies 55 % Author Fee, whereas by going for an exclusive type of deal, you’ll be only charged between 12.5% – 37.5% of each item you sell.

Pond5
Pond5 is known amongst music makers as a great alternative to AudioJungle, which provides artists with useful tips and content promoting tools within the platform designed to help them reach the right audience and thus improve their sales. Just like AudioJungle, Pond5 also allows the contributors to set prices for their works. But that’s not all: if you don’t have a clue how much you should ask for a track, you have the option to let Pond5 assess your song and put a price on it. As for the commission fee, the platform offers a 35% Composer revenue share cut for non-exclusive agreements.

Airbit
AirBit is another strong player in the game, where its business model is different from our previous contenders, making it the only platform for some composers. What makes Airbit stand out is their commission-free sales model in which composers have to pay a fixed monthly plan fee (options vary from $8.33 to $19.99) but they get to keep all the money they get for the music! Another great bonus is Youtube monetization: Airbit collects ad revenue for all videos with your music on them, and pays you monthly.

Beatstars
Another quickly growing favorite among music makers is Beatstars: a platform that ingeniously combines two pricing methods. You can use their marketplace for free, but then you’ll be charged 30% commission on your sales and you’ll only be able to upload up to 10 tracks per month. With a Beatstars membership ($20.01/mo), you’ll have unlimited uploads and no commission meaning 100% of revenue is yours. Their services also include Soundcloud and Audiomack monetization.

Soundee
“Created by producers, for producers”, Soundee is a great place for beatmakers in particular. They can upload instrumental tracks and connect to other producers all over the world. It’s a platform that you could call a social marketplace for music. Soundee also provides their members with in-depth marketing and sales analytics tools. To become a member, you can choose from three monthly plans: free ($0/mo), starter ($11.11/mo) or pro ($22.23/mo). With paid plans, you get to keep 100% of revenue while a free membership earns you 70% of your profit.

So, as you can see, every music library has different tools to offer. Although it can be confusing to pick the right marketplace for your music, setting your priorities straight can help you make the best decision. Want to monetize your music on Youtube? Go for Airbit. Monetization on Soundcloud? Pick Beatstars. Want to just try and see if your music sells? Then Audiojungle and Pond5 may be the right place to start.