So, I downloaded a report from Bandcamp. If I am reading it correctly, in 2016 I had 261 purchases (although each purchase can include several items at the same time), and I made 583 USD. Revenue was actually higher, but a lot of it went to Bandcamp and PayPal and tax. Gross revenue seems to be around 1352 USD, but I am not sure. The numbers don't add up, so maybe I am reading it wrong. I am sure about the net amount I received, this part of the report is very clear.
Bandcamp rev is 15%, after you make 5000 USD with them the rev share drops to 10%.
Do note, however, that I have a very large catalogue, so I am able to put out a lot of records. If that was not the case, I would've been very unlikely to make so much money while being a very unknown musician.
Promotion stuff.
Success is a very complicated thing. Even if you are very good, this means nothing. There are dozens and dozens of people out there who are better than you and hundreds who are at least as good as you are.
Your goal is to get a fanbase. It will probably be small, but committed. Having this small listener community will guarantee that you will be getting some money. At the same time, you can now work with your listener base and grow it.
-Bandcamp stuff-
Unless you are someone famous, price your albums very modestly. $2-$3 will work. Otherwise even if someone likes your work, they are unlikely to buy - and thus unlikely to write a review.
Which leads to another important point about Bandcamp - it has a community of listeners. If someone buys your album - it appears in their collection. If they write a review - someone else will read it and go buy your album. This might create a chain reaction and bring you a small fanbase.
-Online radios-
I have tried a lot to get into online radio rotations. I was successful with Soma.fm. Some of you might know this radio, it is very popular and has a huge listener base.
However, I never feel much impact from being played there. Sometimes I suspect buyers come from hearing me at Soma, but this is rare. For example, at Soma they have Long Form Sunday and my
droning248 is always played there. In the beginning of the week two people have bought 248. Who knows? Maybe it was thx to Soma.
I am also being played here every Friday, if you are reading this email right now, on Friday - you can see this being promoted there:
http://electro-music.com/ Interestingly enough, this DJ decided to play my music himself, I never asked him for this. Very humbling. Small, but dedicated listener base. I don't think I ever got any customers from there, but it is nice to know someone likes my stuff enough to play it every Froday, now for more than a year.
In general, modern online radios have humongous playlists and unless you are really well represented in those playlists, typically you will be lost among the already known names. And even if you are represented enough, it is unlikely to create a breakthrough. Remember - these online radios typically would play the best music of the genre + new names. So you are alway up against very serious competition.
-Youtube channels-
Today a lot of promotion is done through YouTube channels. Try writing to the owners of big YouTube channels that fit your music genre and see if they can upload your tune to their channel.
I know that this works and my friend had his tune uploaded and it was very sucessful. In my case, unfortunately, I could find only a handful of channels that play ambient and none of them have responded to me, but I think it is worth trying. And chances are you are not stuck with a weird genre like myself.
-Soundcloud channels-
Same stuff. They can upload you and get you listeners. I personally did not have much luck, again, due to there being very few ambient channels. Definitely can work for more common music genres.
-Submit Hub-
Also people try
https://www.submithub.comThere you can connect with bloggers who can write about your music. It is a paid service, meaning you pay bloggers to look at your music and they are obliged to give you feedback. So even if you get rejected - they must tell you why. Very illuminating.
A couple of my friends tried it with great success. As for me... well, guess. Nobody wanted ambient :D
But in general, I recommend this.
-In general-
Writing music is only the beginning. Marketing it is a whole other area that most "bedroom musicians" never care about it, but it really matters.
If you cannot do it, try to find someone who can take care of promoting your shit. But by itself nothing will ever happen. Selling your art is a very complicated business and it is never limited to making art itself good. There is a reason why there is a whole music industry. Many of us might dislike it, but it is there because there is a problem to solve.
There are many other things that can be done, including playing at events, getting your music into movies and art installations, working together with other musicians, etc. This short email is just to give ideas.
I myself am not too good at this, or more accurately - I am not too interested in promotion. I would rather write new music. But at times I do some promotion and talk to people and try to get my shit out there, otherwise it will forever be known only by a small group of people and not get a chance at making an impact.
Louigi.