Breaking into the music business is a lifelong dream for many people. And in this digital age, we’re glad to say it’s never been easier to get your music out there. There are plenty of sites and services
that can help with this, but Google Play’s
Artist Hub is easily one of the most user friendly we’ve come across. There are no hidden costs, and after the one-off sign-up fee of $25, you’re free to upload and sell as much of y
our music as you like. Artists even get to take home a surprisingly generous cut of the revenue from each purchase – up to
70 per cent, which puts some comparable services to shame.
So whether you’re a solo artist or an established group, a bedroom songwriter
with big dreams or a touring act with a solid fan base, this tutorial will help you set up your
very own Artist page and get your music on Google Play. From there, it’s up to you what
you do with it – you could give your tunes away for free to try to build awareness of your
work, or turn a healthy profit by giving fans access to your entire digital back catalogue.
Either way, READ: How to Set up Google Wallet in order to pay for purchases and Buy with confidence online – and even on the high street – with Google’s wireless monetary system
1: Signing up: First head over to http://play.google.com/artists. Sign in with your Google account, register your artist name (this can’t be changed, so be sure to get it right!) and pay your $25 registration fee.
2: Creating your page: With your name secured, it’s time to set up shop. Start by adding a main image for your page and writing your bio – make this as brief and informative as possible while still getting your message across.
3: Google Wallet setup: You may have to add extra details to your Google Wallet to register as a seller. You’ll also need to fill in several tax forms in order to be paid, but this can be done later so you can take your time over it.
4: Preparing your track: The process doesn’t support MP3 uploads, so you’ll need to import/export/convert your desired tracks to be in either FLAC or WAV format. These tend to
be larger files, but there’s no limit to upload sizes.
5: Creating an album: Whether uploading a single track or a whole load of them, you’ll still need to create an ‘album’. The specific nature (single/EP/LP etc) can be flagged here, as can any potentially offensive content.
6: Upload your songs: Now your tracks are in the right format, you can upload the entire album at once. Due to large file sizes, this is likely to be the most time-consuming part of the process. Sit back and relax.
7: Editing and pricing: Done? Cool. Now edit the title and details of each track and decide on pricing of both individual tracks and (if necessary) the full album. You can also choose how many times people can listen for free.
8: Quality/legal review With the final tweaks made, your submission will go up for review. This process can take several days, but if everything checks out, your album(s) should be published within 48 hours. At which point…
9: Spread the word!: Congratulations – you’re on Google Play’s music store! Now take your URL and put it out there. Social media, your own website, email… Oh, and be sure
to sort the tax forms soon, else you won’t get paid.
that can help with this, but Google Play’s
Artist Hub is easily one of the most user friendly we’ve come across. There are no hidden costs, and after the one-off sign-up fee of $25, you’re free to upload and sell as much of y
70 per cent, which puts some comparable services to shame.
So whether you’re a solo artist or an established group, a bedroom songwriter
with big dreams or a touring act with a solid fan base, this tutorial will help you set up your
very own Artist page and get your music on Google Play. From there, it’s up to you what
you do with it – you could give your tunes away for free to try to build awareness of your
work, or turn a healthy profit by giving fans access to your entire digital back catalogue.
Either way, READ: How to Set up Google Wallet in order to pay for purchases and Buy with confidence online – and even on the high street – with Google’s wireless monetary system
Get your band seen and your music heard by a global audience
1: Signing up: First head over to http://play.google.com/artists. Sign in with your Google account, register your artist name (this can’t be changed, so be sure to get it right!) and pay your $25 registration fee.
3: Google Wallet setup: You may have to add extra details to your Google Wallet to register as a seller. You’ll also need to fill in several tax forms in order to be paid, but this can be done later so you can take your time over it.
4: Preparing your track: The process doesn’t support MP3 uploads, so you’ll need to import/export/convert your desired tracks to be in either FLAC or WAV format. These tend to
be larger files, but there’s no limit to upload sizes.
5: Creating an album: Whether uploading a single track or a whole load of them, you’ll still need to create an ‘album’. The specific nature (single/EP/LP etc) can be flagged here, as can any potentially offensive content.
6: Upload your songs: Now your tracks are in the right format, you can upload the entire album at once. Due to large file sizes, this is likely to be the most time-consuming part of the process. Sit back and relax.
7: Editing and pricing: Done? Cool. Now edit the title and details of each track and decide on pricing of both individual tracks and (if necessary) the full album. You can also choose how many times people can listen for free.
8: Quality/legal review With the final tweaks made, your submission will go up for review. This process can take several days, but if everything checks out, your album(s) should be published within 48 hours. At which point…
9: Spread the word!: Congratulations – you’re on Google Play’s music store! Now take your URL and put it out there. Social media, your own website, email… Oh, and be sure
to sort the tax forms soon, else you won’t get paid.
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