This is my take on it… any other opinions / knowledge on this subject are welcome.
An aggregator acts a bit like an agent, putting bands music into other people’s libraries on behalf of the artist. The aggregator takes a percentage on sales but often does not even sell from his own site.
This can be useful for an unsigned band because it means that the aggregator takes care of getting their content into all the relevant online retailers.
An aggregator has the contacts and knowledge of how to get bands / labels music into the right online retailers and can generate a revenue without having to develop and promote an eCommerce site of their own.
Aggregators tend to put a band’s / label’s music anywhere it has a chance of being sold, whether a big download store such as itunes and Tunetribe or in any of the numerous independent websites. Aggregators have been known to provide catalogue to ringtone sellers and other media industries.
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{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Hello again Lee,
Very interesting this aggregator lark.
How does one go about becoming an aggregator then? Is it just a case of getting the contacts, getting the music off the artist and doing the work for them? ie. submitting it to relevant companies.
Sounds like something i might well be able to intergrate into our service.
I spoke to tunetribe and they are interested in being associated with the ‘best of unsigned’ album. In what capacity i’m not sure but still, thanks for the hint!
Andy.
Hi Andy
I am not too sure about the process of becoming an aggregator as it is not a role we take on as a business. I do imagine it is a case of networking and amassing a huge contact list. I think there is quite a bit of specialist knowledge involved, for example, I believe getting music on iTunes is quite a process. The fact that you can buy books on the subject is probably a clue to how involved the process is.
I can see the benefit of such a service for unsigned bands, from my experience of running Media Music Now I know that promoting music is a full time job that certainly leaves no time for making music.