Recently launched Musicane enables artists to sell digital downloads directly from their own website. Using Musicane, artists are able to sell downloads from their own site with easy to use editing tools that match their storefront to the look and feel of their existing website.
Key features include real time online reporting, optional Windows DRM, monthly payouts, and promotional coupon programs for fans. The service currently allows an artist to sell digital downloads in both MP3 and WMA formats, with video and ring tone sales being added in the coming weeks. Variable pricing is also an option.
Musicane offers two levels of service for their product. Musicane is $30/month and boasts a 70% payout per download whereas Musicane Lite has no monthly fee, less storage and pays out 60% of the sale price per download. These percentages are not dissimilar to those charged by traditional download stores like iTunes. But here there are no setup fees, and tracks are processed for instant sale as they are uploaded by the artist. "By offering both levels of service we are working to eliminate the barrier to entry for an emerging musician to sell digital downloads," said Vikramaditya Jain, CFO of myMPO.
The do it yourself nature of the product comes at the right time to for the growing community of musicians choosing to stay independent and use online channels to get their music heard. For many artists taking this route, digital sales from their own website is the missing marketing piece that will enable them to connect directly with fans and take advantage of the traffic they are drawing to their own site. See an example of Musicane on indie act The Upwelling’s site here.
