Dart Music Forms to Democratize Distribution for Classical Music
The Music Metadata Company launches first fully automated digital
distribution platform for classical music.
NASHVILLE, Tenn.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Dart Music, the first fully automated digital distribution platform for
classical music has opened its doors, giving classical musicians and
labels an effective, affordable option for making their music widely
available and discoverable.
For more than a decade, independent artists have had multiple
distribution options to get their music onto streaming or download
services by paying a flat fee and keeping 100 percent of their
royalties. This did not hold true for the classical genre. The same
avenues were just not available to classical artists whose only option
was to use specialized distributors who either can’t offer distribution
to independent artists or take a large percentage of royalty revenues
for their services. By focusing on the complex metadata associated with
classical music, Dart Music solves the problem of finding classical
music on services such as Apple Music, iTunes and Spotify.
Dart founder and CEO Chris McMurtry is a veteran of Apple and was head
of a classical music label before starting Dart Music. Additionally, he
is a classical composer and rock guitarist. Experiencing the disparity
between distributing classical music and music from other genres
firsthand led him to ask the question, ‘why isn’t there a better way?’
“Music metadata is much more complex for classical music and in many
cases classical distributors have to enter music metadata manually,
utilizing experts known as musicologists, to meet the data standards of
digital service providers. This complexity is also the main reason why
streaming and discoverability in digital stores is such a poor
experience for classical music,” McMurtry said.
Metadata is the Key
Dart Music is designed to handle the complex metadata of classical
music. Now classical artists can pay a flat rate to distribute their
music worldwide, just like other genres, without giving up a percentage
of their royalties. The long-term vision of Dart Music is to become the
leader in complex metadata so the important information traditionally
found in liner notes of physical recordings can be a part of the digital
experience.
“All most of us musicians need is someone who says they want to listen,
and we will drop whatever we’re doing and make some music for them. And
that’s why I love these guys,” said composer Tracy Silverman. “They are
actually listening to me and to any independent musicians, classical or
otherwise, who just want to get on the playing field.” You can read more
about Silverman’s experience here.
In honor of the launch of the platform, Dart Music is distributing the
first album/first year for free for those who sign up at www.dartmusic.com
through October 31. After that, it’s $40 per album per year. And with
Dart Music, 100 percent of royalties goes back to the creator.
Learn more about Dart Music at dartmusic.com
or follow us on Twitter @hellodart
or facebook/hellodart.
Contacts
Dart Music
Kerri Fox-Metoyer, 615-813-1200
kerri@dartmusic.com
