Have you ever heard of Musicspace?
If you have a large record deal, then chances are you don’t have to worry about keeping track of your releases.
However, if this isn’t the case, you’ll certainly benefit from a tool that easily allows you to track, store and organize all of your past, present and future releases.
One U.K. company in particular has come up with a solution to help artists with this problem and is hoping to help artists get more organized with their releases and MetaData.
Avora Now was launched by Karan Beghi as an invite only music distribution company but has since introduced a new venture called Musicspace, which focuses on educating and helping artists better manage their music catalog.
The more we dive into the dark rabbit hole of the music industry, the more we encounter pitfalls that affect us as artists. Considering all the challenges you have on your plate, most are quite evident while others seem to fly under the radar.
One topic that is certainly underestimated, is the importance of your MetaData when it comes to the distribution of your music. It is no secret that the way we interact with and consume music has made a digital transition.
Meaning that the consumption of your music not only comes down to your ability to get your music distributed in as many places as possible but your creations also need to be easily found when someone conducts a simple search.
Bring voice recognition into the equation with the likes of Google Home and Alexa, and suddenly the subject of Metadata becomes that much more complicated.
Furthermore, when it comes to getting the proper credit, AKA any money that is owed to you or to the people you’ve collaborated with, bad MetaData can leave you shit out of luck in a number of situations.
Unfortunately, mastering your MetaData is only one side of the equation and savvy musicians know the importance of keeping their catalog of music organized and easily accessible.
Contents
What is Musicspace
Musicspace essentially acts as a hub for your entire music catalog. Regardless if you’re an artist or producer, the platform allows you to input your MetaData and music files all in one safe and convenient dashboard. Allowing you to store, manage and keep track of all of your release.
No More Spreadsheets
While you can turn to Google spreadsheets or possibly rely upon your memory, these options come with glaring pitfalls and leave a lot of room for error. For one, uploading music files to Google Sheets or Excel just sounds like a headache and for anyone familiar with spreadsheets they can be a pain in the you know what, to say the least.
As for relying on our memory… Well the fact is, this isn’t a best practice in any realm of business. After all, releasing your music shouldn’t be considered a pop quiz where your looked down upon for using a cheat sheet. One misspelled name or title could mean a world of headaches down the road.
With Musicspace, artists can effortlessly manage and store all their track-related metadata in their own sleek dashboard.
“Missing, bad, or inconsistent song metadata is a crisis that has left, by some estimations, billions on the table that never gets paid to the artists who earned that money.”
This quote from The Verge is in reference to an article from Songtrust (read here) which sheds light on how serious Metadata is to your music career.
Category Specific
Musicspace also has you covered if you find yourself in a situation where you have releases under multiple labels that you’re signed to as well as your own independent releases. You have the ability to categorize which releases are attached to each label allowing for even further organization.
You also have the added capability of outlining the specific mood, genre and catalog number of each song. For those who have ever uploaded music to a distribution platform, this essentially mimics the Metadata requested during that process.
Publishing and Splits
The whole reason for keeping things organized when it comes to your Metadata is to of course make sure that your music can easily be found but more importantly so that everyone involved with the song get the rightful credit that they deserve and are paid accordingly.
With Musicspace, you have the luxury of including the primary artist, any collaborators involved, the breakdown of your publishing ownership and the related Performance Rights Organization (PRO) number associated with each release. If your goal as an artist is to generate more income streams through publishing and licensing, then ensuring that this information is included and correct is very important.
Entirely Self-Serve
With such an easy to use product, the entire platform is entirely self-serve. Support is provided in the form of a knowledge-base and upon registering, Musicspace becomes very plug and play.
One of the key concerns with Metadata is consistency and ensuring that the information is the same no matter where it is distributed. Musicspace is poised to be the tool that artists rely on to ensure that they avoid the silent killer of the music industry known as bad MetaData.
Fees & Commissions
As independent musicians we know the struggle all too well of trying to keep our costs low. With so many tools out there it may seem like a challenge to keep our hard earned money in our wallets. With that said, Musicspace comes with two options both at a low monthly cost. Check them out below:
Final Thoughts
Your Metadata may seem frivolous but it is important and getting in the habit of keeping it organized is something we highly recommend. You can check out some more of our tips on metadata here, and learn more about Musicspace here.
Kevin is the founder of Music With Flavor, which joined Whipped Cream Sounds in 2023. He is a seasoned musician turned industry expert. His passion for music goes beyond melodies; he delves deep into the intricate world of music marketing, striving to unearth the most effective strategies for indie musicians. However, Music With Flavor isn’t just about Kevin’s knowledge; it’s a network of industry experts handpicked to provide the most trusted advice. Kevin’s role is to pose the right questions, not just answer them, as he and his team tirelessly research trends, connect with artists, and gather valuable insights.
