2012 Guide to Releasing a Free Album Using the Hydroshare Software

So You Want to Put out a Free album?

www.hydroshare.tv

[email protected] I www.hydroshare.tv I 2

In today’s crowded music market, album-quality free releases have become a necessary strategy for industry success. Hydroshare Digital Distribution provides our clients with a cloud-based software solution that enables artists to better connect with their audience and generate revenue from free albums.

“ A new generation of [recording artists] is actively trying to build a new business model in which releasing free material online builds a fan base that paves the way for revenue streams: touring, merchandise, even something as old-fashioned as a record deal.” - The New York Times,

“ For some, Free Music is an investment that Pays off”

“ In this landscape it’s easier to reach the audience, but it’s harder to get heard above the fray” - eric weinberg, President of

entertainment at nielsen

“ Major labels’ adjusted attitude towards mixtapes isn’t only rooted in compensatory motives, but also in the emphasizing of talent —to build careers with longevity.”

- sha Money XL, vP a&r, def Jam recordings

“ Independent statistics makes sense because music companies can’t afford to do much research on their own anymore.” - Bloomberg Business Week, helping

indie Musicians Market their tunes

“ ...there can be long-term benefits of releasing exceptionally popular mixtapes to fans. In September 2009, Drake’s mixtape So Far So Gone was cut to a seven song EP and released for sale with new commercial packaging. According to SoundScan, the So Far Gone EP has sold over 608,000 copies.”

- Billboard magazine, Mixtapes: why hip-hop’s stars Continue to Give away Full Produced works for Free

Here’s wHat tHe Industry Is sayIng about tHe value of free albums


Use the album to sell merchandise.

hydroshare.tv’s advertising software allows hydroshare distribution to target album pages at-will. this enables our clients to monetize fan traffic by launching merchandise and concert mini-ad-campaigns where their music is being downloaded/streamed.

the hydroshare software allows clients to easily partner with sponsoring brands in executing ad campaigns targeted to one or several albums. our ad campaigns allow sponsors to deliver look-books and other custom advertising to a given album page. we then send advertisers detailed reports outlining the effectiveness and reach of their campaign, ensuring positive return on their spend.

Trying to stand out? Create quality original music and content.

hydroshare.tv is a curated distribution platform only for professional-quality free albums and viral videos. no vevo videos, stolen compilations, or bootlegs are allowed.

our software serves as a unified destination for album artwork, audio, and videos, forming a high-quality location for streaming and downloading content normally spread across various websites.

Concerned about lowering the value your music? Release the album using a specialized music distribution service, not a file locker.

to your fans, file lockers are cheap and unreliable. the hydroshare.tv software utilizes the rackspace Managed Cloud, resulting in reliable data collection and premium distribution without fear of disabled links or comingling your album with unauthorized content.

Use your free album to develop your fan base.

hydroshare digital distribution provides our clients with individual accounts where they can track online traffic based on geographic and digital location. artists can utilize these maps and charts to coordinate tours and digital initiatives around the demographics of their growing fan base.

hydroshare.tv provides users with robust sharing opportunities, making it easy for fans to redistribute artist content via social media.

1 2

3 4

Hydroshare digital distribution gives you the tools to maximize value and reach.


free album distribution vs. Commercial album distributionCoordinate your free projects with your commercial release.

Buzz Growth

Statistics/ Analytics

Project Maturity

Merchandising

DeclineUpstream/

Commercialize

Tours/ Concerts

New Release Saturation

Fluid Product Cycle Commercial Product Cycle

New Release Introduction

Hybrid Promo Single

Hybrid Tour

Buzz Growth

Statistics/ Analytics

Project Maturity

Merchandising

DeclineUpstream/

Commercialize

Tours/ Concerts

1. new release saturation: Get the right people to hear and like your music via digi-parnertships with media outlets.

2. buzz growth: Promotion efforts start to pay off and the album gains traction.

3. statistics/analytics: Capture detailed geographic and consumption demographics.

4. Project maturity: ramp up promotion to the max by releasing videos.

5. merchandising: utilize consumption points to sell merch where fans are getting your music.

6. decline: Consumption starts to decline, as other products become more popular and saturation has taken place.

7. upstream/Commercialize: best time to re-release the album commercially as an eP or through subscription based music services/clubs.

8. tours/Concerts: use analytics to book tours and concerts.

1. new release Introduction: Get the right people to hear and like your music via digi-parnertship.

2. buzz growth: Promotion efforts start to pay off and the album gains traction.

3. statistics/analytics: Capture demographics.

4. Project maturity: ramp up distribution.

5. merchandising: utilize consumption points to sell merch.

6. decline: Consumption starts to decline, as other products become more popular and saturation has taken place.

7. upstream/Commercialize: release the album through subscription based music services/clubs.

8. tours/Concerts: use analytics to book tours and concerts.


artist services - Album / EP / Mixtape DistributionThe Hydroshare Album Distribution Page

utilize cloud-based widgets, video, and advertising, to reach your audience and maximize the value of a free album or eP.

expandable album artwork.

sharing and social media widgets.

launches pop-out and embeddable player widget.

streaming audio player.

Hydroshare custom ad template for artist merchandise.

Hydroshare.tv video player and playlist. each video is fully embeddable and sharable.

amazon widget. auto searches the amazon store for digital mP3downloads from the album artist.

Hydroshare custom ad template for brand sponsor lookbooks.

solve media ad CaPtCHa widget. used to monetize downloads and for security purposes to maintain the integrity of our statistics. ad component optional.


Hydroshare Premium Distribution Services

a hydroshare distribution account allows artists to track album page views down to the city and referring web page, making it easier to book and promote shows around the world. we also work

merchandise and upcoming tours that can be targeted to individual albums or fan demograph-ics. artists/Management please contact us directly at [email protected] for all inquiries.

artist services - Album / EP / Mixtape Live Statistics

City level maps and statistics

visit Chartsartist advertiser Charts

merchant ad templates

with artists in designing ad campaigns for their


Hydroshare Advertising Services

hydroshare enables advertisers to easily partner with artists to sponsor free albums, ePs, and other compilations by providing a variety of opportunities to increase brand and/or message recall at the point-of-download. sponsors can track type-ins, banner clicks, and page views to gauge the effectiveness of their campaigns. advertisers/sponsors please contact us directly at [email protected] for all inquiries.

album sponsor / advertiser services - Ad Targeting and Reporting

reach statistics

visitor maps Conversion statistics

CaPtCHa ad