Direct-to-fan distribution
Direct-to-fan distribution is the release of music, video or writing by the artist to the audience without a label, distributor or platform acting as owner of the relationship. The artist keeps the customer list and the pricing decision, and pays a host a percentage or a flat fee instead of surrendering master rights.
How it differs from streaming
On a streaming service the listener belongs to the service: the artist sees aggregate plays and is paid a per-stream rate set by the platform. In direct distribution the artist sees who bought what, can contact those people again, and sets the price, which allows editions, bundles and pay-what-you-want releases. The trade-off is that discovery is not provided. Streaming supplies an audience and takes control; direct distribution gives control and requires the artist to build the audience.
Where it works
Direct selling favours artists with an existing audience, a live following, or a niche deep enough that a small number of committed listeners can fund the work. It is weakest at the moment an artist has no audience at all, which is why most acts run both: streaming for reach, direct channels for the listeners who convert.
Further reading
- Revenue models for independent creators — self-published, listed as a secondary resource.
