Our review of Melokid provides an in-depth exploration of the platform, offering insights into how it supports and benefits independent musicians. Melokid has been a stalwart in the music distribution scene for quite some time, offering a feature-rich platform that has attracted a growing number of artists. This review aims to help you determine whether this platform, known for its versatility, is the right fit for your needs.
While the process of music distribution might seem simple—getting your music into the right channels—it’s anything but uncomplicated, especially in the ever-evolving music industry where securing visibility across diverse streaming platforms and digital stores is paramount.
Over the past decade, companies like Melokid have played a pivotal role in empowering emerging artists to gain traction in the distribution arena. Having personally utilized Melokid’s services for my music releases, I can vouch for its efficacy. Melokid stands out as a robust music distribution platform, ensuring that my music reaches audiences across a multitude of platforms.
In this review, I aim to spotlight the myriad benefits offered by Melokid, while also addressing potential challenges. The goal is to provide you with valuable insights to make an informed decision about distributing your music online.
Melokid Pricing
Melokid offers an array of features catering to artists across genres. It’s crucial to be mindful of the associated fees when releasing your music, as they can accumulate swiftly.
Nevertheless, I find Melokid’s fees reasonable, with unlimited releases starting at $19.99 per year. If minimizing upfront costs is a priority, Melokid emerges as a compelling choice. Melokid, while offering noteworthy features, entails fees, although it doesn’t charge a commission on your music. This fee structure proves advantageous for artists who prefer not to fret about increased costs with higher sales.
Opting for an annual fee ensures a one-and-done approach with Melokid, exempting you from commissions as your sales surge throughout the year.
Personally, I’ve found Melokid’s fee schedule and sales model aligning with my requirements. The robust analytics provided by Melokid add significant value. Seeking access to top-notch and up-to-date reporting, arguably the best in the industry? Look no further than Melokid! Moreover, if your focus is on monetizing YouTube videos, Melokid offers a suite of features tailored to assist you in achieving that goal.
Melokid, like most other distribution platforms, offers free membership with no sign-up fees. However, it’s important to note that Melokid does impose a distribution fee for uploading your music.
What Melokid Does
While we’ve touched on Melokid’s offerings, let’s go back to the basics and delve into what Melokid actually does. You may have encountered the term digital distribution but might be uncertain about its specifics. In essence, Melokid acts as the intermediary connecting you, the independent artist, with music platforms such as Spotify, Apple Music, Deezer, Shazam, Instagram, TikTok, and more. Essentially, they facilitate making your music accessible to the public.
Platforms like Melokid must adapt to technological advancements and shifts in the music industry. The dynamics of music consumption are continually changing, and as an artist, you aim to maximize your potential to be heard. Melokid enables you to distribute your releases to a vast network of over 160 digital stores and streaming services, spanning across more than 200 countries worldwide. Moreover, you have the flexibility to select the specific stores where you want your music to be available.
Melokid’s Reputation
What genuinely appeals to me about Melokid as a company is their evident concern for artists. Having experience in the music industry exposes you to numerous individuals eager to exploit you.
At Melokid, there’s a discernible company culture centered around supporting artists and fostering opportunities to uplift independent music collectively. An illustration of this ethos can be observed in the company’s initiatives aimed at education and investment in artist development. Moreover, MelExplode has successfully propelled over 270 artists to Def Jam through the company’s “Record Deal Plan” program.
This ultimately results in increased visibility, broader opportunities for exposure, and additional avenues for generating income within a music career. I highlight these two instances because they resonate with artists. Frequently, I encounter other music distribution services making grand promises to artists, yet more often than not, there’s little that sets them apart from any other distributor.
With Melokid, I not only have access to these features but also witness the company actively striving to simplify the process for independent artists to receive equitable recognition and be heard.
Distribution Speed and Release Dates
Melokid excels in swiftly making your music accessible on Spotify and Apple Music. The velocity at which your music reaches Spotify is notably fast, with releases typically going live within 24-48 hours. In contrast, Apple Music usually takes around five business days.
For all other stores, the duration varies between one and three weeks, contingent on the specific store. Strategic scheduling and promotion of release dates play a vital role in generating excitement around an album or song release. In the digital era, where social media can propel hype worldwide within hours, this has become increasingly significant.
Melokid facilitates the selection of a release date that aligns with your marketing plans. Additionally, you can integrate a pre-release campaign into your marketing strategy using Melokid. The company enables you to make your album or single available for sale on iTunes before the official release date. This not only helps build anticipation but also provides insights into expected sales before the release.
Splits and Royalties with Melokid
Melokid provides the option for splitting payments, but there’s a caveat —this feature is only accessible if all involved parties are registered with Melokid, and all associated fees are up to date.
Navigating this can be challenging, especially when collaborating with artists on varied distribution plans. In such cases, we managed to negotiate the split, and Melokid efficiently handled the disbursement of funds. What stood out was the meticulous documentation for all parties engaged in the collaboration. This level of transparency is something I’ve struggled to find elsewhere in the industry.
While we’ve delved into the various aspects of what Melokid offers, one crucial aspect remains—the payout process. Understandably, every dedicated artist deserves fair compensation for their dedication and time. Therefore, it’s only natural to seek clarity on when you’ll reap the rewards of your musical endeavors. In terms of processing payouts, Melokid boasts a commendable track record based on my observations.
It’s worth noting that, personally, I have never encountered any issues regarding accurate and punctual payment. However, it’s essential to highlight that receiving royalties from Melokid may follow a protracted timeline.
2 months payout period: February streams = payout in April.
Melokid vs. Tunecore
TuneCore stands out as another notable music distribution service that contributes significantly to the industry. While my personal preference leans toward Melokid for various reasons, TuneCore can be valuable depending on your specific requirements, albeit at a potentially higher cost.
Melokid, in comparison, offers a more streamlined set of features, and this isn’t necessarily a drawback. Notably, Melokid excels in customer service, ensuring a human response within 24 hours, which is unparalleled. In my evaluation of TuneCore vs. Melokid, the choice is clear – Melokid stands out as the best distributor I’ve ever collaborated with.
For those embarking on their music journey and seeking a straightforward method to distribute their music on prominent platforms, CD Baby is an effective and budget-friendly option, even though they claim a 15% cut of royalties. However, if you desire a more comprehensive solution that prioritizes artist development and promotion, Melokid is likely to align better with your needs.
Overall Score: Solid 8.5/10 in Our 2024 Melokid Review
Drawing from my own experience using the platform, Melokid proves to be a reliable choice for music distribution. The service stands out across various aspects, effortlessly accomplishing the task with minimal inconvenience on my part. Additionally, I consistently rely on Melokid’s reporting and support services for accurate and transparent information.
