How can I promote my music?

Jamendo has many ways to get artists' names out there and provides you with several promotion tools:

• by uploading your music to jamendo, it will automatically be available on the main peer-to-peer networks
• spread and share your widgets across the web
• opt in to commercial programs to get a chance to make money and increase your visibility (it's free!)
• keep in touch with your fans and invite your friends to share your music

Don't forget to fill in your artist and album descriptions: the more information you give about you and your music, the more visible you'll be!

Artists' area

What do I get as an artist on jamendo?

Jamendo is the world's #1 platform for free and legal music downloads. Publishing your music on jamendo guarantees you efficient referencing on the web, which will increase your music's visibility. Thanks to our community of members, jamendo also enables you to get feedback on your music from around the world. You can check your popularity through detailed statistics. You can also opt in to commercial programs to get money and extra exposure.

What are Creative Commons licenses and their advantages?

Easy to use and compatible with internet standards, these non exclusive licenses make it possible for rights holders to authorize certain uses of their works. They can choose to allow or not commercial uses, derived works (remixes) and generally set the degree of freedom they want to grant web users on their music.

Can I add tracks to an album that's already been published?

You can add tracks before the album is finalized to be sent online. Once it's been validated though, you can't add any more tracks.

Can I post my music on jamendo if I am a member of a performance rights organization?

Unfortunately, no. Most contracts established by collective rights societies are exclusive and therefore don't allow artists to give away their music for free on the internet.

Can I publish a cover of a song I didn't write?

No you can't. Except if the original song was published under a Creative Commons license and that you respect that license. If the original composer did not choose this type of license, you cannot publish a cover of the song under Creative Commons because you do not hold the rights to the song.

The artist shop, how does it work?

Collector's items, or Rarities, are little bonus items you can sell to your fans and jamendo members. With them, you can increase your revenue as well as win over new fans by offering them something personal, other than the music you already have available on jamendo. To start selling, select the type of item you want to create, set a price, write up a short description and you're ready to go!

How and in what format can I upload my music to jamendo?

The formats we support for the upload of audio files are .wav, .flac and .aiff. These formats guarantee better audio quality.

How do commercial programs work?

You've chosen a Creative Commons license. While remaining in that context, jamendo can offer you to be paid for your musical works. You can get money from various sources: donations, ad revenue sharing or commercial uses of your music.
To take part in our commercial programs, simply enter your tracks using your administration panel on jamendo. You can choose which tracks you want to submit to each program. Jamendo shares revenues fairly with the artists: at least 50% of licensing fees will be paid back directly to you.

What's in it for you

• Increase your visibility
• Make money
• Get your music sold by our experienced team

In order to be able to enter any of our commercial programs, you need to certify that none of the involved musicians are members of a performance rights organization (such as ASCAP, PRS, SOCAN, BMI, BUMA, etc.). There are several levels of certification. The commercial use of your music can only be possible after you have completed the highest one by sending us a signed certification letter by fax or email. You will find the document in your admin panel.

How can I certify my license?

The first level of certification is the little piece of HTML code you will find in your admin panel. You need to place it in your site or MySpace page and then validate this certification in your admin panel. The next level, if you choose to opt in to commercial programs, is the "fax certification". This faxed letter (you can also scan and email it, or even send it by post) attests that you are not a member of a performance rights organization and therefore that you are entitled to take part in jamendo's commercial programs and partnerships.

What are my obligations towards jamendo?

You don't have any obligations or exclusivity clause with jamendo. You simply distribute your music for free according to the Creative Commons license you chose. You can delete your account at any time, and your music will be deleted from jamendo.

Can I get paid?

Jamendo offers artists several ways to make money:

• donations: any user can make a donation to an artist. The minimum amount is 5€. You need to activate donations in your admin page and create a PayPal account to receive the money.
• Revenue share: jamendo is the only website to offer a 50% share of its ad revenues to the artists.
• commercial programs: by opting in to these programs, you can gain visibility and money.

Your PayPal account is credited when your virtual account reaches 100€.

How can I get played on a jamradio?

For that you need to promote your music with the all tools provided by jamendo. Our programming team keeps its ears open!

How do I get my music playlisted on the official jamradios?

Get your music heard by the greatest possible number of people, within jamendo and outside. Reviews, listens, number of posted widgets, of links pointing to your albums: all these make for vital statistics that increase your chances your music will trickle to the ears of our radio programming team.

How to create a radio

Radio creation is automatic for artists who have uploaded a certain amount of tracks. You cannot configure this radio, and members can't create their own radios. Sorry!

How does the statistics interface work?

Jamendo offers several tools to track the number of listens and downloads you get, as well as many other statistics!
You'll find a condensed version of these figures on your artist and album pages.
Then there is a more detailed interface you can reach from your artist page.
If you notice any discrepancies between the condensed and detailed stats, don't be alarmed.
The data shown in the detailed interface take into account all the parameters concerning your artist account.
Here are a few examples:

• Favorites: your interface distinguishes an album being added as a favorite or an artist. The figures on your artist page do not make that difference.
• Playlists: your statistics count the number of members who created a playlist containing at least one track of yours. On your album page, they are all mixed together, if you have several albums, if your album is playlisted as a whole, etc.
• Page views: revenue share includes album pages, detailed stats take into account all your album pages and your artist page.
• Visitors: unique unlogged visitors are counted since the interface was released. We do not have data for the period before that.

How to get more visits

Get as many links out there as possible pointing to your albums and your artist page. This includes widgets of your albums on blogs.
Also remember to let your fans know when you post new music on jamendo and invite them to listen, download and recommend it!

How to get more fans

Fill out your detailed artist profile, upload a photo, write your bio and post your lyrics!

How to get more promoters

Get campaigning on the internet: get your fans to propagate links and widgets pointing to your albums on as many sites as possible. Also inform media and main bloggers about the fact your music is available for free download on jamendo.

How to get more active fans

Create your blog on jamendo, write posts about your news and concerts, post links to your albums and artist page, as well as widgets.
Then share your blog with your friends, fans and the jamendo community.

What is SafeCreative?

SafeCreative is an organization through which you can prove your musical works were composed by you at a certain date. They provide you with a certificate that will be visible from your album page and for each of its tracks.

See also