Artist & Label FAQ
What is a Digital Media Center, ("DMC")?
A DMC is a custom personalized “widget” that sits on your website(s) and allows you to sell and distribute your music directly to fans. Your DMC may include an e-commerce platform and a Data Collection Module. Used in conjunction with download cards, your DMC is a great marketing tool for driving fan traffic to your website.
Can I have multiple cards or albums with one DMC?
Absolutely! Your DMC supports multiple cards redeemable for different albums or song packages through the same DMC. So you could have a giveaway card redeemable for one free song, a $7 card redeemable for your latest album, and a $20 card redeemable for your complete discography…all redeemable through the same DMC. When the fan enters their unique code, the DMC will automatically download the song package associated with that card.
Are there any fees I’ll have to worry about in the future?
You’ll never pay a fee with DiscRevolt. We don’t do monthly subscription plans or per download fees. When you purchase your cards, they’ll come with a free DMC you can place on any website.
What’s your pricing for bulk orders?
Quantities above 1,000 cards can bring per card cost down significantly. Please give us a call for a quote at 404.477.4339.
I’ve seen some cheap looking download cards out there…what are DiscRevolt’s download cards made of and how do they look?
DiscRevolt’s download cards are about the best looking and feeling cards you’re going to see. They’re about the size of a credit card and are made from high quality plastic materials. Cards can be slot punched to hang on a lanyard or keychain and artwork can be vertical or horizontal (see artwork template for details).
Does the DMC support single-track downloads?
Yes, but not through your online store. In other words, you can have a download card redeemable for a single track, but we do not support credit card transactions in quantities less than $3.
How long does it take to print my cards and get my DMC up and running?
Standard turnaround is 10 business days for printing cards (rush orders are accepted), but the custom DMC setup can be done within 48 hours of receiving all of your materials. You can absolutely be selling your music online directly to fans within 48 hours.
I would love to understand my fans a bit more…can I collect dome data from them as they redeem my music?
Yes, you can collect valuable demographic data from fans as they redeem your music. Choose from one of the three data collection options below:
- Email, Age, Gender
- Email, Name, Address
- Email, Age, Gender, Zip Code, SMS Text #
The data collection module is an add-on component to your DMC and can be included for $29.
Does DiscRevolt work with artists internationally?
Absolutely! DiscRevolt works with artists across the globe. We currently support transactions in U.S. dollars only.
I was using DiscRevolt previously and my fans did not like the sign up process. How do fans redeem download cards through the DMC?
Fans no longer need to sign up or sign in to redeem download cards through your DMC. All they need to do is enter their code, click on the album/package and begin downloading.
I was using DiscRevolt previously fans said they had occasional difficulties downloading from the DiscRevolt website. Is the new DMC process any different?
The DMC engine is completely redesigned and brand new. It’s been engineered from the ground up to be a rock solid and extremely simple download and online store platform.
Do you take a cut of my sales through my online store?
We keep 25% of online store revenue to cover expenses on data transfer, hosting, credit card transaction fees, customer service, etc. while you keep 75% of sales revenue. This is for online store transactions only. You keep 100% of your revenue from selling download cards.
How do I get paid for online sales?
You’ll need to have a W-9 form on file with us. You will receive a check/PayPal deposit and a report every month based on your online sales. If there is no online sales activity, you won’t receive a report that month. We distribute earnings within 45 days after the end of the month in which the sale took place. For example, sales revenue in June, 2009, would be distributed on or before August 15, 2009.
I already have my music available in iTunes, CD Baby and a few other online stores…why do I need to sell my music through my DMC?
You should have your music available for sale in as many online outlets as possible. Your DMC is your personal storefront where you can mimic a hand-to-hand music transaction in a digital setting. Your fans want the unique social experience of directly supporting you, and by making your music available through your DMC, you allow them that opportunity.
How do I get started?
Everything you need to get started can be found HERE.
Do I have to have everything together when I order? I don’t have any artwork yet.
No, you don’t need everything ready when you place your order. In fact, just about no one does! Just remember that we cannot complete your fully customized store setup until we have all of your material. We can, however, set up a temporary DMC with generic graphics that can be changed as soon as your artwork is available.
How do I create my card artwork?
Most artists have a graphics person create their artwork based on previous album or website artwork. We do not create artwork for you and cannot resize, reshape or manipulate your artwork. Please be sure to check out the artwork templates before you begin designing.
What if we don’t have a website?
You can use your DMC on MySpace, Facebook and numerous other sites. However, please be sure to specify which URL you would like printed on the back of your cards, since this is where fans will go to redeem your music.
My old DiscRevolt cards had a number of credits associated with each card…how many credits can I put on these cards?
The new system is not credit-based, so your new cards will not have credits. You create a song package and your fans download the full package. A package can be a single track, a 4-song EP or a 15-song album…its up to you. Each card is redeemable for a pre-determined package. Some artists might have just one EP while some artists may have multiple albums.
Does the DMC support video downloads and, if so, in what format?
Yes, the DMC supports video, PDFs, photos, wav files, etc. We recommend Quicktime and Windows Media formats because they typically are universal with the use of free players.
How does the downloading process work?
Your content is packaged as a ZIP file. With one click, the fan will download the ZIP fle and everything you put into that package. This may include 10 songs, a PDF of a tour schedule and a 30-second video clip, or anything else you want to include in the ZIP file. Your package is downloaded to the fan’s computer and will open in their default media player.
Questions? 404.477.4339 | Request Info | dmc@discrevolt.com