Table of Contents
Submission Process
Submission Process- General
- I need to transfer an album from one account to another account, how do I do that?
- VIDEO: What is CD Baby??
- The New Title Overview Page is Replacing the Album/Single Edit Menu
- How do I sign up?
- Is there a fee to create an account with CD Baby?
- Is my personal information secure?
Artist Name Requirements
- Why can't I get my name spelled right on the site?
- How should I enter my band name?
- How do I list additional artists that are featured on particular tracks?
- How do I list my artist names if there are multiple performing artists?
- Why can't I use my record label or a description of my music as my artist name?
- How do I properly format the information if my album contains "Meets, Presents, or Versus" as it relates to the performing artists?
Submitting Track Information
- How do I make edits to my track list?
- How do I sign up a multi-disc/volume album?
- VIDEO: How many tracks can I put on a single?
- Can I sign up some, but not every song from my CD?
- What about the bonus tracks on my CD? If they're not listed on my CD artwork, do they go to digital distribution?
- How do I differentiate two different versions of the same song on an album?
Submitting songwriter and publisher information
Submitting Art
- Why does the information I provided on my account need to match my artwork?
- How do I upload my album art?
- How can I re-size my art to the required minimum of 1400 x 1400 pixel dimensions?
- What kind of ART IMAGE file should I upload?
- Why did I get an error message when uploading my art?
- What happens if my cover art image is not perfectly square?
Submitting Audio
- Will the metadata embedded in my audio files remain once you process my audio?
- Can you pull my audio/artwork files from my physical CDs?
- What kind of AUDIO files should I upload?
- Why shouldn't I upload MP3s?
- How long should it take to upload my audio files?
- I have a CD that blends each track together (i.e., DJ mix). Will it stay like that on your digital partner sites?
Classical and Opera Submissions
Your Page on CD Baby.com
Accessing Your CD Baby Artist Account
Your retail sales page on CD Baby.com
- Will my MP3s on CDBaby.com be high quality?
- Can I sell full-album AND single-song downloads on CDBaby.com
- VIDEO: What if I want my submission to be available for FREE?
- Do you have a link maker? How can I link people to my album page?
- What kind of information belongs in my "Description" and "Notes" section of my album/single?
- What do I need to know about sample audio clips on your site?
Your Artist Page on CD Baby
Financial Information (getting paid, sales reporting, paying submission fees ETC)
Paying for your CD Baby Submission
- How do I check out with a coupon?
- What are the costs to sell on CD Baby?
- How do I check out and pay for my submission?
- How can I check out with a coupon if my submission is not ready yet?
- How do I use a coupon if I don't want to buy a UPC barcode from CD Baby?
- VIDEO: How do I enter a coupon?
Receiving Payments from CD Baby
- Artist payments - Delayed for July 4th Holiday
- When will I get paid?
- When do I get paid for physical retail distribution sales?
- How will you get the money to me?
- How do I update my payment info?
- VIDEO: Can CD Baby pay out to each member of my band separately?
Sales and Accounting
- Credit Card Swipers
- How do I find my Sales and Accounting breakdown?
- My friend downloaded my song yesterday - when do I see that in my report - and get paid?
- VIDEO: I don't see any sales, what is going on?
- What does "download" and "streaming" refer to on my sales report?
- VIDEO: How do I view my sales report in Excel?
Trending Reports
Soundscan, Billboard and SoundExchange Reporting
Tax Information
UPCs and ISRCs
UPC Barcodes/ISRCS
- How do the popularity bars work on iTunes?
- I keep getting an error message when trying to upload my album art?
- What is a UPC bar code and why do I need one?
- Where do I find my UPC Barcode
- Your system won't take my bar code! What's up with that?
- My CD doesn't have a bar code printed on the back of the artwork. Is that a problem for CD Baby’s partners?
Digital Distribution
Digital Distribution- General
- Why is Hebrew not a supported language?
- Can I do a "digital-only" release if I don't have CDs to sell?
- Can I release just a single into digital distribution?
- Can I offer pre-sales for my music?
- What partners/sites will my submission go to? How do I select specific partners/sites?
- VIDEO: What sites will sell my music?
iTunes
- What is the Mastered for iTunes process like?
- What are the deadlines to have my content live on iTunes for the 2016 holiday season
- What is iTunes™ Match (iTunes™ in the Cloud), and how does it work?
- How much will I make from iTunes™ Match for the use of my content?
- When will I see iTunes™ Match payments in my account?
- Can I opt out of participating in iTunes™ Match?
Apple Music
Shazam
YouTube Music
Pandora
Other Digital Partner Information
Cover Songs, Copyrights, Samples, and Royalties FAQ
Cover Songs, Copyrights, Samples, and Royalties- General Info
- Holiday songs that are and are not in the Public Domain
- Do I need to get a license to offer streaming on my cover song?
- What IS a cover song?
- What is NOT a cover song?
- VIDEO: What is a Cover Song?
- VIDEO: What is a cover song? Can I sell them through CD Baby?
CD Baby Cover Song Licensing Service
- Derivative works
- How to get your cover song license secured through CD Baby?
- What information do I provide if I’m covering a song from an artist I know personally?
- How much does it cost to secure a license through CD Baby’s licensing service?
- I have already secured a digital license for my cover song single. How do I enter that information?
CD Baby Pro Publishing
CD Baby Pro Publishing – Brazil
CD Baby Pro Publishing - General
- It says I don't have a collecting songwriter, but I do!
- Why is CD Baby Pro Publishing Administration not available in my country or with my Performing Rights Organization?
- How do I affiliate with a Performing Rights Organization in order to use CD Baby Pro Publishing Administration?
- Can I use CD Baby Pro Publishing Administration? Where is it available?
- Upgrading from Standard to Pro
- What is music publishing?
CD Baby Pro Publishing - Song Registration
- What information is needed to register a song for CD Baby Pro Publishing?
- How long will it take for my songs to be registered for CD Baby Pro Publishing?
- Can I register instrumental versions of my songs for CD Baby Pro Publishing?
- Can I register a spoken word song for CD Baby Pro Publishing?
- Can I register a remix, mash-up or song with samples for CD Baby Pro Publishing?
- Can I register a cover song for CD Baby Pro Publishing?
CD Baby Pro Publishing - Royalty Collection
- What is tax withholding and what countries does that apply to with CD Baby Pro Publishing?
- What is the difference between a collecting and non-collecting writer?
- How much can I expect to earn from royalties?
- Doesn’t a Performing Rights Organization like ASCAP or BMI already collect all my worldwide publishing royalties?
- Will you collect royalties for my co-writers?
- How much commission do you take of royalties?
CD Baby Pro Publishing - Cancellation
CD Baby Pro Publishing - PRS
CD Baby Pro Publishing - SOCAN
- How long does it take to get affiliated with SOCAN?
- Once my CD Baby Pro signup is complete, how long does it take to hear back from SOCAN?
- I still need to affiliate with CMRRA?
- Do I need to register my songs with SOCAN?
- My songs are still not appearing on SOCAN’s repertoire search. Why?
- What types of royalties does SOCAN collect?
Physical Sales on CD Baby (CD, Vinyl, DVD)
Physical Sales- General Info
- VIDEO: What is CD Baby's Physical Distribution program and how does it work?
- How to set up Physical Sales on CD Baby
- What is a "Pro CD-R"? What is a "Homemade CD-R"?
- VIDEO: What kinds of physical media can CD Baby help me sell?
- Do I need to have separate submissions for my CD/Digital Download and vinyl record?
- What is your physical distribution program?
Stocking Your Physical Inventory
- How should I mail my physical stock to you?
- How many copies of my physical product should I send in?
- Can I send more stock than you are requesting?
- I'm going on NPR, Good Morning America, The Voice, how many can I send?
- My CD is not shrinkwrapped. Is that a problem for CD Baby’s partners?
- VIDEO: Do we press discs on demand? How many do you need?
Inventory Management
- Overstock Returns
- Why do you need to return or recycle my albums?
- How do you determine what is “excess inventory”?
- Who pays for excess stock that is returned?
- CD Baby has had my CDs forever! Why are you asking to return them now?
- What if my album starts selling more copies before you return them?
CD Baby Sync Licensing
Sync Licensing- General Info
- VIDEO: What is sync licensing??
- What is Sync Licensing?
- What is CD Baby’s sync licensing program?
- How much does it cost to opt into the sync licensing program?
- What is required to be eligible for CD Baby Sync Licensing?
- Why should I opt into the sync licensing program?
Sync Licensing Payments
YouTube Monetization
- Can I exclude someone else’s video from being claimed by CD Baby, if I’ve allowed them to use my music?
- Are there guidelines over what is considered “Eligible” sound recordings that can be monetized and “Ineligible” sound recordings that can’t be monetized?
- I am not a CD Baby artist and I received a claim that is false
- How do I make money from YouTube?
- Why should I have CD Baby help me monetize my music on YouTube?
- What percentage do I keep from the usage of my music on YouTube?
SoundExchange Royalty Collection
SoundExchange Royalty Collection
- VIDEO: What is SoundExchange?
- Does CD Baby collect digital performance royalties from SoundExchange?
- VIDEO: Does CD Baby collect from SoundExchange?
- What are digital performance royalties for sound recordings? (Also known as non-interactive royalties)
- How are the funds from SoundExchange different from income from Spotify or other streaming services?
- So, what happens if I have unclaimed royalties at SoundExchange?
CD Baby DIY Musician Conference 2017
Conference Info
Videos
Music Promotion Tools
CD Baby Music Player Widget
- How do I create a Music Player?
- Where can I use the Music Player?
- How do I edit my Music Players?
- What sizes are the Music Players?
- What browsers will support my Music Player?
- Is there a limit to the number of Music Players I can create?
Download Cards
- VIDEO: What are download cards? And what can they do for me and my band?
- What is a download card?
- How do Download Cards work for my fans?
- How quickly can I get my download cards?
- How will the download cards be shipped to me?
- Where can I see the different styles of download cards and stickers to order?
Music Promotion Tools
- What is the Indie Bible?
- How do I add my music to your Spotify Playlist?
- Do you guys offer merch?
- HearNow
- Show.co
- What is Feature.fm
Landr Audio Mastering
Landr Audio Mastering
- Landr Audio Mastering
- Why should I have my audio mastered?
- Can I use this service on my mobile device?
- How long does it take for me to get my mastered files from Landr?
- What's the difference between SoundLab and Landr?
- Who do I contact if I'm having problems with my mastered file or technical issues?