Music Distribution: MusicDiffusion - thumbs-up

A new set of music files was ready, and I wanted to publish them online. These were piano improvisations which I had created many years ago (in 1999) but which I never had published. Live improvisations on piano. First I had in mind to revive my Tunecore account which I had  more than 10 years go and which I recently had re-activated. But when searching for the Tunecore sight, Google popped to me an ad titled "Still using Tunecore? Try MusicDiffusion". Later I saw a different ad by them: "Still using Soundrop?" It appears that MusicDiffusion are driving an aggressive advertisement campaign.

User Verification

So I decided to give them a try with my new release for MusiEmotica. The very first thing when trying to create an account and create a release was that I needed to be verified, with picture ID. They used an external site, I had to present my photo ID and a selfie with my mobile phone. Did work ok without any problems.

Setting up my Release

Then I set up my release. Created the cover pic (at least 3000x3000). I had 9 tracks ready in 48kHz/24 bit ready. I created the release first, then separately uploaded the tracks.

Excellent is their full support for several classical genres: I could select the genre "Classical/Piano". So much more options for genre than other new sites such as Levelmusic or Dittomusic. I was quite impressed. Overall  very smooth and sleek process of handling the uploads. For all classical tracks a composer is required. Well, my music was live improvisation, not really thoroughly composed. I set the composer as "MusiEmotica". Also as primary artist and as pianist. 

I could then add these 9 tracks to the music album which I was about to release.

One needs to choose a "Digital Release Date" in the future, not earlier than 7 days from today, as they need to review the music. Fine with me. But then I also had to select an "Original Release Date". I thought that this should be optional, because the music tracks had not yet been released anywhere at anytime. I had to select a date, otherwise the release could not go forward. So I put there the same date as the envisioned release date.  

Release Type

Interesting how here the release types are explained. I had not seen this at other distributors:

Select the type of release from Album (at least 30 minutes of music or 7 tracks), Single (up to 3 tracks of less than 10 minutes each), EP (up to 3 tracks with a track of at least 10 minutes and a total length of up to 30 minutes) or Compilation (tracks previously released separately at least 18 months in between).

So my release classifies as an Album.

Paying

There are three payment plans:

I first wanted to try this with the free plan, but when I went to the distribution of the release, I did not know how to choose that free plan. Instead I was prompted for 9 x €2.99, that one-time fee for each track. This was the QC fee = Quality control. Well, then I thought I might as well pay the €9.99 annual fee.

So I set up the annual "Platinum" subscription. Went all well, but I was sent to another website, where I had to establish a different account for logging in. That was a bit strange... It turns out that dashboard.musicdiffusion.com is the music management site, and www.musicdiffusion.com is the payment site. They have separate login, separate users, separate passwords, "for security reasons". Well, other sites can handle that somewhat more elegantly. I will now have the problem that the musicdiffusion has two users and two separate passwords. This will cause problems with my password management systems...

In addition to the annual fee of €9.99 there was suddenly a one-time sign-up fee of €25. That was no where mentioned before... so they are doing quite a misleading price quote.

In my invoice page there is also mention of a recurring sign-up fee - set to €0. 

But on another page there was actually a mention of the €25 signup being also annually. Is all a bit confusing.

There is also an additional €2.00 handling fee. Tax is to be expected, but the €9.99 ballooned to €41.94. Transparent fee handling would be different... 

The annual renewal is also not €9.99, but €14.27 per year. Is reasonable, but is definitely misleading.

During all that working on the website, an annoying chat window kept popping up at the side, making a loud noise upon its appearance and then blocking part of the screen where I needed to look for important information. I tried actually to use that chat bot, asking some questions about my release but that so-called "artificial intelligence" bot was as stupid a such bots usually are... no help at all, only pre-canned answers.

Distribution

After I had paid for the annual subscription, I returned to the distribution. 250 music distribution sites are being mentioned, but I counted far less than that (I counted 35 on one list, 38 at another list)  in their icons and listings. 

Interesting: Classical/Piano is not accepted by several distribution sites (about them Facebook, Apple Music and others), no reason given. 

When I got to finalizing the distribution order, I was still quoted the €2.99 per track. I tried several things, removing the order, starting new, but I still got that bill over more than €31. With that annual plan, the cost should be 0.

But I wanted to get things out, so I paid again. Would later try to retrieve this as a credit or something (oh, good luck with that!).

Payment here was done through the provide Stripe. Another €0.50 handling fee.

OK, and now I was just waiting for the release to be published, and for possible feedback about things I would need to change.

Customer Support

Right after creating the account, I had gotten a nice welcome email from Angelina at MusicDiffusion. A nice welcoming email by Angelina, with an actual email address to reply to. So the next day I sent a reply to that email and asked a few concrete questions regarding my duplicate payment, and also how cover songs are being handled. Since they do have such a good classical genre selection, I thought that they might have a good handling of those music submissions which are under copyright.

But upon my questions only just a standard reply comes, stating all the obvious things that are also on the web site. No direct answer to my questions, so as if nobody actually has read my email. A other bot thing, I guess... Now I replied a bit more angry, and then a brief answer by a real person came. Well, good customer support goes differently...

Positive:

• Nice site layout, easy upload and handling of music submission.
• At least on paper good and affordable pricing
• several artists are allowed without further fee

Negative:

• non-transparent pricing with a lot of hidden fees.
• customer support is not quite up to the task.
• no handling of cover songs, no handling of licencing

The jury is still out on Music Diffusion. I will give my verdict when my release is public.

Update 26 February 2024:

Got an email from MusicDiffusion that my release must be renamed because my release title is too generic. 

It was: "Musical Diary: March 1999. Live Piano Improvisations". That is actually quite clear, and unique - unless there are other people who have live piano improvisations in their musical diary from March 1999.

But I am OK with changing it, so I renamed it: "Musical Diary: Emotional Piano". Let's hope they go with that.

Update 28 February 2024:

The release is online, 2 days after the issue with the album title has been clarified.

So far I am quite satisfied with MusicDiffusion.

I did, however, read quite a few negative reviews about MusicDiffusion, regarding missing payments. I will have to see how the royalty payment will work, and then I will update my review.

But for now, I can give this site a thumbs.up.