CD Baby, a digital distributor of independent and unsigned artists, has successfully brokered a sales partnership with Snocap.
The deal will allow CD Baby artists to position their songs through the Snocap-powered MyStores application, which can be embedded into any MySpace profile. Participating CD Baby artists will place their content into the Snocap registry of approximately 3.3 million songs, a system that allows the company to screen unauthorized sellers. The alliance also includes tie-ins with Snocap partners Imeem, a social networking destination focused on media assets, and Pump Audio, a company that licenses independent music to movie, television, and advertising producers. “Snocap has immediately become one of our most requested digital partners,” said Derek Sivers, founder and president of CD Baby. “We’ve got a great belief that they’re about to become one of the fastest-rising sellers of music.”
CD Baby also has a distribution deal with iTunes, though according to Sivers, member artists are far more excited about the Snocap avenue. Unlike iTunes, Snocap allows artists to position an commerce play directly in front of their most dedicated audience, instead of being buried deep within a multi-million song library. The MySpace profile, like the artist website, is the natural gathering place for die-hard fans, and that theoretically paves the way for increased sales. That model makes sense on paper, though it remains unclear if consumers will prefer to purchase from MySpace, or if they feel more comfortable hopping onto the iTunes Store to pay for a track. Early data suggests low uptake on the initiative, though MyStores has only been on the market for a few months. Meanwhile, CD Baby artists will have the ability to position the MyStores widget into multiple environments, including their own pages and promotional emails.