Join PMD and have us promote and sell your music!
PositiveMusicandDownloads.com is an online music store with a mission to support positive, uplifting music of all genres. Our audience is generally culturally astute, educated and share high moral and ethical values. CDs, downloads, and songbooks sold on the site represent both independent and major label artists whose work is consistent with that mission. We welcome all styles of music with clean lyrics. Our motto is: Music that Makes a Difference. Artists can join our site for a $50 fee for the first album, and $10 per additional album. This cost covers uploading, reviewing, and posting your CD. Our catalog may also be distributed by Amazon, and other major e-tailers. Members receive $6.00 for every physical CD sold for regular price ($12.95 or above) and 60% of the net received per download, paid quarterly. Retail pricing is flexible. We constantly promote the site on radio, targeted regional TV, internet marketing, and in print. We offer weekly free download promotions and specials. We do our own shipping, and handle all customer service. Our combined lists currently serve about 53,000 people and are growing steadily. We invite all artists who share this vision to join with us and help encourage good music everywhere.
Frequently asked questions
How many people does PMD reach?
We have over 53,000 on our lists, plus many more with our other promotional tools, such as Amazon.com.
How long will it take to get my music on the site?
Once you have signed the virtual paperwork and sent in your CDs, it takes just a few days.
Why does your site charge a membership fee?
We not only sell your music, but promote it as well. Our service offers far more in promotional value than other sites. The cost to convert, review, and upload your CD is included in this fee. In addition the fee per album lasts forever and is not a subscription.
When do I get paid?
Forty-five days after the end of every quarter. We pay $6.00 for every physical CD sold for regular price ($12.95 or above) and 60% of the net received per download. After the amount exceeds $25, we send physical checks via U.S. mail.
My album has songs I didn't write on it. Do I need permission before I can sell it?
Yes. Unless you have properly licensed your songs we cannot legally carry your album. Instructions are below:
Rights and Permissions
You must own the copyright for the sound recordings or have the authority or permission from the owner(s). If you didn't write the song/composition, that's OK, but you must find out who the copyright owners are, and pay the publisher their mechanical royalties the same way you would for CDs sold, but based on your download/sales activity. The following information comes from one of our most highly recommended sites, CdBaby.com. In some cases, we can license your music for you for an additional fee.
If you have samples in your music, they must all be legally cleared and paid for. No "mix tapes" of other people's music, even if you are mixing in your own music.
It's VERY important to have all rights and permission! Files distributed on the internet are watched very carefully by lawyers. You can't just "get away with it". Do everything thoroughly and legally.
If you have cover songs (an artist performing someone else's songs) on your CD, please read the information below.
What IS a cover song?
A cover song is your recording of a song that you didn't write assuming that song had previously been released in the USA ... with consent of the copyright owner (the songwriter/publisher)
Examples: You recording your version of a Bob Dylan or Cole Porter song. A song you have to pay the publisher (copyright owner) to create copies of.
What is NOT a cover song?
A song you wrote
A song you co-wrote with someone else
A song someone gave you permission to record and release, but has *never* been previously recorded and released.
An old song that is now in public domain (e.g. classical music or songs written before 1900)
An old traditional song (e.g., Ave Maria or Amazing Grace)
A song you don't have to pay to create copies of.
NOTE: If it's a cover song, the PUBLISHER info is VERY important!
What do you mean "PUBLISHER"?
The publisher is the owner of the copyright to a song. (The song, not the recording. Just the words and music, melody, harmony, lyrics.) If you or a songwriter you know has never signed away their publishing rights to a publishing deal, then the songwriter IS the publisher.
Don't get this word confused with a sheet music publisher or CD manufacturer. It has nothing to do with that. In this case "publisher" just means "copyright owner of the song itself".
Why are ASCAP, BMI, or Harry Fox not the Publisher?
ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, Harry Fox, SOCAN - are NOT publishers!
ASCAP, BMI and SESAC are three companies in America that collect the broadcast ("performing rights") money for songwriters, so they can get paid for their music being used on radio and TV broadcasts. We don't need to know if a song is ASCAP or BMI. They don't matter here.
How do I find the publisher?
It's usually listed in the album credits in the original (or cover) version of a song.
Example: go to ascap.com and type "Purple Rain" (with NO quotes!) in the search box, change the check box to say "Titles", and click [search]. In this case, the song "Purple Rain" has two co-publishers: Controversy Music c/o Universal Music Publishing Group- and W B Music Corp c/o Warner Bros Inc.
NOTE: This is for your own good! We don't NEED to be so strict about this. You should have taken care of all of this already AND gotten permission from the publisher! ... but we realize a lot of people don't actually get permission first, so we're trying to help keep you out of trouble. The copyright police might not break down your door and stop you from burning a CD of you singing "Purple Rain", but they will find you much easier and even sue you if you released your version of "Purple Rain" without sending notice to Controversy Music c/o Universal Music Publishing Group - and W B Music Corp c/o Warner Bros Inc. - and paying your 9.1 cents per copy sold.
If you need help, we can refer you to licensing services if you use the contact button. These services charge a fee in addition to the license fees.
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