FAQ

Physischer Musikvertrieb

Physical music distribution involves making your music available in the form of physical recordings such as CDs or vinyl. The distributor adds the recordings to the websites of all major portals such as Amazon and jpc and ensures that they are available for order in independent record stores. Upon receipt of orders, the distributor delivers the recordings to the retailers' warehouses or directly to the fans. The revenue is collected and distributed to the musicians and bands.  

 Private individuals cannot sell products directly through Amazon. Instead, you need a music distributor that has signed appropriate contracts with Amazon. Timezone is an Amazon Advantage Partner. This means that the CDs are not only sold through the Amazon Marketplace, but are also stocked and shipped directly by Amazon, so they can also be ordered as Prime products.

Private individuals cannot sell products directly through Amazon. Instead, you need a music distributor that has signed appropriate contracts with Amazon. Timezone is an Amazon Advantage Partner. This means that the vinyls are not only sold through the Amazon Marketplace, but are also stocked and shipped directly by Amazon, so they can also be ordered as Prime products.

Distributors usually charge an annual fee for the distribution of recorded music. With Timezone, physical distribution is usually included in the price if you have your CD or vinyl pressed through Timezone. Already produced recordings and entire label catalogs can also be distributed through Timezone. For further information, please contact us. here.

 Each release is listed on Amazon, jpc, Weltbild, MediaMarkt, Saturn, and many other online retailers. Through registration in the German music industry catalog (Phononet), the music can also be ordered from most independent record stores and retailers. Timezone also operates an online shop with worldwide shipping, which you can here find.

In addition to the label's own productions, Timezone is the exclusive distributor for CEC-Music, Fattoria Musica Records, Greywood Records, Off Label Records, On Stage Records and Yellow Snake Records.
Sellers can only make a suggested price on Amazon; Amazon itself determines the price for end customers using algorithms. Amazon typically sets a price based on the suggested price, but various factors such as demand, previous releases, or genre can cause Amazon to deviate upwards or downwards. Unfortunately, this cannot be influenced, but the payout is calculated based on the suggested price. So, for sales on Amazon, you'll receive the same payout based on the suggested price even if your CD is offered there at a lower price.

Tonträgerherstellung

 Pressing plants generally only accept orders from major customers. If you don't yet have a label or distributor, there are several online providers that handle the processing of your pressing plant, and musicians or bands can turn to them. Timezone offers CD pressings with and without subsequent printing. physical distribution

 The prices for CD production depend directly on the desired quantity and features. Generally, the cost per copy decreases with a larger print run. However, it also makes a big difference whether you choose a jewel case, a digipack, a booklet, or special finishing options. You can find a quote that exactly matches your requirements. here on request.

 CD production varies depending on the supplier, pressing plant, and order situation. At Timezone, a CD pressing takes approximately three weeks from the time all data is correctly delivered.

 Pressing plants generally only accept orders from major customers. If you don't yet have a label or distributor, there are several online providers that handle the pressing plant process and that musicians or bands can turn to. Timezone offers vinyl pressings with or without subsequent physical delivery. Sales

 Prices for vinyl production depend directly on the desired quantity and presentation. Generally, the cost per copy decreases with a larger print run. However, it also makes a big difference whether you choose a gatefold, heavy vinyl, or special finishing options. You can find a quote that exactly matches your requirements. here on request.

 Since there are only a few vinyl pressing plants left in Germany and the surrounding countries, patience is required when producing vinyl. You should definitely plan for several months' lead time; some suppliers may take more than a year, or they may no longer accept customers at all. If you're interested in a pressing through Timezone, we'll be happy to inform you about current production lead times.

Digitaler Musikvertrieb

Digital music distribution involves making your music available as downloads and streams. In addition to delivering the music and data to platforms like Spotify or Apple Music, the distributor collects the profits from downloads and streams and distributes them to the musicians.

 Digital music distribution typically offers two pricing models: Either each release costs a one-time fee, or the costs are covered by a subscription model. With the Timezone Digital offering, for example, you can publish as much music as you want for a low annual fee. You can find more information about this here. here.

 For digital music distribution, we've developed an offer that allows you to publish unlimited music for a low annual fee, retain up to 100% of the revenue, and retain all your music rights. For more information about Timezone Digital, see here.

If you see a copyright infringement warning on YouTube, but the video is your own music, don't worry. "Copyright" isn't the right term here; it's a poor translation. Instead, it's about the YouTube audio fingerprint, which is created for Timezone's music by the company Believe. The audio fingerprint ensures that no one (including you as the rights holder) can use the music on YouTube without the music being recognized. The advertising revenue is then automatically distributed to the musicians via the respective label. This way, no revenue is lost on YouTube, and no third parties can use the music without you earning something. You can therefore ignore the warning message.
In order for the lyrics of your music to be displayed in Instagram Stories, they must be registered with the platform Musixmatch entered and synchronized with the music. This is only possible after your music has been released.
Presave links allow your music to be saved in your fans' streaming libraries on Spotify or Apple Music, for example, before it's released. The video explains why this is so important.

Spotify

Spotify doesn't offer musicians or bands the option to release their music directly on the platform. Instead, a label is required or the music must be uploaded to a content aggregator. You can find more information about our digital music distribution here: Timezone Digital.
Spotify places a lot of emphasis on the description text in a pitch. First and foremost, the text must generate interest. Where appropriate, you can mention your previous successes or even name-drop: Who are you touring with, what awards have you won, who is featured on the song or produced it? If these aren't well-known people, it's best to leave this aspect out. When describing the music, you should emphasize its unique features, but you can also mention well-known artists who make similar music. Appropriate keywords and moods (which don't already appear in the form) can help categorize the releases for editors. It's also worth mentioning how the release is being promoted, for example, if there's a music video or an advertising campaign.
Generally, it's worth releasing music regularly to maintain listener interest and make the most of streaming portals' algorithms. However, there should always be at least four weeks between releases, as the music is distributed via algorithmic playlists during this time, and otherwise, potential remains untapped. You can find more information on Spotify directly, for example, here.
It's not a problem to publish music by other composers and lyricists on streaming platforms. As long as the music and lyrics haven't been altered, there are no legal concerns as long as you credit them correctly. You'll receive exactly the same royalties from the streaming platforms as you would for your own song. The authors receive royalties from Spotify through their GEMA billing system.
Things are a bit more complicated with Facebook and Instagram. Meta prefers not to allow cover music on its platform, so cover songs generally can't be embedded there, for example, via the music sticker. Furthermore, Meta doesn't have licenses for music usage on commercial accounts, so covers are often muted, especially on Facebook, if you upload them manually and have a professional account.

Grafik

Total Ink Coverage (TIC) refers to the total amount of ink used when printing a CMYK graphic. It is calculated by adding the percentages of cyan, magenta, yellow, and black in the print file. We recommend a maximum TIC value of 280 for CD and vinyl production. Learn how to check the value for your graphic with Adobe Acrobat. .
Alternatively, the darkest parts of the graphic can be highlighted with the Just color picker which is available free of charge for Windows and Mac.

Tontechnik

Mono summing of the bass range: Frequencies below 150 Hz, and often even as low as 200 Hz, should be placed in the mono center for vinyl. Stereo information in the bass range leads to significant groove movement along the transverse axis and can impair playability or even cause skips. A low-frequency mono filter is helpful for centering these bass frequencies.
Frequencies above 40 Hz: For vinyl, it's important to specifically control or cut frequencies below 40 Hz. Very deep bass can cause particularly large groove movements and increase the groove width so that they sit close together. This increases the risk of distortion and needle jumps. A high-pass filter at 20 to 30 Hz can often help.
Low-end compression and limiting: To achieve a consistent volume in the bass range and avoid low-frequency peaks, subtle compression or limiting in the range below 80–100 Hz is useful. A good balance prevents excessive groove deflection and ensures a stable sound during playback.