Stoli Discusses Digital Music Distribution With WaTunes

So you are in an indie band and you just finished your first album. You want to go the digital route because you know that the CD is a tough sell. WaTunes.com is a full service music distribution website that can handle all your needs and much more. Don’t believe me, I got the founder Kevin Rivers to tell it!

Stoli: How long did it take to write the programming code for WaTunes.com?

Kevin: The very first version of WaTunes has taken us roughly 2 months. It was a very simple design scheme and framework that only completed basic applications for our customers.

Stoli: What has been your experience in web design & development prior to launching WaTunes?

Kevin: Prior to launching WaTunes, I’ve became very knowledgable of CSS, HTML, and Java. It wasn’t until the launch of WaTunes was I able to learn programming languages such as PHP/MySQL.

Stoli: If I were in a band and I wanted to distribute my music online how does WaTunes take care of that for me and how do I get started?

Kevin: Currently, you would create your free account at our website. From there, you’ll be able to explore the account features and other options. Once you’re ready to distribute your music, you would click on a ‘Getting Started’ link that will provide further instructions on how to complete your account setup.

Stoli: How much does it cost artists & bands to post their music with WaTunes & how do you keep track of sales?

Kevin: WaTunes charges a one-time $20 setup fee to setup an artist account for distribution. Afterwards, the artist will have the ability to distribute unlimited songs and albums for as long as they want, when they want. Currently, through our strategic partnership with RoyaltyShare, we are able to provide the artist visibility of their sales & royalties for their music.

Stoli: What artists and bands have used your service and have been successful selling downloads and getting paid for that?

Kevin: We’ve have many success stories from artists such as Alex Seifert, John Devitt, and We Tigers to archgiants like Jesse Saunders, King B, and X.R. All of whom we believe have been very successful through our program.

Stoli: Are you currently seeking venture capital for waTunes and who should vc’s contact about that?

Kevin: Absolutely! WaTunes is always seeking for investment opportunities from both angel investors and venture capital companies. For any investment related questions should be sent to me for further information. (Kevinrivers@watunes.com)

Stoli: What was that initial idea that made you want to build waTunes.com?

Kevin:  Before I started WaTunes, I’ve been with many distributors through my own indie label: XeingeONE. It wasn’t until I recently discovered that they’re many music artists and labels who can’t afford a setup fee per album basis, which would also like to see their music at virtually any major store possible, and still retain a high royalty rate bigger than the major labels. Thus I’ve founded WaTunes.com to be the answer for those music artists and labels out there.

Stoli: Where do you see music distribution in 10 years from now?

Kevin: I clearly see music distribution in general becoming more of a digital landscape. At this day and age, many people are looking towards buying online because it’s more convenient, fast, and simple. As CD sales continues to decline, it’s only customary to see digital sales increase exponentially through new mediums such as social networking and advertising.

Stoli: Where would you like to see WaTunes be when you have fully developed the software & business?

Kevin: I’d like to see WaTunes a place where music lovers can finally connect, share, and listen to new music as well as providing a portal for musicians, publishers, record labels, distributors, and other music business to establish a platform in the digital music landscape.

Stoli: You have a close alliance with Skope, has that alliance benefited your marketing strategy?

Kevin: Absolutely! With a strong strategic relationship with Skope, we are able to provide new means to market and promote our catalog, making our customers quite happy of the results.

Stoli: What can we look forward to from WaTunes for the 2008 & beyond?

Kevin:  Starting within the next several months, we’ll be integrating a new user-interface that will enable music artists to easily upload their music, upload their album cover art, and other information to expedite the music deliver process. Another major component is integrating a social networking environment that will not only attract music artists and labels but also the fans. Fans will be able to search and browse the WaTunes catalog and be able to freely stream and embed their favorite artists on their MySpace, Facebook, hi5, and other social sites.

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