(note: I've added hyperlinks for specific examples, so make sure to hover over the text so you don't miss any)
The cool thing about working on a music project like this is that I've spent a good amount of time navigating small communities online that indulge in independent, Internet-based music. This has given me insight and experience over time for figuring out what works and what doesn't -- I have several friends who produce and release music online and I'm definitely going to be taking pointers from them. My distribution for the music itself will therefore be largely online, since I'm mostly aiming for that niche audience that uses the Internet to discover new music. There are several different routes I could take to take advantage of this, including streaming services as well as other forms of integration and post-release promotion. As for the music video itself I'll be posting it on Youtube and promoting it alongside the music itself upon release (I'll go deeper into this in the Soundcloud paragraph).
The main service I'll be looking at is Bandcamp, which has a reputation for hosting independent music, both for streaming and digital download purposes. Users can stream music for free or purchase projects from the artist directly, owning it as a download. I've bought multiple projects from some of my favorite independent artists on Bandcamp, and its provision of digital downloads has made my own personal digital music library much more expansive. Another cool thing about Bandcamp is its exploration and discovery, especially of smaller artists. I've found a few super interesting and underseen projects ranging different genres like breakcore (97997ALMONDS and hsiu) to skramz (Sugar Wounds and Gas Up Yr Hearse!) that I would never have found otherwise. I love being able to support these artists directly, it feels very personal and it's just cool being part of such a niche community. For these reasons I see Bandcamp as the most fitting distribution source for my product, especially if I'm sticking with an ambient / noise route.
Another great service for independent 'Internet music' (as my friends and I have lovingly dubbed the kind of silly music I listen to) is Soundcloud, which has always been a resource used predominantly by hip-hop-adjacent artists as well as different electronic stuff. My friends who produce all base their distribution primarily through Soundcloud, adding links to Bandcamp or Youtube releases in the description. A common technique used by Soundcloud-based artists is including **VIDEO IN DESCRIPTION** or some variation of it in a track title, the video in question usually being on Youtube. This is super commonplace and establishes a pretty much universally accepted bond between posting on Youtube and Soundcloud if you're making a music video. Soundcloud also provides digital downloads, for free this time, but is mostly streaming-focused. It's very accessible and ubiquitous with contemporary independent music, so I'll be posting there as well.
Although this isn't a streaming service, RateYourMusic is also an absolute must for navigating the Internet music sphere. I've found SO MANY of my favorite albums through this website, some of them super recent and some simply being forgotten indie projects from a few decades ago. Its userbase is very passionate about discovering new music, with the site's genre pages and list features making the sharing of new findings a fun and communal experience. Any user can add an artist or project to the database, making it findable to anyone. RYM would be a viable form of promotion after releasing my project, even if it doesn't gain too much traction. Also it's just cool having your music show up somewhere like that.
