Beatport for artists guide

Beatport for artists guide

Beatport is the most important DSP for DJs. Established in 2004, it became the biggest in a wide range of digital download stores. Long gone competitors like Audiojelly, Track it Down and DJTunes all tried to compete with Beatport. Some smaller DJ stores are still around but all DJs know that Beatport is the place to be.

How to start selling music on Beatport

Kwettr can help independent labels to start selling music on Beatport. All you need to do is follow the steps below:

  1. Start a free Kwettr account
  2. Deliver the artwork (600 x 600) of your label to us via email
  3. Submit your first release

Beatport hardly ever signs new deals with emerging labels or independent artists, but if you would like to start a direct distribution with Beatport, you should take into account that you need to hand in a 6 months release schedule, marketing and promotional activities overview, DJ testimonials for previous releases and an established online presence on social media.

How to transfer a catalogue from one distributor to another

If you already have an existing catalogue on Beatport and you wish to start with Kwettr Distribution, there are basically two options.

1. Leave old music at the old distributor and start fresh
In this case, you start fresh at Kwettr and upload your first new release for distribution. You have to keep in mind that Beatport cannot have two identical labels in its system at the same time. Each label can only be accounted for by one distributor.

Most labels that choose this option use a way to work around this, by changing the name of the label at the old distributor to “label name’ [back catalogue] and moving the catalogue into that newly made label. Then at the new distributor, they simply start over with their old label name and ask Beatport to transfer the subscribers from the old label to the new one.

This way labels keep the same target group, each time a new release is added all subscribers receive a notification.

2. Move the complete label to the new distributor
This is the easiest way. The new distributor requests a move of the catalogue from the old distributor to the new one. Beatport then moves the catalogue from one Beatport Baseware to the other. (Baseware is the back-end of Beatport, for all parties that deliver content).

How does the editorial process work at Beatport?

Unlike some (newer) DSPs like Spotify, which partially use AI technology to populate playlists, Beatport is 100% edited manually.

This means that any music that does not meet Beatport’s preferred quality is rejected. Besides that, all features on each storefront are chosen manually each week.

It goes a bit further than that; even if you are sure that your music is a particular genre, if Beatport disagrees they move your new track to another genre. You can request a move of course, but this is not guaranteed.

On average, the editorial team determines new features with a three-week lead time. Three weeks prior to release, the editorial team selects tracks for features on all genres and of course the front page.

How to claim a Beatport Artists profile

Just like on other DSPs, there is a chance that DJs have similar artist names. This means that it is also possible that your release is (unfortunately) connected to the wrong profile.

Claiming your Beatport Artist profile makes sure that no one else can register the same name.

Having such a profile means that you can upload your bio, description, socials and image. This profile will remain the same sort of profile, Beatport does not have premium profiles.

All you have to do is have a Beatport account and connect it to your Beatport profile. Claim your artist profile using this link.

Beatport Artists profile

What does the platform offer?

Beatport Music

The most well-known part of the platform is the oldest one: buying downloads as MP3 or WAV.

Since 2004 the store has been offering download sales, subsequently also making the Beatport chart very important. DJs love to share chart positions of their new tracks; reaching a no. 1 on the overall chart is the highest attainable goal. All fellow DJs see it as a sign of quality, even more so than popularity.

Where chart positions on commercial sites display just how popular a track is, on Beatport, it shows how well the tracks are valued by their fellow DJs. Who are, of course, very critical when it comes to production quality.

Pitching for features

On the Beatport download store, tracks can be pitched to their editorial team for a feature. The store refreshes every Friday, and pitches should be sent at least 2 weeks in advance.

Beatport Pitching for features

Beatport Streaming

Also known as Beatport LINK, Beatport Streaming is your DJ booth in the cloud. Create a playlist and use all Beatport music in your sets. You can also download your old tracks and use them in dj software. Integrated streaming service in Serato, Pioneer DJ, Rekordbox, Traktor, Denon DJ and many more.

It is a subscription model, starting at USD. 9,99 per month.

Beatport Stems

Stems is a file format introduced by Native Instruments back in 2015. It is a multi-channel audio file containing groupings of instruments. Stems allow you to control all elements individually, creating an even more personal mix performance.

Beatport Hype

The Hype program basically is a paid feature on the Beatport store for new releases. For USD 9,99 Beatport Hype guarantees features of your song on the Hype section of Beatport.

Beatport Hype Picks

Loopmaster

Beatport has a collaboration with Loopmaster, a sample library with lots of extras. Loopmaster has a Beatport partnership offer, giving access to sounds and sample packs. 

Beatportal

Beatportal is a hub for news, features, tech and trending topics. It offers a more in-depth look into the world of electronic dance music. Features on Beatport are highlighted even more on Beatportal, making it a place for DJs to browse even further in their interests.

Often, Beatportal is used as part of a promotional campaign. For example, the artist of the month is likely to have as much attention on Beatport as well.

Beatportal

Beatport Next

Next is an artist development platform. 8 emerging artists have been chosen to receive extra support from Beatport. Editorials, social media support and of course the usual features and playlists.

Beatport

To conclude

Over the past decades, Beatport has grown into the most prolific DJ portal in the world, covering all sorts of content. Want to have your content on Beatport? Kwettr started as a business unit of a record label and has valuable contacts at Beatport. Start for free here.

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