We’re on a mission to discover the best music distribution platform available to musicians. Today we’re going to discuss AWAL – Giving you all the details you need to know when selecting the right distribution service for your music.
What Is AWAL?
AWAL is not only a distribution company but also aids in artist/label growth through promotional services. They’re unlike the other distribution companies we cover throughout our distribution guide because distribution isn’t their primary focus – They offer so much more.
It’s a difficult service to asses because users can’t sign up right away, there’s an application process, so you have to be accepted before you can access the powerful features AWAL has to offer.
Who Can Use AWAL?
At it’s core, AWAL is focused on already-established artists; pushing their music to new heights. They have different sectors within their platform that helps artists within each stage of their career.
- AWAL Core – Artists with a trajectory, building fans and their story in interesting ways.
- AWAL+ – A smaller group of artists they think are on the verge.
- AWAL Recordings – Their Record Label, built to break artists on their own terms.
Do You Have To Pay To Use AWAL?
No. AWAL has no up-front or yearly fees but instead take 15% of your royalties. This maybe lower for major artists.
How Does AWAL Work?
First of all, lets go over ‘AWAL CORE.’
To access the features they offer you will either have to be accepted via their submission process or have them reach out to you through their A&R team that reach out to musicians who already have an engaging fanbase.
At this level you can distribute your music to over 200+ stores and can get extremely detailed insights on how your music is performing – You can even check skip rates, completion rates (those who listen to the entire song) alongside complete playlist histories. Analytics alone makes AWAL stand out from the rest.
During this process AWAL has their own dedicated A&R team who monitor everything and will reach out if you catch their attention. This usually happens if you’re creating great music and generating a lot of success through placements and royalties.
Second, we have ‘AWAL+’
Some artists can enter AWAL at this level if they are working alongside a reputable manager. However the majority are hand selected after having success while using AWAL Core.
If accepted into AWAL+ things become a lot more interesting. There’s a lot of power in what the team at AWAL can do for musicians.
- You will get a dedicated rep who will help with all of your promotional campaign strategies.
- They will offer you project funding (if required) which is fantastic for independent artists on a tight budget. They do of course recoup this by taking a higher commission from your royalties.
- They will assist with music promotion in terms of getting your music onto established Spotify playlists, alongside sync deals that can include TV, ads, and movies.
Third, and finally we have ‘AWAL Recordings.’
This is where artists can consider themselves as having a ‘record deal.’ – Contracts are involved and things get serious. They offer more project funding alongside working further with promotional campaigns and sync licensing.
This is the stage where AWAL comes to life and really outshines any other distribution company on the market.
How Good Is AWAL Customer Support?
I’ve had my music approved by AWAL and I’ve checked out their interface first-hand alongside reaching out through email.
I typically I received a response within 1-2 days. They usually offer ‘acceptable’ support when you start out, and as things progress, they’ll become more involved with everything.
Do AWAL Promote Your Music?
At the initial stage with ‘AWAL Core’ you can’t expect them to promote your music. This is however an opportunity to prove yourself so they reach out and want to work with you further. If you’re using AWAL+ or AWAL Recordings then yes, and everything they offer is extremely powerful.
Final Notes on AWAL:
Although it’s incredible for established artists who want to retain full rights to their music, it’s not for everyone. You have to be realistic about where you are at musically and your goals for the future.
If you fall short, you can’t expect to gain anything more than amazing analytical data while handing over 15% of your royalties. On the other hand, if your ambitions are big, and you want to stay independent, keeping all the rights to your music then AWAL will be a great fit for you.
It’s the only distribution company that offers music promotion, but are actually capable of following through with it.
► Full comparison of all distribution companies 🔥
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