Looking for iTunes for Artists? Trying to figure out how it works?
You’re in the right place at the right time.
In this quick guide, we’ll look at what iTunes for Artists is, how to get your music on iTunes and Apple Music, who should use iTunes for Artists, as well as how you can use data to grow your music career.
Ready? Go!
What is iTunes for Artists?
iTunes for Artists is now Apple Music for Artists. Don’t worry – you also get access to your analytics concerning iTunes (i.e. music sales).
Apple Music for Artists is a powerful tool that gives you access to data concerning your music on Apple Music and iTunes.
From a bird’s eye view, the Apple Music for Artists dashboard gives you access to:
- Your music’s performance (plays, average daily listeners, song purchases, and Shazams)
- Milestones (e.g. When your song is added to a playlist or your song hits a certain number of plays)
- Trends (e.g. which of your songs are getting Shazamed the most)
- How your listeners are finding your music (e.g. which playlists)
- Demographic information concerning your audience including where they are located
You can sign up for Apple Music for Artists here.
Also note – you will need to request artist access and connect your social media profiles, music distributor, and relevant label and manager information (you can still request access without a label or manager).
How do I Get My Music on iTunes or Apple Music?
You need to go through a music distribution service like CD Baby, TuneCore, Ditto Music, or DistroKid.
We covered this in detail in an earlier guide, and even offered some additional tips on how you can show up more prominently on the Apple Music platform.
Who is Apple Music for Artists for? 
If your music is already being distributed everywhere, then there’s a good chance your music is also on iTunes and Apple Music.
The question is – is your music getting purchased or streamed on these platforms?
I could see Apple Music for Artists being great for Apple Music power users. Artists who consistently use, and see traction from their use of, Apple Music and iTunes.
If you aren’t, then looking at your Apple Music analytics might be depressing and/or pointless. You’ll probably only check in from time to time.
With that in mind, we love what the folks at Beatchain are doing, and even had founder Ben Mendoza on our podcast a while back.
Beatchain can give you a lot more usable data to work with, because they will automatically find and connect your various social media profiles, as well as all of the streaming services (note – you might need to connect to some of these manually).
How Can I Use Data to Grow My Career?
Again, you might want to check out the interview with Ben Mendoza. I included the video version of the podcast in this post just in case.
This is a deep subject deserving of its own space, but here are a few ways data can be leveraged to give your music career a boost:
- You can see exactly where your music is being streamed. That means you can stop wasting time on platforms where your music isn’t getting played and focus on the ones that are.
- See which of your posts are performing well (especially on Beatchain). That can give you a good idea of what type of content to create next, and even which content you should boost with advertising.
- See where your fans are located. I have listeners in Jakarta, Kuwait City, and London. I wouldn’t know any of that without looking at my stats! This info helps me plan my future marketing campaigns and tours.
- See which artists have a similar audience to me. Collaborative opportunities anyone? Also, I can retarget these artists in my advertising campaigns (hell yeah!).
- Discover which playlists I could be/should be on. Another great feature via Beatchain!
- And more. You can draw tons of conclusions from the data you gather. The key is to get data that’s usable. Data that’s easy for you to understand and leverage. Again, Beatchain makes it easy.
Before You Go…
Just wanted to let you know I’ve got a book called The New Music Industry where I’ve compiled practically every strategy and tactic to promote your music online you can even think of!
Better to have it all in one place than go hunting around the internet for all the information you need, don’t you think?
After all, you should be spending time making your music. Not trying to figure out how to become an entrepreneur, digital marketer, or full-time publisher (that’s what I do, and I do it for you!).
This is what Buddy Love had to say about The New Music Industry:
A ton of valuable information. If this guy doesn’t list it, it probably doesn’t exist. Really a great tool for musician on how to gain traction on social media.
Either way, be sure to get on the email list for more updates concerning Apple Music for Artists.
iTunes for Artists (Apple Music for Artists), Conclusion
So, there you have it. iTunes for Artists is now Apple Music for Artists. And it offers great functionality to help you get a better sense of how your music is performing on these platforms, where your audience is located, which of your songs are getting Shazamed, and more.
While it’s always good to take advantage of the tools platforms like Apple Music and Spotify give you access to, don’t forget to take advantage of great catch-all solutions like Beatchain too.
Is there anything else we should have covered here?
Let us know in the comments below!
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