So what exactly is INDISTR© and why should people care?

Good question! INDISTR is actually pretty simple, and we think the best services are the simple ones. We allow artists to sell their music directly to the public without any setup charges, contracts, or fuss. All an artist needs is their music in MP3 format, some album artwork, a quick description of themselves, and a PayPal account. Why should people care you ask? At INDISTR we feel like change is in the air, the recording industry is not doing so well, and oddly the first people that feel that pain are the artists and the consumers – imagine that! We feel like the control should be in the hands of the artist, not the labels. INDISTR is working hard to be the only independent music site that matters.

Who runs and operates INDISTR?

There are two answers to this question. First, every single independent artist that loves what they do and deserves the chance to make a living off their creativity without signing away their control and talent. Second, the founder Benjamin Gott, various programmers, designers, and independent artists who all have an input on how INDISTR should work. If you are interested in working for, interning at, or helping INDISTR in any way please contact shoot us an email, administrator[at]indistr.com.

How much do the artists make and how are they paid?

This is one of our favorite parts of INDISTR! We pay all artists generously and instantly. We pay 75% of all income (after PayPal fees!) directly to the artists, immediately! We pride ourselves as one of the only sites with such generous payment terms – but we love the artists and the whole independent music scene, so it shouldn't be too surprising. We probably shouldn't say this, but we plan on upping our payment terms as the site becomes more popular.

How is the music uploaded by artists priced?

One of the best parts about being an independent artist is that you get to price the music yourself. Want to make an album available for $5 bucks that has 25 tracks? No problem, it's totally up to you. The only fixed price is the $1 per track pricing – allowing buyers to purchase single tracks.

I’m an artist, how do sign up?

Signing up with us is easy – honestly, it really is. Simply click the ‘Login/Sign-up’ link in the top navigation menu. You’ll need to first fill out a general account form, and then you’ll be given the option to become a seller. Simply agree to our terms, tell us a bit about your band, upload an artist photo, give us your PayPal address so we can pay you, and start uploading music! You could be signed-up and have a whole album's worth of music for sale in about 15 minutes.

If I have my music on INDISTR can I have it on a competitors site?

Yes you can! When we say independent, we mean independent! As this idea of independent distribution grows there will certainly be other players in the market and INDISTR will never restrict how, where, or when artists sell their music. We feel secure in the fact that we are working hard to be the only independent music site that matters. We are also working hard to be the only service independent artists want to use!

How easy is it to buy music on INDISTR?

It’s quite easy. During the development of the site we spent a great deal of time ensuring that all the different processes were easy to use. One of the most important was the 'checkout' or download process. Music buyers on INDISTR simply shop around the site, add single tracks or whole albums to their download page, checkout using either their PayPal account or their credit card on our secure site, and then download within the 24-hour availability period. Very simple.

What is "Name Your Own Pricing"?

NYOP is the newest feature we've added to our lineup. As it self-explains, NYOP let's the customer/fan decide the price he or she would like to pay for a specific album.

Can every album on INDISTR be purchased this way?

No, the only albums that can be purchased NYOP are the albums on the site with a NYOP sticker on them. The sticker means that the artist specifically chose to sell that album for whatever the public would like to pay for it.

Can I have multiple albums for sale as an artist, but I only want specific albums to be NYOP?

Absolutely!!! We at Indistr thrive in making the artists in control of their music. Remember, Indistr will never take rights to artists music, and will always let the artists be in 100% control of whatever it is they are selling.

Does INDISTR sell music that has DRM (Digital Right Management) restrictions?

We sure don’t! DRM has good things about it, but it also has quite a few kinks to be worked out. Until there is a standard that everyone can agree on (for the most part) we will be selling MP3 files only. You can play INDISTR tracks on any digital device and burn as many CD's as you'd like.

Where is INDISTR located?

The main INDISTR office is located in the young and thriving downtown district of Grand Rapids, MI. Silicon Valley was too far away for our tastes and we hear the rent is killer out there!

What is the future of INDISTR?

We love this question! The future is bright! We are the first to admit that we are a small company, so we don’t have huge marketing budgets or research and development teams, but we do have a clear vision to change independent digital distribution. Our goal is to truly be the only independent music site that matters. We plan to update, upgrade, innovate, promote change, and adapt to changes in how music is sold, consumed, and enjoyed. With every move we make we aim to place more and more control into the hands of the artists, and we simply think that's where it should be. So stay tuned and feel free to send suggestions to us if you have any.

What is the whole INDISTR LIFE feature?

The INDISTR LIFE is a blog where we document running INDISTR, document and follow around artists who use our site, give our thoughts, commentary, rants on the music industry, and anything independent music related. We love to interview, hang out with, and get to know people who use INDISTR, so shoot us an email and let us know what you’re up to!

Why is the INDISTR site designed in all gray and muted colors?

Interesting question. We want all of the focus to be on the artists, so we keep the design of the site low key and the focus 100% on the artist.

I want to want to work for or intern at INDISTR, who should I contact?

Wow, that is quite the compliment to us! We are always looking for creative people in the marketing and systems development world to help us grow. Please email us at jobs@indistr.com and we'll get back with you as soon as we can!