Ditto, the answer to the indie’s prayer

Are you one of the many aspiring music acts around the Philippines today or are you a part of a group or band reaching for the big time? Are you, like almost everyone of them, unsigned to a record label? That is maybe because nobody has made you an offer for a label deal or maybe one or two there were one or two who did but you refused. Because you chose to remain independent. 

Now, that is all very nice, but the unfortunate result of both situations is that your music will be heard only during your live performances. That worked during the time of Chopin. But not anymore. In this world of ours, music unheard, is music that might as well be dead. But how will you get your music heard without having a label or the capacity to bring your sounds out to the people? Well, here is Ditto and it might be able to help.

Ditto Music is a UK-based online music distribution company that has recently set up shop in Manila. Established in 2006 by musicians Matt and Lee Parsons, Ditto makes it possible for independent artists to get their music into popular streaming platforms such as Spotify, iTunes, Deezer, Amazon and Apple Music. It is already established in the United States, Mexico, Brazil, Spain, India, Australia and now, also in the Philippines. So no label? Go to Ditto.

According to local Ditto Music head Jinno Mina, what this means to artists is having the venue to make their music heard. “For all the talented Filipino music artists out there, this means you do not have to be signed to a record company to get your music into the platforms you want to be on.”

Now while dreaming of the day when, thanks to Ditto or some other aggregator, you may find your own song in the list, you might want to take a look at who are getting the most listens in the Spotify Philippines Top 50 chart of the week.

Sandwich

Freaky Friday by Lil Dicky feat. Chris Brown; Mundo by IV Of Spades; Nadarang by Shanti Dope; The Middle by Zedd with Maren Morris; Tagpuan by Moira; IDGAP by Dua Lipa; Psycho by Post Malone with Ty Dolla $ign; No Tears Left To Cry by Ariana Grande; Rewrite The Stars by Zach Efron and Zendaya; FRIENDS by Marshmello.

Let Me by ZAYN; Mine by Bazzi; Bboom, Bboom by MOMOLAND; One Kiss by Calvin Harris and Dua Lipa; Better Now by Post Malone; Kathang Isip by Ben & Ben; These Days by Rudimental feat. Jess Glynne and Macklemore; Love Lies by Khalid and Normani; Playing With Me by KYLE feat. Kehlani; and Capital Letters by Hailee Steinfeld.

“Ditto is basically offering label services to its subscribers,” explains Mina, a local music industry veteran and former A&R executive who has worked with Sony-BMG, Sony Music, Ivory Music and Warner Music Philippines. “We’ve simplified the user experience of our website so that artists can concentrate on being creative. And then we will take care of getting the music out there.”

Ditto makes selling and making money out of music so easy. All those interested in doing so can simply go to dittomusic.com and receive detailed instructions for very affordable rates. Unlimited distribution of the music of one artist for a year costs only P249. It is P379 for two artists, also unlimited. And if you are the owner of an indie label with several artists under contract, you can do the P899 unlimited deal for one year. 

Providing the master and the artwork for the Ditto layout and paying the fees are all that one has to do to be in Ditto. In exchange one gets these: Worldwide sales in the platforms of your choice, which can include VEVO the biggest music video shop in the world; charts registration so that charts can track how your music is selling and then maybe include it in their hit lists; playlist inclusion; your own ISRC code for every record; and lots of sales boosting tools.

It will be just like having one’s own online record store and in exchange, Ditto Music promises that there are no hidden cuts and that seller will get 100 percent, that means all of royalties due.

Now already selling their music through Ditto are Silent Sanctuary, Typecast, Sandwich, Farewell Fair Weather, Oh Flamingo, The Adamant and Snakefight.