About A Cappella Records

A Cappella Records (ACR) is the first all-digital record label for a cappella music. In addition to internationally distributing and promoting our artists, ACR provides access to the major marketplaces for digital music--including iTunes and Amazon MP3. We take care of the licensing and recurring royalty payments, allowing artists to focus on what they do best: music. Additionally, ACR makes cover songs safer and easier to deal with than ever before.

Through A Cappella Records, your fans can be a click away from downloading your group's music on iTunes. By bundling marketing resources--a cappella radio, charting, and our flash music player, your group will benefit from unprecedented exposure to the international music community.

If you're interested in working with A Cappella Records, find out how to get signed.

FAQ

Does signing with ACR affect physical album sales? A Cappella Records is an all-digital label and therefore we do not deal with physical albums.

With ACR, how much money will we make per track? For a typical iTunes download, the price is ninety-nine cents. iTunes takes approximately thirty cents off the top, and the remaining money is sent to the label. ACR takes care of any royalty payments (usually 9.1 cents per song), and the remaining balance is split evenly between the label and the artist. It is important to note that artists with most major record labels receive between fifteen and seventeen percent of the yield per track. ACR never makes more money from a download than the artist.

How much does it cost to join ACR? There is a one-time, one hundred-dollar fee for each album signed to the label, which covers the licensing and processing of the album. ACR does not profit from this fee.

How long does it take to get an album into stores? After we receive your master recordings, signed contract, and licensing and processing fee, we guarantee that your music will reach the marketplace in six to eight weeks.

How long is the term of the contract? The contract lasts for one year. If you are not happy with our services at the end of that period, you are no longer obligated contractually. This model holds ACR accountable to drive as many sales of your music as we can over the next year.

What stores can we sell music in? iTunes, Amazon MP3, Rhapsody, Napster - you name it, and we'll do our best to get your music into that store. At ACR, we believe that the label/artist relationship should be a partnership. We'll work with you to define a comprehensive sales plan for your music.

How much does it cost to sign a single or an EP? The licensing and processing fee for a single is $25. The licensing and processing fee for a 2-5 song EP is $75. In order to release EPs and singles, your group must first have a full-length album signed with ACR.

Does it affect the signing process if an album is already being sold online? No. We simply ask that you remove your album from the store(s) in question before your music goes live with ACR, in order to avoid repeat copies of an album being present in the marketplace.

Why should my group use ACR instead of CDBaby? CDBaby is a music aggregator, while ACR is a record label, which means that that CDBaby can get your music into major retailers, but they don't make cover songs legal - that's up to the artist. ACR makes all of your music 100% legal, protecting the artist and (if applicable) its affiliated school.

Here's a quick breakdown of the differences between ACR and CDBaby:

Services Breakdown

	ACR	CDBaby
Acquires Licenses
Pays Recurring Royalties
Markets Music
Access to Major Retailers
Sells & Warehouses Physical CDs

Financial Breakdown* (Per 99¢ download)

	ACR	CDBaby
Marketplace Fee	$0.30	$0.30
Aggregator Fee		$0.08
Royalties	$0.091 (ACR manages)	$0.091 (Artist manages)
Label Fee	$0.30
Artist Yield	$0.30	$0.53

* These numbers are close approximations of actual fees. Marketplace prices are subject to change, and royalties are different depending on the number of songs sampled per track, as well as other case by case circumstances.

** It is important to note that most labels provide the artist with a 16% yield, after expenses. At ACR, we've adopted a model that we believe is fair, in which the label never profits more than the artist. Additionally, we invest a portion of our share into further marketing your music.