What to do with non-musical "tracks"?

[Barber Surgeon]

I just finished up a demo and I'd like to distribute it on iTunes, but I have a small moral problem with two of the three tracks on the EP. There are only three actual songs, the intro and outro tracks are just bonuses that help set the mood and experience. While I think they are important to the overall delivery, I wouldn't want anyone to have to pay for them. It would be a pretty bad ripoff.

Any suggestions? Go with it anyway?

I'm going to look up similar tracks from other artists and see if they are for sale in the same way as normal songs. If everyone is guilty, I don't suppose I should have to be any different.

I just feel bad for making people pay for filler.

[Barber Surgeon]

After looking on iTunes, I see that some tracks can be designated as "Album Only". This is exactly what I want to do.

Does anyone know if TuneCore lets you set up tracks this way for submission?

[mikezawitkowski]

Your best option is to merge the intro and outro into the middle, main track, so that your fans are only paying the price for a single track.

There are basically two ways that your album on iTunes can end up with a track that's album-only:

1. if the track is really long (I think it's 10+ minutes), then iTunes will either refuse to sell the track, or it will sell it as album-only. This is because there is a statutory mechanical royalty (http://www.harryfox.com/public/licenseeRateCurrent.jsp) that has to be paid to the copyright owner for every track sold, and the longer the track, the higher the fee. In order for iTunes to still make money on an extra-long track, they make it album-only.

2. in rare circumstances, the editorial staff behind the iTunes music store may elect to make a normal-length song "album-only." They don't normally like to do this, but it has happened. Concessions to accompany this may be that the album-only track is a bonus track only available at iTunes, or the entire album is available exclusive on the ITMS for a certain amount of time.

-Mike
www.elativemarketing.com

"How To Ruin Your New Album"
http://beta.flowgram.com/f/p.html#LJXHBGZ531DKBI

[the-good-way]

I just finished up a demo and I'd like to distribute it on iTunes, but I have a small moral problem with two of the three tracks on the EP. There are only three actual songs, the intro and outro tracks are just bonuses that help set the mood and experience. While I think they are important to the overall delivery, I wouldn't want anyone to have to pay for them. It would be a pretty bad ripoff.

Any suggestions? Go with it anyway?


could you simply release the extra intro/outro as a single track?

[sryk2]

just take some advice .. you can get some from itune forums, unofficial forums

[anjelina489]

Yes, I personally believe that you are right. I will pray to god that you get what you want.
God bless you!

[Rock_and_roll]

couldnt you fix the intro and the first track together and the last track together with the outro, or am I not understanding correctly

[danielboles]

couldnt you fix the intro and the first track together and the last track together with the outro, or am I not understanding correctly

srsly, audacity?

[Rock_and_roll]

srsly, audacity?

:confused:

the free DAW?