How do I sell mp3 voice recordings on my website?

[Teri]

Hello,

I am a hypnotherapist seeing clients face to face. Using Audacity I have made some MP3 recordings for different issues that I can treat and I would like to sell these online. Can anyone offer any advice on how to do this? Since I'm not very technical when it come to computers any help would be most appreciated.

Many thanks,

Teri

 

[zigojacko]

One of our clients who sells hypnosis cd's and mp3 downloads had his site built on Magento and made use of the downloadable product configuration to offer the MP3's as downloads.

There's tons of options though, which will ultimately come down to your available budget and own personal web / tech savvyness.

 

[Simondesigner]

Do you want to provide 'Testers' to allow users to preview each mp3 without having the ability to listen to the whole track?

 

[The Byre]

As you don't have a website ("This account has been closed!") you may find that difficult!

BTW, Audacity is not a very good programme for audio - try Reaper.

I would recommend that you sell CDs, rather than going down the download path, particularly as you don't have a website anyway.

 

[Teri]

Btw I have have three websites for different funding streams. I actually only want to sell MP3s on one of the websites. Yes I would like potential customers to be able to sample the beginning of the recordings.

 

[Simondesigner]

If the website is based on wordpress you could use a plugin such as powerpress Or you could use jquery to set limits on the audio file (for preview) and full download only accessible on checkout completion.

 

[OldWelshGuy]

There are many ways to sell digital downloads. do you only sell to the UK? if not then you need to look at the new VAT regulations (that apply even if you are not VAT registered) it is a minefield at the moment.

 

[Small Biz Geek]

The poster above has mentioned what was also on my mind - VAT for digital downloads. It might be a good idea to consider selling the CDs or if not CDs, branded USB sticks containing the files.

 

[paulears]

Running a download website is not that complicated, if, you are computer literate. You install files onto your server, and then you upload the files you wish people to download. The system is linked to paypal, so they click on the file they want, they pay, and then either download the file immediately, or receive a download link. The download link enables obscured filenames and limited download time and frequency before it locks. The betters system are pretty trouble free, but sometimes people just can't work out how to download the files, or leave it too long, or select the wrong ones, so you need to keep an eye on the reports the system sends, which notify you of potential issues. So you generate codes on paypal, enter the paypal info on your download site, and then link the money to the files to the clients. If you are happy with this, then fire away. My first system was all drag and drop, but the supplier stopped supporting it, so the paypal system failed when paypal changed their system. I had to then find another - and the current one I use is ok - but much clunkier! I have to enter lots of strings of data manually - in my case, it's track number, price, ID, paypal link, real file name, obscured file name - a real pain if you have lots, but ok to just add new tracks as you produce them. It's reliable and less than £100. It would NOT install on my main server space, and I had to use a US hosting service, even though I'm in the UK.

How this even applies to the new downloading VAT rules, I have no idea - because the customers download the files from the US? It's fine for UK customers, which they all thankfully are, but one day somebody will buy one from the EU. No idea what to do then.

 

[lelliott05]

Suggest you sell through a marketplace such as paddle.com who will charge and pay the EU VAT on your behalf. Otherwise you risk being non compliant. I'm attending a webinar on this subject this weekend, inbox me if you want details. There are ways around the new law, marketplace being one of them.

 

[Charleswilmott]

Keep simple and easy, No website, just use clickbank, and it a digital marketing place

 

[paulears]

I sell loads of stuff on CD and by download, and the worst thing is people ordering without understanding what happens - in these cases, it's often simpler to send them a CD, because downloading from following a timed link is impossible for some to understand. A simple website, with a paypal click here to download works for those computer literate. Links that take you to download sites that are not yours are viewed with suspicion my the computer illiterate - bombarded with warnings about clicking on things. My download site is designed to look like the clients site, so they click and get the download info, but it is a different site = they rarely, if ever notice this.

 

[lelliott05]

If you are selling digital products to anyone in the EU, you are liable for paying the VAT owed in the country of the buyer from January 2015. Be very aware of this before you choose how you sell your products. You could land yourself in big trouble if you don't. Like I said in a previous link, paddle.com pay the VAT for you, so takes it all out of your hands and you can get on with the business of making profits

 

[paulears]

As has been said - it all depends on the quantity of stock you shift and the profits you are making.

Looking back at my sales, just two were from abroad, so I'm going to carry on as normal until I get the first download from a country where I need to register for VAT, and I'm just going to refund them the product price, and forget it. Digital downloads generate very little individually, so people can have a freebie, until volumes hit the level where the registration hassle is worthwhile.

 

[webboy]

Hi Teri, no need for all that just use amazon you can upload it and the job its all done, if you really want to have download store use WooCommerce (WordPress)

or itunes or even shopify

 

[paulears]

If you want to make a profit from music, then the iTunes suggestion was a bit silly - 4 million downloads would earn you less than the average wage here in the UK - 4 million!!

My hosting cost is in the region of £140 a year, and the only cost other than that is the paypal commission. So if somebody downloads twenty quids worth of music, it's quite profitable, as the actual running costs are tiny.

 

[webboy]

Wrong iTunes you can make a killing if you know how to market your product

 

[paulears]

Really? Do tell. It appears to be very expensive, and needs considerable quantities to make it work.

 

[The Byre]

Wrong iTunes you can make a killing if you know how to market your product

More and more artists and publishers are taking stuff off iTunes and Spotify and other download sites for the reasons Paulears mentioned.

Jay-Z bought Aspiro for $56m and is now working on turning it into something like United Artists and held talks with industry leaders over Grammy week and the music industry is watching this development very closely!