Thanks to platforms like Indiestore and Snocap, it’s getting ever easier for unsigned bands to sell their own music via their websites, blogs or Myspace pages. But the vast majority of consumers still go to iTunes (and, lately, emusic; and, soon, the Amazon download store) to buy downloads. It’s vital for any unsigned artist to get their albums on iTunes – at least until the Apple hegemony ends.

There are quite a few digital aggregators out there who work with unsigned bands, but only a few are worth your time. The best of the bunch – especially for UK artists – is AWAL (Artists Without A Label). They’ll get your tracks on iTunes, Napster, emusic and all other major download stores, without you having to pay them a penny. They’ll even assign ISRC codes and sort out the other steps that allow your releases to be eligible for the charts. In return they take 15% of any royalties earned. It’s an amazing service and should be the first port of call for anyone hoping to sell tracks through the most popular online stores.

Tunecore comes a close second (and have the edge in some respects – for example, you don’t need to send them a CD like do with AWAL, you can upload MP3s on the website; also, you keep 100% of the royalties). What pushes them into second place are the fees they charge: $0.99 per song per album delivery charge, $0.99 per store/service per album delivery fee, and a $9.98 annual fee. Hardly expensive – but not as cheap as free!

Gang of Four – Anthrax

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