The formal launch of Ditto Music’s Manila branch late last month may have been otherwise a reason to party for independent Filipino musicians. The fact that it specializes in “giving indie artists and unsigned acts the venue to have their music heard” is good news for those who don’t have the right access to record labels or prefer to carve their own careers without having to bow to some stiff authority.
With strong UK-roots and already established in countries like the United States and Australia, no doubt this digital music brand is world-class and state-of-the-art. Add to the plot the hiring as country head of local music industry vet Jinno Mina, himself a blues guitarist and known around music circles as friendly to musicians whose genres are way out of pop.
With those points in consideration, it is safe to say a big door had just been opened for those deserving to be heard but just cannot go through the proper channels.
Mina, a former A&R (artist & repertoire) who has worked with international labels Sony-BMG, Ivory, and Warner, explained, “Ditto Music is not a label but we are offering label services to subscribers. 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 their music out there.”
Interested artists with unreleased recordings need only to sign up to use the Ditto platform and then pay P249 for one-year unlimited releases per act, which also means you get 100 percent of the royalties to be earned from your songs. There is also a free limited-use account if you still find that amount too high for your own good.
The portal is described as “intuitive and easy-to-use” and “laid-out for artist-users to quickly understand the process of releasing music.”
“With Ditto Music, Pinoy indie artists are getting the same exposure as their mainstream counterpart,” Mina added.
Created by Matt and Lee Parsons, Ditto has direct links to countries with flourishing music scene such as Brazil, Mexico, Spain, and India.
Apart from the subscription service for the unsigned, the digital hub, partly through Mina’s vote of confidence, signed music distribution agreements with several rising acts like Farewell Fair Weather, Oh Flamingo, and Snakefight. Even biggie Silent Sanctuary signed on April 25 at the Johnny Be Good bistro in Makati.
Roughly 20 artists, and counting, have already partnered with Ditto.
Mina related, “I’ve been working with labels since the early 2000s. So it feels good to be working finally with the kinds of bands and solo artists I did not have the chance to work with. I believe na kahit niche ang market mo, malaki pa din yan.”
Ditto Music is practically allowing artists regardless of genre affiliations or status in life to get their recordings available in popular music streaming platforms such as Spotify, iTunes, Deezer, Amazon and Apple Music.
