To all my fans, friends, and family who've asked how you can support my music: THANK YOU! I've had a few questions from some of you on what is the *best* way to buy my album, and I deeply appreciate your thoughtfulness with that inquiry. So here's some more info to help you make an informed decision.
1. Buy the CD directly from me, in person.
This one is the biggest winner in terms of the highest percentage of your dollars going directly to me. You can think of it as 100% (considering what I paid for the recording, mixing, mastering, design, CD printing and packaging, etc... WOW, there is a lot of work and $$$$ in releasing a completely independent album!). And bonus, you don't have to pay shipping costs. If you ever see me in person, whether our paths cross in daily life or occasionally or at one of my live shows, this is the way to go. If you think we may be in the same location, reach out and ask, and I may be able to go out of my way to get a disc to you in person! However, this isn't possible for everyone, and a lot of my fans are nowhere near New England, so I understand the #1 winner is not going to be an option for very many people at all, sooooo....
2. Buy the CD online from CDBaby.
I recognize that not everyone still has a CD player, or still buys or listens to music this way, or has the funds to purchase the CD. But if you do, CDBaby is the way to go. Please go to https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/ilonatipp2 to purchase from CDBaby. I will earn more money from physical CD sales, but also... I put a lot of time, effort, and $$$ into the beautiful album packaging, with gorgeous design by Joseph Lambert, right down to a spectacular image of me walking through a forest of tall trees right on the disc itself. So if a compact disc is something you would consider, for listening or posterity or a keepsake or whatever, this is the way to go! It also has the added bonus of being able to utilize that UPC code I paid for in order to track sales. In the unlikely event that the album sells enough to catch someone's attention... the in-person sales don't go towards those statistics.
3. Buy the digital album from CDBaby
It costs half the price of the CD, and it's instant gratification: you get the songs immediately! Please go to https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/ilonatipp2 to purchase from CDBaby. While the digital album is available from a variety of online retailers including Amazon and Apple Music, CDBaby is my distributor and they have been very good about support throughout the whole process. I get a slightly higher percentage from digital sales on CDBaby than other vendors. CDBaby is also a business that is set up entirely to support independent musicians, and what money doesn't go to me will at least be involved somehow in supporting independent musicians (unlike Amazon, Apple Music, etc). Let me be clear: if you want to buy my album, I am thrilled with any way that you choose to purchase it and support me and my music financially! But if you're asking, if you're curious, since you read this far, that is why I'd recommend digital purchases via CDBaby. Oh, you can also buy individual songs if you don't want to purchase the entire album, and each song has a 30-second preview clip. (You can also hear longer previews from my individual song pages with liner notes via http://www.ilonatipp.com/unadorned.)
4. Buy the album digitally from another vendor
If you regularly purchase music through Amazon or Apple Music or iTunes etc and that is your jam, your preferred way of getting your music, I get it. Go for it. As I said above, I'm thrilled you want to pay money for my music, and I will still make a profit and very much appreciate any sales of my digital album, or individual songs.
5. Listen and follow me on Spotify
Yup, Spotify is free. You can hear the whole album there, all songs in their entirety, as of June 18 and you don't have to pay a cent. If you do choose to listen on Spotify, I will get a teensy tinsy infinitesimal fraction of a cent with each song play. I am not even sure what that negligible fraction is, but it does exist... so if you listen, listen A LOT and rack up those plays for me! Add my songs to playlists. Follow me (link button is right here). Also... if you purchase the album on physical CD and want to listen online or on the fly, this is a GREAT option for additional support. Teensy tinsy infinitesimal fractions of cents do add up over time, and the most fundamental way to support music is to LISTEN to it, and to SHARE it! Add my songs to playlists. Share them with your friends.
6. Listen and share on YouTube
YouTube is also free! All of my songs are there, please listen and share. I also get a very tiny compensation when you listen on YouTube, and the more you are able to share the songs on Facebook or any other venue, the more you help my music get heard.
Album link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZ_q-T2SHl8&list=PLD_uWhC7UOQEpJiKQy-McOg2cViRDIDx2
Extra bonus: reviews!
Most online vendors offer the option to review an album: certainly both CDBaby and Amazon do. People really do read reviews, and are often influenced by them. It would mean a lot to me if you would take the time to write a review of my album, and mention any details that particularly moved or stayed with you. Every little bit helps, and reviews are another excellent way that you can advocate for my music.