LOCAL Distribution Cultivate Independence

Quebec is one of the only places in North America where music isn’t dominated by multinationals and LOCAL distribution is a key player in keeping this a reality.

A part of SOPREF, an NGO dedicated to the creation, production and distribution of emerging artists in Quebec, LOCAL stocks major music stores like HMV and Archambault with home-grown Indie albums. The large chain music stores won’t generally do business with individual artists, and moreover, most distribution companies will only deal with professional production companies. So if your dream is to get your home-made production on music store shelves, then LOCAL is the partner you need.

During the last year, LOCAL Distribution made some major changes in order to adapt their services to the rise in on-line music sales. They put out 10-15 new artists’ work on sites like itunes each month. Local artists earn 85% of the profits from on-line music sales, about 60 cents for each downloaded tune. Got a tune that fits the bill? Pitch it to Local’s listening committee by contacting info @ sopref.org. All members of SOPREF can pitch their music to LOCAL (a 20$ annual registration fee makes you a voting member in the organization).

As the buzz around an artist grows and a demand for their albums emerges, LOCAL is there to place the CDs in stores, and their catalogue has often been a picking ground for major labels. Artists like Les 3 accords, Malajube and Patrick Watson had their first albums in Local’s catalogue.

Martine Groulx, the director of LOCAL Distribution and a bubbly presence at the Salon de la Musique Independent, explained that LOCAL dosen’t front any money for production, but that also means that they don’t take a cut of any albums the artist sells at shows. This can be to the advantage of emerging artists, while major labels who will invest in production and promotion but take a bigger piece of the pie can be more beneficial once the artist is established and the pie, so-to-speak, is bigger.