Distribution Policy

Please note that as of December 31st, 2011, Ektoplazm will no longer be taking on new releases for distribution. Full details will be posted in an announcement on my blog. In the meantime, I recommend Bandcamp and The Internet Archive for free music distribution.

Ektoplazm is the world’s leading online distributor of free and legal psytrance, techno, and downtempo music. I work with a wide variety of independent labels and artists to deliver quality content to a worldwide audience numbering in the hundreds of thousands. This distribution is entirely non-exclusive: labels and artists are welcome to distribute their music via other channels (even commercial ones) at the same time. Releases accepted for distribution are processed to standardize presentation with proper ID3 tags and file names, uploaded to our servers, promoted through the Ektoplazm free music portal, and syndicated on countless blogs and social networks. Presently this service is without cost despite the fact that several hours of work must go into every release. Donations are appreciated!

I do not distribute just anything; Ektoplazm is a curated resource. This means I am selective of what releases to host, promote, and distribute. If you are a label or artist interested in distributing your music with Ektoplazm then your release must meet the quality and style criteria outlined below.

Please note: the Ektoplazm free music distribution platform and the Ektoplazm netlabel/netlabel group are not one and the same. This document outlines the requirements for distribution; please see the demo policy if you are interested in an official release with the Ektoplazm netlabel group.

Quality Criteria

1. Lossless/CD-quality audio files in 16-bit FLAC or WAV. No exceptions.
2. Proper mastering: decent sound quality and not too much compression. Procure the services of a professional sound engineer if needed. Self-mastered releases will only be accepted from veteran artists and trained professionals with very few exceptions.
3. Proper cover art: high resolution, presentable, and 100% original or adapted under the terms of a Creative Commons licence. If you modify an image you find on the Internet you need to ensure that you have the right to do so! Releases with infringing cover art will be denied.
4. An explicit Creative Commons licence so everyone understands sharing the release is legal and encouraged. View the terms of the standard BY-NC-SA licence here. Any “all rights reserved”, “public performance prohibited”, or similar copyright language on the cover art will cause your release to be denied!
5. At least three or more tracks and/or 15-20 minutes of unmixed music. I do not host single tracks or throwaways! I only distribute serious, substantial releases, the more substantial the better. Full artist albums are prioritized over compilations and singles.
6. Quality control: “mega compilations” with a dozen or more tracks that seem to be slapped together won’t make the cut. Similarly, releases with inconsistent quality will be turned down. Bring me your best!
7. Legal content; no unauthorized remixes, bootlegs, mash-ups, or copyright-infringing sample usage, especially when the source is pop music from the major labels. You must own the rights to all the music you plan to share!

Releases that do not meet the above criteria will not be considered for distribution.

Style & Content

Ektoplazm is somewhat genre-specific; I focus on psytrance and related styles of electronic music, mostly downtempo and a bit of techno. Browse around to see what I already distribute. Novel and experimental approaches are encouraged–this is one of the strengths of free distribution, after all. If your music fits with the culture of the site then I want to hear from you!

What I am not open to is “commercial” music: music with loads of vocals, unauthorized bootlegs and mash-ups, or anything non-electronic or at least not trance-inducing, just to give a few examples. I also take it easy on the hard/dark/evil psytrance above 160 BPM. (Some will get through but I try to be choosy with this highly polarizing style.) Releases that clearly don’t fit the feel of the site will not be considered.

Ektoplazm is dedicated to quality and, as such, I also prioritize new music, not just B-sides, re-releases, and other music dredged up from the archives. If your first thought is to offload a bunch of crap that the commercial labels wouldn’t be interested in, forget it. I am also choosy with commercial music re-released under the Creative Commons–not just anything will be promoted here. Please contact me for more details.

Similarly, I focus on original music, not live sets, DJ mixes, and such. Live sets and DJ mixes are occasionally posted but this is uncommon and usually limited to pre-existing partners who wish to contribute something in addition to an original release. These days I have my hands full with prepping original music so expect to be turned down.

The Application Process

Ready to submit your release for distribution? Please follow these steps:

1. Prepare 16-bit WAV files and high-resolution cover art for the release. Use our file naming conventions e.g. “01 – Artist – Track Title (Remix).wav”; you can learn the convention by downloading any release on the site.
2. Send everything to basilisk@ektoplazm.com using FTP or a direct download link. Do NOT send files with crappy file-sharing services like Rapidshare! Do NOT send us files with Dropbox unless it is a link to a single archive in your public folder!
3. Fill the distribution form to provide us with basic information about your release. Send an email to basilisk@ektoplazm.com with the name of the release in the subject to let me know you are ready to go.
4. Please allow one to two weeks for processing. Sometimes it takes much less time than that but no promises can be made. Do not announce that your release will be available from Ektoplazm until it has been formally accepted!

Remember that Ektoplazm is a curated resource; not all releases will be accepted. Even if your release meets the basic quality and style criteria it may be rejected for other reasons. Curation is essential to the value of the site–without it, Ektoplazm would not be the powerful distribution platform it is today. Not only that, but it takes a lot of work to get everything ready–and demand for access is very high–so we must be picky. We hope you understand!

Final note: use email for all official communication; messages sent by Facebook, MySpace, SoundCloud, or any other means are likely to be missed!