The CAN is the Artist Network associated with Chaos.com (The Chaos Artist Network), established in the year 2000. The CAN currently includes over 1,000 members.
The CAN distributes its member catalogue to all major digital retailers globally (iTunes etc) and traditional retailers throughout Australia (JB Hi Fi, Sanity, Big W, Leading Edge etc).
The CAN service provides online retail, distribution and marketing for our community of independent artists. We are about supporting local artists with a single point of access into a world wide distribution network of real selling opportunities - all without giving up your independence. The CAN is a non-exclusive distribution option. By selling through the CAN you are not limiting your opportunities to promote and sell your work elsewhere.
As a CAN member you will have your works listed for sale as downloads in all major digital retailers worldwide. Your CD or DVD will also be available at traditional retail across Australia (and don't forget that ~90% of entertainment retail is still through hard copy traditional stores). Through our distribution partners your CD or DVD will also be available for export to international markets.
As a CAN member you can have confidence that if a fan of your music walks into a local store or clicks through to a major digital retailer, your work will be listed and available for purchase.
The CAN is proudly supported by the Australia Council.
Setup: AUD$50 per artist (1 band / producer) including the first CD or DVD release.
Additional Releases: AUD$20 for each additional CD or DVD release.
UPCs: AUD$20 per UPC. Note you must have a UPC (otherwise know as Universal Product Codes or Barcodes) to identify your release for digital and physical retail systems. Once we have issued you with this code it is yours to be used anywhere
* Note these are all once off fees. The CAN does not charge any recurring fees.
CDs, DVDs & Digital Downloads - You set the recommended retail price for your CD or DVD which the CAN passes onto retailers. The CAN takes a commission of 15% of the net proceeds from all sales. You will receive the remaining 85%. Note that the CAN pays industry standard wholesale fees to its distributors before commissions are calculated.
Payment - Payments will be forwarded to members at the end of each quarter (3 months period) provided that the amount due is over $50. If not those sales will accrue to the next quarter.
Yes. UPCs (Universal Product Codes) are a numeric, 12-digit bar code used extensively by retailers. You need a UPC to have your release listed in retailer databases. We also need your UPC to generate the ISRCs (International Standard Recording Codes) used by digital retailers to list your digital downloads. Too many acronyms but bottom line is you have to have a UPC.
You will be asked for a UPC while adding your release to the CAN. If you do not have one the CAN will issue you a UPC at a cost of AUD$20.
You need one UPC per release (ie per CD or DVD). Once you have the UPC you can use it wherever you are selling your product. When your barcode on your CD is scanned by a retail store, it will show up on the register as your release (not the CAN's).
Unfortunately we no longer offer pre-release UPC barcodes.
We do all this for you. When you join we ask you to send in two copies of your CD. One copy goes into stock and the other is sent for encoding into the various formats used by digital retailers.
We then add the encoded files into a distribution system that automatically sends them out to all major digital retailers throughout the world.
'The CAN is fantastic. As an indie artist, it's an indispensable resource when it comes to making your music available worldwide. They staff are professional and easy to work with, and generally quite awesome.'
- Megan Washington
'If it wasn't for The CAN, Dallas Crane would still be on the phone groveling up to Sanity and HMV's head offices trying to get a foot in the door. It's a good thing there's alternatives in getting your stuff into circulation. For us, it meant our CD going into its sixth re-pressing.'
- Dave Larkin (Dallas Crane)
'The CAN are top notch. See, distribution can be timely, nimble, extensive AND made easy. The team at The CAN have really been pro- active and in constant communication with us. Seriously a great way to get your independent music to the masses.'
- Troy Barrott (Owner / MD Hub Artist Services)
'The CAN is brilliant!! The CAN provides a really unique service to indy Australian artists. All you need to do is direct anyone wanting to buy your music to the site and they do all the hard stuff, like licking stamps and going to the post office. People all over the world are buying via the Internet. Recently we've been asked to send CDs to stores overseas, but why bother when you have CAN. Wish they'd been around in 1984.'
- David Sterry (Real Life)
'The CAN made it possible for us to cut out all of the middle men and save us the hassle of filling orders ourselves. And we finally made some money from one of our releases. To put it simply, it rocks.'
- Ben Birchall (Klinger)
'One of the most important things to have as an independent artist is a way for fans to get hold of your music when you cant get it to them. The CAN not only helps me, but does it for me. This is a resource that has assisted me to gain a wider fan base and has taken my music to new audiences.'
- Jess McAvoy
'In the big bad extra unfriendly world of the music industry its nice to have a few supportive friends. The CAN is such a friend to music makers and music lovers alike - making sure there is just a bit more interesting music out there - not just all the blond bland blah blah blah!'
- Helen Mountfort
Almost everywhere. The CAN has partnerships with a range of distributors to ensure that your work will available in physical stores throughout Australia, for export to the rest of the world and by digital download in over 400 stores world wide.
Sign up and send in 2 copies of your CD or DVD and we'll take care of the rest. To join click on the join button on the left side of this page. You need to be a member of Chaos.com which is free so if you aren't already the system will direct you to join Chaos first. Once you’ve joined you will receive an email with instructions on where to send your 2 CDs or DVDs.
We are looking forward to hearing and seeing your work.
Yes, however note the following points. We do not accept audio submissions via data disc. You must send an audio CD capable of playing in a standard CD player. You should also include a CDR with cover artwork - image specifications as follows:
When you first join you will be asked for the details of your first CD or DVD. To add more releases later just go to our Add Release form.
If your question is not listed here, please Contact The CAN
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