How best to distribute my original music/album?

[SciNote]

Not sure if this is the right part of the forum to post this, but I don't see anywhere else it could go 

I am just now finishing up the digital recording of an album of 12 original songs, and I would like to distribute them.  I see there are several services out there, such as CDBaby and Tunecore.  My main concerns are...

1. I want the service to do what it is supposed to do -- get my music posted on music-selling sites
2. I don't want to get scammed -- I understand a charge of, say, $50, or a commission on each sale, but that should be it.
3. I don't want to sign over the rights to my original songs

Has anyone here used any of these services and has any advice about them?  I'm sure they each have their advantages and disadvantages, but again, I want to make sure I'm dealing with someone legitimate.

Thanks for any help!

[Al Ram]

Bob

I am not familiar with any of the sites you listed.

However, if this are original songs and you are the author, the first thing i would do before distributing for sale would be to register the songs.   

I do not know how to register songs, but since you are researching, perhaps your research would start with how to register and then how to distribute.

thanks

[SciNote]

Yes, I have already registered six of the songs for copyright, and I will soon register the other six.  But then, I want to distribute them.

[mikf]

I doubt you will find anyone on this forum with a background in music distribution.
Mike

[Joe H]

You might investigate Amazon and iTunes.

Joe H

[SciNote]

When I checked Amazon a few days ago, their website stated that they are not currently accepting music from new artists at this time.  I haven't checked iTunes, though.  These services I've read about supposedly put your music on multiple sites, such as iTunes, but again, I don't know how good or valid they are.

[SeaGtGruff]

You might ask about this topic in the forums for the old Keyboard magazine (now part of Electronic Musician), because I get the impression that several members there are professional keyboardists in bands that make recordings and go touring on the road.

http://forums.musicplayer.com/ubbthreads.php/forums/18/1/The_Keyboard_Corner

[Normanfernandez]

https://youtu.be/Fl662kUChIk

This video is quite helpful.

[SciNote]

^^^
That was some good info.  Also found quite a bit of info here...

https://aristake.com/post/cd-baby-tunecore-ditto-mondotunes-zimbalam-or

I may sign up on that keyboard forum to check out what they say, as well.  I remember subscribing to Keyboard magazine WAAAAAY back when it was called Contemporary Keyboard -- around the time I started to learn how to play keyboards in 1978.

Right now, I'm thinking its between CDBaby and Distrokid (the one discussed in the above video).  CDBaby dates back to 1998, so they have been around a while.  Based on what I'm reading about these services, they do not in any way obtain the rights to your music.  They simply provide the service of distributing it and getting it on the various streaming/downloading sites.  But still, I'll take a close look at the terms and conditions before sending in my material.  And of course, I'll copyright the remaining 6 songs, as well.

What I did, to save money in copyright fees, is to group the six songs together and copyright them as a whole work -- the name of my album ("Xponents") Part 1, and then the next six will be grouped together as Part 2.  This way, I'm only paying two copyright fees, instead of twelve.  I would guess there must be some kind of disadvantage to doing it this way, but I figure that, if the whole work is copyrighted, then that should give me rights and protections for any part of that work -- such as any individual song, as well.  I would think that it would be like copyrighting a song -- Once you have the copyright, then no one else can use that song or even a section of it, such as a verse or chorus, without your permission.  I would appreciate any insights on this, as well.