Category: Education

Are you a singer, musician, or in a band and you record your music?  The digital distribution of music has become essential for artists seeking to promote their songs and albums to music fans.  While physical albums and CD’s are still sold in stores and online, the music industry mainly operates in a digital world.  So, how to you get your music out to grow your fan base?

The solution is enlisting the services of a digital music distribution platform.  However, this can be a daunting task, especially for artists who are just starting out.  As we all know from our own experience listening to music, music lovers can easily listen to their favorite singers and bands through an app on their phone.  Thousands of songs are accessible at our finger tips, enabling is all to discovering a myriad of new artists.

Streaming services have created opportunities for independent artists to distribute their music worldwide.  It increases the reach of established artists as well.  In this article, we’ll take a closer look at digital music distribution.  Basically, it’s how you can get your music uploaded for people enjoy and follow.   We’ll explore the benefits, the various platforms, and provide steps on how a singer or musician can get started.

What Is Digital Music Distribution?

Digital music distribution is the process of making music available to music listeners online. It involves uploading music to online streaming platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon Music.  It can be accessed by music fans worldwide.  Digital distribution provides several benefits to artists, including the ability to reach a global audience, having more control over the distribution process, and access to detailed analytics and metrics.

Benefits of Digital Music Distribution

In the ever-evolving music industry, digital music distribution has emerged as a powerful tool for artists, granting them unparalleled access to data and analytics, along with increased control over their creative process. By harnessing these benefits, musicians can make more informed decisions, optimize their promotional strategies, and ultimately achieve greater success in the digital landscape.

Compared to the time before streaming platforms, one of the biggest benefits is the reduced cost.  We’ll elaborate on this benefit in our next point.

Global Distribution

Thanks to the digital world we live in, it’s much easier for artists to send their music out into the universe without having to create records or CD’s and ship them to physical stores. Digital music distribution makes makes it possible for independent artists to distribute music with the backing of a record company contract.  With older physical distribution methods like vinyl records and CDs, artists had limited reach.

More Control

Digital music distribution provides artists with more control over the entire distribution process, as opposed to being at the mercy of manufacturers, shipping companies or some faraway executive.   In addition to logistical details, artists can choose which platforms to distribute their music on and still retain creative rights. This control allows artists to make informed decisions about how their music is marketed.

Analytics and Metrics

Digital music distribution platforms provide detailed analytics and metrics that can help artists track the performance of their music. This information includes the number of streams, downloads, and revenue generated.  It allows artists to make educated decisions about future releases and adjust marketing strategies as needed.  It eliminates guesswork and makes the entire process less complicated.

Digital Music Distribution Platforms

There are several digital music distribution platforms out there for artists, each with unique features and benefits. This is not to be confused with the streaming services that deliver the music to listeners, such as YouTube Music and less mainstream services like Qobuz and Tidal. Distribution platforms are the ways an artist gets their music uploaded to these streaming services.

Here are some of the more popular platforms available.  A few of these distributors can also send music out into the world “old school”, by CD’s to stores.

DistroKid

DistroKid is a leading digital music distribution platform that allows artists to distribute their music to more than 150 music stores and streaming services worldwide. The platform offers unlimited uploads and charges an annual fee of $19.99 per artist, as opposed to charging per release.

TuneCore

TuneCore is another similar digital music distribution platform. The platform charges a fee per release.  That being said, it does allow artists to retain 100% of the revenue earned from downloads and streaming.

CD Baby

CD Baby is another platform entirely for independent artists.  They claim to be “anti-label” by its parent company’s COO, Tracy Maddux.  CD Baby retains 9% of reproduction royalties and charges a one-time fee per release with no annual fees.

RouteNote

RouteNote allows artists to distribute their music to over 50 music stores and streaming services worldwide. The platform offers a free option, with artists retaining 85% of their royalties, and a premium option, where artists pay $9.99 per release but keep 100% of their royalties.

AWAL

AWAL is a larger digital music distribution platform with access to over 200 music stores and streaming services worldwide. The platform offers a range of features, including marketing and promotion tools.  They charge artists a percentage of their royalties.

Getting Started with Digital Music Distribution

Choose a Distribution Platform

The first step in starting digital music distribution is choosing a distribution platform. Consider factors such as cost, marketing, and analytical features. You’ll also want to check the number of platforms you’ll have access to as an artist.

Prepare Your Music

Before uploading your music to a distribution platform, make sure it is properly formatted and labeled. Ensure your metadata is accurate.  This includes the song title, artist name, and album title, is accurate and complete.

Upload Your Music

After uploading your music to your distribution platform of choice, the distribution process will begin. The platform you choose will distribute your music to the streaming mediums and stores you selected during the upload process. It can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks for your music to be available on all your desired platforms.

Once your music is available, you can begin promoting it to your audience and track its performance.  You can do this by using the analytics and metrics tools provided by the distribution platform. It’s important to continue promoting your music and engaging with your audience to increase reach, performance, and profits.  But at this point, you can enjoy the fruits of your labor and begin collecting royalties from the platforms where your music was streamed or downloaded.

Teachers:  Explore 7 ways to make music class interesting for kids

Your children are growing up in a wonderful world where they can be virtually pursue anything they want, no matter their gender and physical ability. They may dream of becoming an astronaut, a paleontologist, or a fire fighter. But what can you do to encourage and help them reach those dreams?  What if you yourself need some inspiration?

Here are seven role models from history that you can teach them about to inspire your child to be all they can be.

Benjamin Franklin

Benjamin Franklin was a great man. He was a printer, writer, scientist, and politician. He was also a diplomat and publisher. In addition to this, worked as an inventor, postmaster general, and public servant.

Franklin wrote Poor Richard’s Almanack, one of the most popular publications in colonial America because of the fact that it contained a lot of useful information. Franklin’s first Almanac was published on December 19, 1732, under the pen name of Richard Saunders.

Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln was the 16th president of the United States, serving after James Buchanan from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He led the country through its Civil War and is considered one of our most beloved presidents.

He died at the age of 56 years after being shot by an assassin while attending a play at Ford’s Theater in Washington, DC.  His wife, Mary Todd Lincoln, was with him but was unharmed.   Abraham was buried in Oak Ridge Cemetery in Springfield, Illinois, where he spent most of his life growing up before moving to Washington, DC.  There he became president after winning the election against Stephen Douglas, who later became Supreme Court Justice for several decades.

Lincoln became president when America was going through difficult times. He preserved the Union during the American Civil War. After a few months of the war, his Gettysburg speech became very popular and is still studied today.

Ulysses S. Grant

Ulysses S. Grant is the only president to have been impeached. Grant was the first president elected without winning the popular vote, but he did win by a landslide in 1868.

President Grant served two full terms in office, which was unprecedented because no other president had done it before him.  Only four more have served that long since. He died on July 23, 1885, while serving his second term as president and was succeeded by James A Garfield.

Ulysses S. Grant was born to Jesse Grant in Galena, Illinois. He was the hero of the Civil War, leading the Union Army to victory while serving as the Commanding General. You can direct your kids to read about many heroes like Grant online. There are many websites dedicated to historical heroes and events.

Road To The Civil War is one such website. The website includes content about the Civil War and features a few books. One of these books mentions the pre-war events and narrates how the Civil War became one of American history’s deadliest but inevitable events. Other books have photographs of the 19th century that help remember the war.

Mahatma Gandhi

Mahatma Gandhi is a great role model for children. He was one of the leaders in India’s independence movement, championing non-violent resistance as an alternative to war. His example shows that you can be powerful and influential without resorting to violence or aggression.

Gandhi used his influence as a leader to help others. For example, he encouraged people not only to give up their personal belongings but also their clothes if they had more than they needed. In 1906, he gave birth to Satyagraha, the non-violence movement. Truth and non-violence were the fundamentals of Gandhi’s thought process, which he followed throughout his entire life.

Lessons from those who lived great lives shows kids that it’s not only important what they do themselves, but also how they can encourage others by setting an example through their actions and choices.

Nelson Mandela

Nelson Mandela was a lawyer and activist who spent 27 years in prison for his fight against apartheid. Searching Google to learn about apartheid is an educational journey all its own. He became the first black president of South Africa, but he never forgot how hard it was to be a kid growing up in South Africa under that oppressive system.

July 18 is celebrated as Mandela Day to celebrate his birth anniversary. On this day, people are supposed to do something good for others for 67 minutes, representing his 67 years of fighting to bring change in society for black people.

In 2013, Mandela passed away at age 95 after living a great life full of accomplishments and service to others.  A rewarding life is not always an easy life and Mandela fully knew this from his own experience.  His legacy lives on through his children and now yours.

Louisa May Alcott

If your child is a fan of Little Women, they will love to hear about the real-life author behind their favorite book. Louisa May Alcott was an American novelist and poet best known for her novel Little Women, published in 1868. She was the daughter of Bronson Alcott and Abigail May Alcott.

Louisa grew up surrounded by writers. Her father had been an abolitionist before moving his family to Concord, Massachusetts.  (Google the word abolitionist)  In Concord he opened a school called Fruitlands with his friend Amos Bronson Alcox, who shared many similar views on education and philosophy as himself.

The experiment failed miserably, though, when only two students showed up. He then moved back home and opened another school called Hillside House School which lasted only four months before closing down.  This one also due to lack of attendance. After this failure, Louisa’s mother encouraged her husband because at least he had tried to make a difference to children through his love of teaching.

The Wright Brothers

The Wright brothers were Orville (1871–1948) and Wilbur (1867–1912).  Together, they were American aviation pioneers credited with inventing and building the world’s first successful powered airplane. Born in Ohio, the brothers developed an early interest in aviation and mechanics. They conducted extensive research on aerodynamics and wing designs, leading them to develop a three-axis control system that allowed a pilot to maintain stability and control in flight.

After numerous experiments and test flights with gliders, the Wright brothers achieved their historic first powered flight on December 17, 1903, at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. Orville piloted the aircraft, known as the Wright Flyer, for a distance of 120 feet in 12 seconds. This groundbreaking achievement marked the birth of modern aviation.

Over the years, the Wright brothers continued to refine and improve their aircraft designs, contributing significantly to the development of aviation technology. Their accomplishments laid the foundation for the rapid advancement of aviation in the 20th century. The Wright brothers’ legacy continues to be celebrated as a pivotal moment in the history of human flight.

Helen Keller

Helen Keller was the first deafblind person to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree. She is also known for advocating for people with disabilities, especially blind and deafblind people.  Helen also became an author of 14 books.

She was born on June 27, 1880, in Tuscumbia, Alabama, USA, to Arthur Keller and Kate Adams Keller. At 19 months old, she became ill with a fever which left her without sight or hearing.  For the first 7 years of her life Helen communicated using “home sign”, which are gestures deaf children make up themselves to communicate.  Today, deaf children are taught much earlier to communicate, but in 1880 her first teacher, Anne Sullivan, did not come into her life until she was 6 years old.

Anne Sullivan, another remarkable woman worth learning about, devoted her life to teaching Helen to communicate using sign language and braille.  Remarkably, she also learned to read lips and eventually talk.  Helen would put her hands on Anne’s mouth learn the shape of each vowel as it was spoken.

Conclusion

There are many more inspirational figures in history, of course. These are just a few examples of famous and influential people that can inspire children and begin a educational journey into lives of many others.  These people had a disability, faced a challenge, or were different from others in some way. By learning about them, children will understand that being different isn’t something to be ashamed or afraid of; it’s something special.

Education counseling often proves to be imperative in shaping a child’s personality and future. But how do you know if your child has the right help?  Most countries mandate the presence of counselors to address students of different grades. However, a significant percentage of them are yet to realize the role of counseling in schools.

If your child doesn’t have access to the right education counseling at school, a private counselor can fill the void.

Why Is Education Counseling Important?

Education in schools has evolved to the point where it isn’t only about the curriculum. A significant aspect of educational school systems across the globe is counseling, done by qualified counselors. And you’d be wrong to think that this is just to help them choose a career.

The fundamental purpose of counseling is to make children more effective at learning in school. It also guides them on the right career path, but that’s not all. Counselors in schools also help address special needs like emotions, social skills, and personality development.

Children of the 21st century enjoy technology and convenient access to the Internet from a young age. And soon, it leads to something known as “internet overdose,” which is worse than it sounds.

An NIH study  shows that increased use of the internet can induce problems related to diet, sleep, physical activity, and more in children. For adolescents, serious complications such as depression, anxiety, cyberbullying, and other psychological issues show up.

Even with restrictions on internet use, there may be a communication gap between parents and children. These and other factors can result in children not getting the right attention. This is the time for a professional counselor to step in.

Qualities To Look For In An Education Counselor

Counseling students is not the same as providing psychotherapy. An efficient counselor must possess the following qualities:

Qualified in Academics

It’s not just experience that makes a counselor suitable for your child, but also their educational qualifications. Thankfully, those employed in your child’s school would have completed bachelor’s and master’s in school counseling. There are more qualified individuals who may have completed Ph.D. on the subject.

If you are hiring someone that practices independently, however, it is best to check their background first. It won’t matter if they graduated with sociology or psychology before practicing, as long as they have valid training and license.

Communicative and Empathetic

There are plenty of qualities that one expects from counselors in schools or outside it. However, being highly communicative and empathetic towards children already places them in a better position.

Counseling mostly revolves around communication. And empathy aids the individual in understanding a child’s situation and communicating better.

Patient and Organized

Dealing with children requires patience. That’s a given. And someone you entrust with building your child’s counseling must be exceptionally patient, especially when discussing sensitive topics. If you find a counselor dealing with your child patiently and calmly without looking at the clock, they may be a right fit.

And when you go and meet them (unless you’ve hired an online counselor), note how tidy they are. The more organized the person, the better it is.

Skilled At Assessment

Things are happening at school or elsewhere that your child may not be able to talk to you about, which is the very reason why counseling students is necessary. If the counselor you’re considering can understand the situation and connect the dots even when the child is not being expressive, it is a green flag.

Friendly Yet Authoritative

For a child to open up to a counselor, he/she has to be friendly so that the child is comfortable communicating. Although, there will be times when the counselor must exercise authority and follow through with their actions.

While this may not be noticeable on first impressions, you’ll soon realize if the counselor handles both sides effortlessly enough. And based on this, you’ll know whether you’ve trusted the right person.

Collaborative With Other Authorities

Counselors in schools and independent practitioners must exercise a certain degree of authority. But their advice should be collaborative with the other educators in the child’s life.

This would mean that their efforts are streamlined, thus ensuring further effective results.

Education Counselors Can Play a Crucial Role in Shaping Children

However, they cannot substitute parental guidance. Children spend significant time with their parents, and it is their behavior and actions that influence them the most.

It is the parent’s responsibility to behave right with their children, all the while teaching them discipline. Only through effective guidance, both at home and school, can one hope for a desirable future for their child.

For a child, reading is a fundamental skill that significantly helps them further their receptive skills as they develop. Reading instills empathy and cognitive abilities, thus stimulating a child’s cognitive development. Early exposure to reading picture books and playing with a tablet can help them build language skills.

Karen Wohlwend, a literacy professor, suggests that educational apps can develop six dimensions of participatory literacies in children: multiplayer, productive, multimodal, multilinear, pleasurable, and connected. Moreover, educational apps are rich with interactive visualization, which can also be instrumental in assisting children with reading disabilities.

Finding a suitable reading app for your child is time-consuming and couldn’t be more complicated due to the many available options on the app store. We have rigorously tested over ten reading apps on our devices, and after careful consideration, we have shortlisted five exceptional apps for you.

The below-highlighted apps are available in free and paid versions and offer various features, from intuitive wordplay to engaging storytelling. It’s our hope these apps will encourage kids to enjoy reading so that they will also attracted to reading books.

1. Epic!

Price: $7.99/month,  30-day trial

Why We Recommend: Epic! is an interactive reading platform for kids with a comprehensive library of over 40,000 books, audiobooks, and videos. Epic is carefully curated for children under 12 with an ever-expanding book library and graphic novels.

It features a personalized recommendation system that suggests books/novels based on a child’s reading interests and engages reluctant readers to total bookworms.

Parents can also track their child’s progress and reading activity. With tools like vocabulary builder and dictionary Lookup, your child could boost their reading and critical thinking skills while playing word games and quizzes.

Ages/Grades: 2-12 years old

Features: Personalized suggestions, tracking tools, offline reading mode, and the option to read in Spanish and French.

Pros: Expansive range of books, engaging interface, build vocabulary and reading skills .

Cons: Monthly subscription fee, limited access to some books due to licensing restrictions.

2  Reading Eggs

Price: $9.99/month, Free trial

Reading Eggs makes reading exciting and engaging for kids. Your child can build the necessary sensory skills with highly engaging reading programs in the app. It features reading lessons like building comprehension, spelling, and grammar skills which help them become confident lifelong readers.

Why We Recommend: This is one of our favorite educational apps that teach children to learn and read through gamifying interactive activities. It features an extensive library of fictional and non-fictional books tailored to a child’s reading level. We also loved that parents could access regular reports to track their child’s progress. Children between the ages of 5⁠–⁠10 can improve their reading skills with systematic and synthetic phonics exercises in the app.

Ages/Grades: 2-13 years old

Features: Personalized reading lessons, interactive activities and lessons, progress reports, and printable worksheets.

Pros: Engaging interface, educational activities, and regular progress reports.

Cons: Monthly subscription fee.

3 Vooks

Price: $4.99/month or or $49.99/year, Free trial

Why We Recommend: Beautiful animation, professional narration, and various library features make this app a must-have reading app for kids. Kids love interactive and immersive play; this video-based app can benefit any parent struggling to teach their little one new perspectives and build knowledge without distractions.

It features a curated selection of high-quality children’s books with titles related to STEM and Emotional Learning. The diverse collection of books with educational Comprehension and learning makes Vooks an excellent option for children learning to read.

Ages/Grades: 2-8 years old

Features: Animated books, read-aloud narration, interactive quizzes, Offline Reading.

Pros: Engaging animations, STEM Titles, and many high-quality, family-friendly books.

Cons: Limited selection of books compared to other reading apps.

4. ABCmouse

Price: $12.95/month, Free trial

Why We Recommend: ABCmouse features an exhaustive list of learning activities for children ages 2 to 8. The curriculum includes 850 Lessons across 10 Levels and comprises reading, math, science, and art programs.

Every curated curriculum contains fun and interactive comprehensions and activities that teach a specific educational concept. This app provides a step-by-step path to learning sentence structure and punctuation for preschool to second-grade students.

We have also checked the wide range of fiction and non-fiction books available under the reading section tailored to a child’s reading level. The puzzle section teaches the children problem-solving and critical-thinking skills and lets kids solve fiction stories puzzles.

Ages/Grades: 2-8 years old

Features: Comprehensive curriculum, personalized learning, progress reports, and the option to learn to read in Spanish.

Pros: Comprehensive curriculum, engaging interface, and regular progress reports.

Cons: Monthly subscription, Restricted access to books.

5.  Hooked on Phonics

Price: First Month for just $1, then $15.99/Month

Why We Recommend: Phonetics is the basis of reading which helps kids produce and perceive sounds and associate a particular sound with its corresponding letter. For growing kids who are learning new words and distinctive vocabulary every day, Hooked on Phonics is essential.

With read-through interactive games and activities, Hooked on Phonics familiarizes children with vowel and consonant sounds. The app includes practice packs and workbooks that cover lessons and start with simple sound introductions.

Every time your child completes a comprehension, a new fun activity is added with the newly learned words. The lessons and practice comprehension provides a step-by-step pathway to solidify the learning that molds a child into a successful reader. Hooked on Phonics features a comprehensive curriculum including phonics, sight words, and reading comprehension.

Ages/Grades: 3-8 years old

Features: Videos with catchy songs, games, activities, comprehensive curriculum, hands-on writing practice, and progress reports.

Pros: Engaging puzzles, physical storybooks, and funny characters.

Cons: Monthly subscription fee.

Conclusion

In conclusion, reading apps are helpful for occupied parents and offer a more efficient way to engage kids. The interactive reading experience with a comprehensive curriculum accomplishes the parenting goal of engaging their children in a meaningful activity.

Within a brief portion of time and a little effort from parents, these reading apps can help children develop and stimulate their learning skills. Reading apps are an engaging tool to improve literacy, from phonics and Vocabulary to Sight word recognition and critical thinking.

The five apps highlighted in this article are Epic, Reading Eggs, ABCmouse, Vooks, and Hooked on Phonics. All these apps offer a range of features and prices. You can choose any of these apps according to your needs and budget.

Author Name and Bio:
Parvinder Singh is a seasoned IT developer and network engineer with over 5 years of experience. He is also a skilled tech columnist, offering insights on the latest trends and developments in the tech industry.