Digital downloads have become a very popular, instant way of buying hypnosis, self-help and guided meditation audio products, and for many therapists and practitioners digital sales can represent their largest source of income with low overhead cost (no physical storage or warehousing or shipping required) and access to international markets. So how do you begin to sell your downloads online?

Generally speaking you have three options: Sell your guided meditation downloads through your own website or by using an Ecommerce platform such as Shopify or via digital stores like Amazon or iTunes.

Read on to explore the pros and cons of each method..

Selling downloads through your own websites and social networks
There are many online tools available that will enable you to bypass digital stores by selling your audio products directly to clients and visitors to your website. The advantages of this approach are that you can avoid having to pay the fees taken by stores like iTunes and Amazon for each sale and you’re also in complete control of the pricing, branding & content of your products.

The process is fairly straight forward – upload your audio products to one of the online tools such as those listed below and then add their widget or audio player to your websites, blogs, and social network profiles. The entire process from payment to delivery is handled by them letting you focus solely on the products & marketing.

Here are some of the main platforms that will enable you to sell downloads through your website – they all carry out the same function but can have slightly different approaches to fees, pricing and audio formats.

BandCamp  SendOwl   PayLoadz   Flickrocket.com   Getdpd.com

Ecommerce Platforms: Build your own download store
Ecommerce platforms let you build and run a custom online store with all the tools needed to walk you through the setup, design & pricing as well as features such as secure payments, marketing tools and sales reports. You will have complete control over pricing & branding and can sell physical products alongside digital ones.

Most store platforms have a free trail period to learn the ropes & experiment before you launch your store – they then usually require a monthly fee although some will take a percentage of your sales instead. There are now hundreds of different platforms – it is worth taking time to try out several different platforms before you decide which one is most suited to your specific business & products..

Square Space    Shopify    Volusion    3DCart   BigCartel

Selling downloads through digital stores – iTunes & Amazon..
Using a digital distributor, you can sell your audio products on hundreds of music stores such as iTunes & Amazon.

The serious downside to this approach is that this business model is largely aimed at selling popular music downloads so you will have virtually no control over pricing – typically 99¢ per track – & limited opportunities to add branding, descriptions or to include supporting materials along with the audio.

All distributors will have their own pricing model. Some opt for a one-off upfront fee, others may charge a lower upfront fee but take a percentage of your revenue, or they may have a recurring annual fee. You will receive royalty payments once the online store & then the distributor have taken their cut.

Here are some digital distributors to check out..

DistroKid  ReverbNation    TuneCore

In conclusion..
The general consensus with the DIY approach to selling downloads is that the three approaches are not mutually exclusive. Digital distribution is  best used in tandem with a  website or online store so that your clients can access your products from as many different sources as possible.

At this point It’s also useful to remember that the process of distribution is only half of the equation when it comes to selling downloads  – marketing your products and driving sales are essential too..