Once again I struggle with the concept. I wonder about the future. If 5 years from now, every small time artist like me will be giving their music away for free online, then I should be doing it now, to be ahead of the curve.
Doors open to free, don't they? Example - I could tell everyone I work with (and a LOT of people know me) that they could go download my music for free. Since I sell my music, currently, I can't do that. I can't send out an e-mail saying "Hey, check out my website." But if it were free...
In away I'm sorry I ever left MacJams. When I was at MacJams, I had almost 5,000 downloads. People had my music on their iPods. I had fans.
Not really. I had "fake fans," which are fans who love your music but only when it's free.
But.
But the majority of the country is maybe now "fake fans." People don't want to pay for music any more. They value it less financially. But they do still value it.
I'm wrong. I would not go back to MacJams. MacJams is a fantastic site for people who are needing pats on the back, who are just getting started. Maybe it's changed. Hard to say... I just tried going there and the page is still attempting to load.
My CD Release party is October 23 at Pro Sound Studios in St. Pete. I'm co-hosting the party with the awesome Steve Vaclavik, a Tampa artist who does Americana. Bob Dylan crossed with Tom Petty, maybe. I really like his music. I'm selling my CD's there for $10. It's not because it costs me $10 to make the thing. Actually it cost about $3. Eventually I'll be selling them for $5. The people who are buying them right away, for $10, are helping support me.
I think my next move is to allow users to pay what they want, online, for my music, on Bandcamp. Right now the minimum price for a song is 25 cents. I wonder how that would work out. Might as well try.
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Saturday, September 19, 2009
76 - There was this one time...
I made the decision to put my new CD online at Bandcamp.com. If you're not familiar with it, Bandcamp lets you put your music online and people can stream it for free, at good quality. If they want to download it, you can set the price or you can let fans name the price, including zero. I set my minimum price to 25 cents per track.
In the news we see music heading in vastly different directions. ASCAP and BMI apparently want you to pay them every time you hum a song in your head. You pay more if you whistle it out loud. It's almost that bad - no, actually they want iTunes and other stores to pay them every time someone listens to a 30 second preview of a song. They are fighting for their business lives and are getting desperate. This move will no doubt drive even more music fans to illegal file sharing.
Meanwhile, Billy Corgan (ie Smashing Pumpkins) has announced that he's going to release 44 songs for free online. Free as in totally free downloads, you don't have to enter your e-mail address, etc. I wonder if Billy is with BMI or ASCAP. He's got to be with one of the two. I can image their reaction to this.
Billy could still sell music, no doubt. Why release it for free? To get people to come to gigs? I assume he can do that already, too. For publicity? Maybe. I dunno. If this trend gets hot and all the big artists start giving music away and living off concert tickets, then it's going to make it harder for small artists to sell music. I wouldn't be hurt too badly - music is a hobby for me. I could afford to give it away for free. But I'd definitely feel it. I use CD sales money to help buy new instruments and equipment. Everything costs money.
Well, anyway, check out my bandcamp page when you get a chance, at:
http://richardmaclemale.bandcamp.com/
In the news we see music heading in vastly different directions. ASCAP and BMI apparently want you to pay them every time you hum a song in your head. You pay more if you whistle it out loud. It's almost that bad - no, actually they want iTunes and other stores to pay them every time someone listens to a 30 second preview of a song. They are fighting for their business lives and are getting desperate. This move will no doubt drive even more music fans to illegal file sharing.
Meanwhile, Billy Corgan (ie Smashing Pumpkins) has announced that he's going to release 44 songs for free online. Free as in totally free downloads, you don't have to enter your e-mail address, etc. I wonder if Billy is with BMI or ASCAP. He's got to be with one of the two. I can image their reaction to this.
Billy could still sell music, no doubt. Why release it for free? To get people to come to gigs? I assume he can do that already, too. For publicity? Maybe. I dunno. If this trend gets hot and all the big artists start giving music away and living off concert tickets, then it's going to make it harder for small artists to sell music. I wouldn't be hurt too badly - music is a hobby for me. I could afford to give it away for free. But I'd definitely feel it. I use CD sales money to help buy new instruments and equipment. Everything costs money.
Well, anyway, check out my bandcamp page when you get a chance, at:
http://richardmaclemale.bandcamp.com/
Saturday, September 12, 2009
75 - Promo for CD Release
I have a friend named Steve Vaclavik, who happens to be putting out a new CD the same time I am. Here's a cool way to double your marketing efforts. We are appearing on a local TV morning show together, we are appearing on a local radio show together, and we are performing together at a dual CD Release party. Pretty cool. No way I could have done it on my own. Steve likes my music, and I like Steve's music. Pretty cool.
Additionally, I'm uploading my new CD to bandcamp, so that fans can stream my music online to check it out. If they want to download it, they can name their own price. KEWL.
Within two weeks my CD's will be available at CDBaby. Sometime before the economy recovers, it'll be available on iTunes. It takes a reeeeeeeally long time to get your music onto the world's largest online music store, but it's important that I do.
Moral of the post - If you suck at marketing, like I do, partner up with someone who does not suck at marketing.
Hmm. I'm blogging from the bar in the lobby at our hotel. I don't know the name of this place. Loews something or other. At Universal in Orlando. I'd tell you what I'm drinking but oh dear, I work in education, and we are not allowed to be human, so let's say I'm drinking water with a kick. Just made the mistake of looking over a few couches and a couple is making out. Dude behind me needs to stop drinking water. It's kinda cool down here, though. I think I'll end on that note.
Additionally, I'm uploading my new CD to bandcamp, so that fans can stream my music online to check it out. If they want to download it, they can name their own price. KEWL.
Within two weeks my CD's will be available at CDBaby. Sometime before the economy recovers, it'll be available on iTunes. It takes a reeeeeeeally long time to get your music onto the world's largest online music store, but it's important that I do.
Moral of the post - If you suck at marketing, like I do, partner up with someone who does not suck at marketing.
Hmm. I'm blogging from the bar in the lobby at our hotel. I don't know the name of this place. Loews something or other. At Universal in Orlando. I'd tell you what I'm drinking but oh dear, I work in education, and we are not allowed to be human, so let's say I'm drinking water with a kick. Just made the mistake of looking over a few couches and a couple is making out. Dude behind me needs to stop drinking water. It's kinda cool down here, though. I think I'll end on that note.
Saturday, September 5, 2009
74 - Having CD's Made
I sent my order into Diskmakers and I should have my CD's in two weeks. I'm apprehensive and I hope they come out looking and sounding good.
I had 100 made. It is common wisdom that you should have 1,000 Cd's made, because nothing motivates you to sell CD's like having 1,000 of them sitting in your bedroom. I disagree. I believe you should order what you believe you can sell. That would be my business background talking. The "order 1,000" philosophy is good evidence of why 8 out of 10 small businesses fail. People make irrational business decisions. In this case, the stakes are much lower. You invest a thousand bucks. If you end up not selling them, you're out a grand. That's a valuable lesson but really, not a huge amount of money. But enough to sting pretty badly.
If you think you CAN sell a thousand, you should order a thousand. If I sell out of CD's in two months, then I made the wrong choice. But I'll have a thousand dollars and I'll be able to order more CD's.
I had 100 made. It is common wisdom that you should have 1,000 Cd's made, because nothing motivates you to sell CD's like having 1,000 of them sitting in your bedroom. I disagree. I believe you should order what you believe you can sell. That would be my business background talking. The "order 1,000" philosophy is good evidence of why 8 out of 10 small businesses fail. People make irrational business decisions. In this case, the stakes are much lower. You invest a thousand bucks. If you end up not selling them, you're out a grand. That's a valuable lesson but really, not a huge amount of money. But enough to sting pretty badly.
If you think you CAN sell a thousand, you should order a thousand. If I sell out of CD's in two months, then I made the wrong choice. But I'll have a thousand dollars and I'll be able to order more CD's.
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