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Welcome to Fairfax Underground, a project site designed to improve communication among residents of Fairfax County, VA. Feel free to post anything Northern Virginia residents would find interesting.
Welcome to Fairfax Underground, a project site designed to improve communication among residents of Fairfax County, VA. Feel free to post anything Northern Virginia residents would find interesting.
Question About the Music Business
Posted by:
TheQuestioner
()
Date: June 27, 2015 07:28PM
When I'm buying music, the first place I go for pricing is the band's website. In some cases, you can download or even get mailed a disc more cheaply from the band directly than you can from Amazon, Target, Best Buy, iTunes, EBay, etc...Depends on who the band is and where they are in their career arc, of course.
My question is...Why isn't the best price to buy music ALWAYS from the band? I mean, proliferate the marketplace in as many ways and means as you can. iTunes, big box retail, small local record shops...get your product out there. But, in this day and age...isn't the cheapest method of distribution for a band to vend their music via their own website? Sure, they pay web hosting fees and other fees and maybe their pricing across all of their distribution channel only varies by less than a dollar from top to bottom but, they would get more of the pie by selling themselves, yes?
My question is...Why isn't the best price to buy music ALWAYS from the band? I mean, proliferate the marketplace in as many ways and means as you can. iTunes, big box retail, small local record shops...get your product out there. But, in this day and age...isn't the cheapest method of distribution for a band to vend their music via their own website? Sure, they pay web hosting fees and other fees and maybe their pricing across all of their distribution channel only varies by less than a dollar from top to bottom but, they would get more of the pie by selling themselves, yes?
Re: Question About the Music Business
Posted by:
Me wonder
()
Date: June 27, 2015 07:52PM
Wat
Attachments:
Attachments:
Re: Question About the Music Business
Posted by:
- dA rEaL fArTiAn -
()
Date: June 27, 2015 07:57PM
TheQuestioner Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> When I'm buying music, the first place I go for
> pricing is the band's website. In some cases, you
> can download or even get mailed a disc more
> cheaply from the band directly than you can from
> Amazon, Target, Best Buy, iTunes, EBay,
> etc...Depends on who the band is and where they
> are in their career arc, of course.
>
> My question is...Why isn't the best price to buy
> music ALWAYS from the band? I mean, proliferate
> the marketplace in as many ways and means as you
> can. iTunes, big box retail, small local record
> shops...get your product out there. But, in this
> day and age...isn't the cheapest method of
> distribution for a band to vend their music via
> their own website? Sure, they pay web hosting fees
> and other fees and maybe their pricing across all
> of their distribution channel only varies by less
> than a dollar from top to bottom but, they would
> get more of the pie by selling themselves, yes?
You could try Tidal or Apple Music. Both great ways to listen to your favorite artists, and you can broaden your search as well. Good value.
---------------------------------------------------
- Savage Vro Fartian was here -
-------------------------------------------------------
> When I'm buying music, the first place I go for
> pricing is the band's website. In some cases, you
> can download or even get mailed a disc more
> cheaply from the band directly than you can from
> Amazon, Target, Best Buy, iTunes, EBay,
> etc...Depends on who the band is and where they
> are in their career arc, of course.
>
> My question is...Why isn't the best price to buy
> music ALWAYS from the band? I mean, proliferate
> the marketplace in as many ways and means as you
> can. iTunes, big box retail, small local record
> shops...get your product out there. But, in this
> day and age...isn't the cheapest method of
> distribution for a band to vend their music via
> their own website? Sure, they pay web hosting fees
> and other fees and maybe their pricing across all
> of their distribution channel only varies by less
> than a dollar from top to bottom but, they would
> get more of the pie by selling themselves, yes?
You could try Tidal or Apple Music. Both great ways to listen to your favorite artists, and you can broaden your search as well. Good value.
---------------------------------------------------
- Savage Vro Fartian was here -
Re: Question About the Music Business
Posted by:
MrMephisto
()
Date: June 27, 2015 08:38PM
TheQuestioner Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> When I'm buying music, the first place I go for
> pricing is the band's website. In some cases, you
> can download or even get mailed a disc more
> cheaply from the band directly than you can from
> Amazon, Target, Best Buy, iTunes, EBay,
> etc...Depends on who the band is and where they
> are in their career arc, of course.
>
> My question is...Why isn't the best price to buy
> music ALWAYS from the band? I mean, proliferate
> the marketplace in as many ways and means as you
> can. iTunes, big box retail, small local record
> shops...get your product out there. But, in this
> day and age...isn't the cheapest method of
> distribution for a band to vend their music via
> their own website? Sure, they pay web hosting fees
> and other fees and maybe their pricing across all
> of their distribution channel only varies by less
> than a dollar from top to bottom but, they would
> get more of the pie by selling themselves, yes?
If the band does everything themselves (recording, promotion, sales, etc.) then yes, they'll get all the profits.
Throw in managers, web hosting and data transfer, web design and maintenance, royalties, etc, and even if they're keeping that whole dollar per song, they're gonna give a part of it to someone else eventually. And it's divided between the band themselves.
So, if they're making .10 per song from iTunes and 1.00 per song from sales through their website, you're supporting the band more by buying from them directly, but they wouldn't be able to keep going if they lowered their website price to .10 a song.
Make sense?
--------------------------------------------------------------
13 4826 0948 82695 25847. Yes.
-------------------------------------------------------
> When I'm buying music, the first place I go for
> pricing is the band's website. In some cases, you
> can download or even get mailed a disc more
> cheaply from the band directly than you can from
> Amazon, Target, Best Buy, iTunes, EBay,
> etc...Depends on who the band is and where they
> are in their career arc, of course.
>
> My question is...Why isn't the best price to buy
> music ALWAYS from the band? I mean, proliferate
> the marketplace in as many ways and means as you
> can. iTunes, big box retail, small local record
> shops...get your product out there. But, in this
> day and age...isn't the cheapest method of
> distribution for a band to vend their music via
> their own website? Sure, they pay web hosting fees
> and other fees and maybe their pricing across all
> of their distribution channel only varies by less
> than a dollar from top to bottom but, they would
> get more of the pie by selling themselves, yes?
If the band does everything themselves (recording, promotion, sales, etc.) then yes, they'll get all the profits.
Throw in managers, web hosting and data transfer, web design and maintenance, royalties, etc, and even if they're keeping that whole dollar per song, they're gonna give a part of it to someone else eventually. And it's divided between the band themselves.
So, if they're making .10 per song from iTunes and 1.00 per song from sales through their website, you're supporting the band more by buying from them directly, but they wouldn't be able to keep going if they lowered their website price to .10 a song.
Make sense?
--------------------------------------------------------------
13 4826 0948 82695 25847. Yes.
Re: Question About the Music Business
Posted by:
duh!
()
Date: June 28, 2015 07:57AM
Record executives and recording contracts. If the band has one they must distribute as directed. If they don't have one they can do whatever they want.
Re: Question About the Music Business
Posted by:
Why do I give a fuck?
()
Date: June 28, 2015 09:19AM
Who gives a fuck? Do you buy a tire directly from the guy that makes it? Do you buy a fish directly from the angler? Do you buy a book directly from the author? No. Its the same thing. Record companies collect and package a product and can sell it at a better price because of market efficiencies.
Re: Question About the Music Business
Posted by:
Numbers
()
Date: June 28, 2015 11:20AM
Your music will be more accessible through iTunes and more people may stumble onto it while searching for something else.
But if you'd really like to support the band, buy it direct from their website.
These days, its more important to have a music video(s) posted on Youtube when you launch your album. If it's good, you could be on your way. If not, you're in trouble (see Meade Skelton).
But if you'd really like to support the band, buy it direct from their website.
These days, its more important to have a music video(s) posted on Youtube when you launch your album. If it's good, you could be on your way. If not, you're in trouble (see Meade Skelton).
Re: Question About the Music Business
Posted by:
TheQuestioner
()
Date: June 28, 2015 12:28PM
Good stuff here...it's always good to draw some Meade memes, too.
@DaRealFartian: As long as I have a choice, I'm opting away from streaming services. I've lost track of how many times I've been in the middle of a television series and then the month rolls over, the content provider contract is not renewed and the series is gone. Same thing could happen with music. A song or album that's there today may not be there tomorrow and yet, I'm still paying.
@MrMephisto: Yeah, that totally makes sense. At the same time, the web has been out there a long time. The mainstream consumer is familiar with its existence and its use. I like cars. If I see a new car that interests me, I typically surf the web for information about it. And nowadays, I can even buy a car and have it delivered when and where I like without anymore communication than email and financial wire transfers. (No substitute for test drives, of course...)
Same thing with music. If I'm at a show or if I view a band on YouTube and I like them...my first instinct is to find their webpage to learn more about the band, sample more music and possibly make some purchases. My instinct is not to drive down to Penguin Feather or Waxie Maxie's or The Wiz and find the albums on the shelf. Hell, some bands don't even sell CD's on their websites let alone sell downloads.
@duh!: Yup...record companies and contracts. That's EXACTLY what I'm talking about! In this day and age, who needs 'em? What can THEY do that a band and its management can't do for themselves? (At least until they become huge...and then it's all very tenuous. Bono is not going to maintain U2's website. Ditto, Mick Jagger and Jimmy Page. Well, Jimmy gets at least consulted on every decision...) But, when you're up and coming and developing your sound, buy the domain name for your band (better yet make sure your band's name is available before naming your band) and setup shop. No, it's not easy, not it's not free...There will always be expenses associated with getting commercial art into the marketplace. Why pay someone to mow your lawn...when you can do it yourself for less? Time is money and once I've developed some financial success THEN I pay for my lawn to be mowed because my time is more valuable. I could be doing something else more productive with that time then mowing my own lawn.
The internet has effectively ruined the music industry, frankly. It used to be your band would get signed to a 3-5 album deal thus giving you some financial comfort to develop your art. If you blew up big, you got renewed...if you shit the bed, either someone else signed you or you were done. Nowadays, record deals...are one album deals. Maybe it sells, maybe it doesn't.
Look at popular music today...nothing but boy bands, teenaged girls...and Adele. Where are the Pearl Jams, RUSHs and Steely Dans of today? Where's GWAR and Rage Against The Machine? It used to be if you had a sound that was unique...you got signed. But, now...if you're unique, you're perceived as a significant financial risk and you don't get signed.
@DaRealFartian: As long as I have a choice, I'm opting away from streaming services. I've lost track of how many times I've been in the middle of a television series and then the month rolls over, the content provider contract is not renewed and the series is gone. Same thing could happen with music. A song or album that's there today may not be there tomorrow and yet, I'm still paying.
@MrMephisto: Yeah, that totally makes sense. At the same time, the web has been out there a long time. The mainstream consumer is familiar with its existence and its use. I like cars. If I see a new car that interests me, I typically surf the web for information about it. And nowadays, I can even buy a car and have it delivered when and where I like without anymore communication than email and financial wire transfers. (No substitute for test drives, of course...)
Same thing with music. If I'm at a show or if I view a band on YouTube and I like them...my first instinct is to find their webpage to learn more about the band, sample more music and possibly make some purchases. My instinct is not to drive down to Penguin Feather or Waxie Maxie's or The Wiz and find the albums on the shelf. Hell, some bands don't even sell CD's on their websites let alone sell downloads.
@duh!: Yup...record companies and contracts. That's EXACTLY what I'm talking about! In this day and age, who needs 'em? What can THEY do that a band and its management can't do for themselves? (At least until they become huge...and then it's all very tenuous. Bono is not going to maintain U2's website. Ditto, Mick Jagger and Jimmy Page. Well, Jimmy gets at least consulted on every decision...) But, when you're up and coming and developing your sound, buy the domain name for your band (better yet make sure your band's name is available before naming your band) and setup shop. No, it's not easy, not it's not free...There will always be expenses associated with getting commercial art into the marketplace. Why pay someone to mow your lawn...when you can do it yourself for less? Time is money and once I've developed some financial success THEN I pay for my lawn to be mowed because my time is more valuable. I could be doing something else more productive with that time then mowing my own lawn.
The internet has effectively ruined the music industry, frankly. It used to be your band would get signed to a 3-5 album deal thus giving you some financial comfort to develop your art. If you blew up big, you got renewed...if you shit the bed, either someone else signed you or you were done. Nowadays, record deals...are one album deals. Maybe it sells, maybe it doesn't.
Look at popular music today...nothing but boy bands, teenaged girls...and Adele. Where are the Pearl Jams, RUSHs and Steely Dans of today? Where's GWAR and Rage Against The Machine? It used to be if you had a sound that was unique...you got signed. But, now...if you're unique, you're perceived as a significant financial risk and you don't get signed.
Re: Question About the Music Business
Posted by:
Is this a request for More?
()
Date: June 28, 2015 12:50PM
TheQuestioner Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Good stuff here...it's always good to draw some
> Meade memes, too.
There is always room for Meade!!!!
Attachments:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Good stuff here...it's always good to draw some
> Meade memes, too.
There is always room for Meade!!!!
Attachments:
Re: Question About the Music Business
Posted by:
cJGHp
()
Date: June 28, 2015 01:32PM
The cheapest place I have found it bittorrent. But that might be illegal.
In the pre-Internet era you needed access to distribution and the only way to get that was via a record label. That doesn't apply anymore. They can direct sell to millions of the Internet. Still, if you want to distribute your music over one of the commercial services, you are going to need to make a deal directly or through some third party. Nothing prevent these "resellers" from driving down your list price to something they feel they can make a profit from.
In the pre-Internet era you needed access to distribution and the only way to get that was via a record label. That doesn't apply anymore. They can direct sell to millions of the Internet. Still, if you want to distribute your music over one of the commercial services, you are going to need to make a deal directly or through some third party. Nothing prevent these "resellers" from driving down your list price to something they feel they can make a profit from.