A couple weeks ago I found out that my current Favorite Musical Artist Kid Koala is part of the “hip hop supergroup” Deltron 3030. (Yeah, most of you are thinking I’ve got crappy taste in music. Well so do you. Nyaah.) So I look for the album on Amazon, and it’s $12.99. Twenty-three percent off! “But wait!” I think, "I wonder if the label, 75ark, has a Web site? Sure enough, they do, and they sell the same album for $8.39! That lookin’ like about forty-eight percent off to me. I’m so impressed I buy a couple more items, and get three CDs for under $30, including shipping. Cool!
I get a package over the weekend, and not only do I get the three albums I ordered, but one cantains an extra CD ROM, AND they throw in a whole handful of cool stickers (like, 30-40), AND I get a half-dozen full-color postcards, AND I get three posters. Wow. I’m impressed. What a bonus!
I guess I really didn’t have a point with all this, other than I wanted to share my story of unexpected treasure. But that makes this the right forum, then, doesn’t it?
What an excellent marketing scheme! I wonder if the group/label knows about the Amazon price markup…
Anyways, I ranted a bit about Metallica and the future of the music industry with the advent of Napster and MP3.com on the Napster thread. Artists no longer need the “middle-man” record labels to sell their product! WE sure don’t! When the artist, or their management, handles the production and distribution of the CD, it creates more profit directly to the artist…and it avoids any lengthy multi-album contracts. The future of the independent artist has been revolutionized by the internet. Watch us explode onto the scene!!!
But the huge downside to that is
1). No or little radio play
2). No or little media exposure
3). No or little shelf space in CD stores
which adds up to having to keep a day job.
I’m not defending the music industry giants, just pointing out the fact that they are needed to become a huge superstar.
Chrome Spot is right; I guess I did have a point after all: Free stuff is cool. Any place I order non-free stuff from ought to send me free stuff to go along with it, because then the world would be a better place.
And idiotboy’s comment makes me think: I wonder if 75ark ought to be peeved at Amazon for jacking up the prices of their artists, or if Amazon ought to be peeved at 75ark for undercutting them. In any case, I’ve also recently found that slabco records (the home of my also-mostest favorite artist, DJ Dynomite D) sells over the Web at prices that way undercut Amazon or any big retailer. Even though I didn’t get cool swag from them, at least I saved six bucks per album. I’ll be checking for more small-label Web sites in the future, believe-you-me.
As for the whole CD selling, I’m sure they know about it. Amazon had to get the CDs from somewhere, whether by the artist directly of through a distributor.
My band’s CD has been selling for $5.99 ever since it was released…and we still get more royalties from it than if it were being distributed by a label.
xizor - Exactly. And that’s the only hold the labels have on the music industry. But slowly, as the internet becomes the primary source of information and entertainment to an ever growing online community, there will be no need for “Free air” radio. The media will also latch onto the success of online independent music. And with digital media (portable MP3 players, car MP3 players, MP3-CD players, etc.) gaining popularity by the day, there will no longer be the need for physical media (CDs, Tapes, Records, 8-tracks, etc.). Bands will freely distribute (and maybe even sell, but don’t count on it) their MP3s online mainly for promotion and exposure, and make their money through touring and merchandise. So, I expect to see less focus on recordings, and more on live performances. Don’t worry…the industry’s day will come. And “online & independent” will be the only way to be successful.
When the artist, or their management, handles the production and distribution of the CD, it creates more profit directly to the artist…and it avoids any lengthy multi-album contracts. The future of the independent artist has been revolutionized by the internet. Watch us explode onto the scene!!!