# What's the going rate in your area for a CD bought from the artist at the venue? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 13, 2013, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-going-rate-in-your-area-for-a-cd-bought-from-the-artist-at-the-venue/668775 "2013-09-13T16:22:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2013, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-going-rate-in-your-area-for-a-cd-bought-from-the-artist-at-the-venue/668775/21 "2013-09-17T21:57:48Z")
> [@Trinopus](#): > > My fave local band sells CDs for $10.00. Yep, ten bucks. Three for $20. ---
**Author:** ![cosmosdan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a6a055/32.png) [@cosmosdan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cosmosdan)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2013, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-going-rate-in-your-area-for-a-cd-bought-from-the-artist-at-the-venue/668775/22 "2013-09-17T23:04:09Z")
A lot for $15 here in Nashville, but quite a few for $10. Mine will be $10, or less. Also going to do the flash drive thing. ---
**Author:** ![Capt\_Kirk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@Capt\_Kirk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt_Kirk)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2013, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-going-rate-in-your-area-for-a-cd-bought-from-the-artist-at-the-venue/668775/23 "2013-09-17T23:41:05Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > Then your cost per CD estimate must include some sales projection, and must be pretty speculative. I think the response that your expense are out of line was based on the idea that your costs only included CD duplication costs, not the costs of writing, producing and recording all the music. I don’t know how else he would account for costs. There is a payout per unit required for the rights. It also sounds like there is a limited run, it will cost less if it sells out and a new run is made but the rights payments are the same per unit. **Capt** ---
**Author:** ![Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/le_ministre_de_l_au-dela/32/12181_2.png) [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Le_Ministre_de_l_au-dela)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2013, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-going-rate-in-your-area-for-a-cd-bought-from-the-artist-at-the-venue/668775/24 "2013-09-18T14:55:41Z")
**Boyo Jim, Peremensoe** - I don’t know how anyone else might do their budgets for a project like a self-produced CD; I’ve merely used what works for me. The purpose of this thread was to determine a price point for the yet-to-be released product. Yes, if all we are talking about is the cost of manufacturing the CD, booklet and sleeve, my cost is somewhere in the $2.61 per unit range. However, that doesn’t take into account other expenses which I alone have incurred - commissioning, recording rights, recording, editing, photography, design. When all that is totaled in, the cost is more in the $10.56 range. If I get a distribution deal, the distributor will set the cost and my percentage for every CD sold through them. When I sell on my own after a concert, the price is up to me. While I’m happy to add as much value as I can by signing it and thanking the person for coming to the concert, ultimately, I don’t want to be losing money. > [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > Then your cost per CD estimate must include some sales projection, and must be pretty speculative. I’m not sure I understand what you mean. ‘Cost per CD’ to me is the expense part of the equation; ‘Sales projection’ would be the income part. The initial run is 1,000 CDs, and I’m determining a price point for them. If I sell out that run at $10 a pop, that will result in a net loss of $560. If I sell out that run at $15 a pop, that will result in a net return of $4,440. Selling out a run of 1,000 CDs without a distribution deal would be remarkably lucky for a recording of contemporary classical music for voice and guitar. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-going-rate-in-your-area-for-a-cd-bought-from-the-artist-at-the-venue/668775.md?page=1)