[Doodles]

Hello again people.

I'm now over a year into being a new dad... having a great time... but fighting an ever harder battle to justify the space for my almost untouched guitars and synth in an ever more cluttered house. Anyway - I may not be finding time to play or contribute to the forum... but I do still have plenty of time to listen... and I would love to download my favourite tracks from the forum to listen to in the car, however...

In an age where most people can have a used album from the likes of The Who, Smiths, Bowie, Lou Reed (whatever your taste really) delivered to your door for around £2-3, is it realistic for unsigned, unpromoted artists (however good) to sell downloads at £1 per track? I'm not sure what costs are involved in selling a download, but I would have thought they are minimal? Would it not be better for everyone to sell lots of tracks at 20p than next to none (I'm guessing) at £1?

I've said many times that a lot of the music on here measures up favourably against commercial tracks... personally I hardly ever pay full price for current releases... but at 20-30p per track I would fill my boots.

Any thoughts on this?

[PopTodd]

I have full albums on my Bandcamp page for name your price: $4US and individual tracks priced as name your price: $1US.
Although, my newest material, which has not yet been mastered, I have on there for name your price—$0 or more. Just figured that, until it's totally professionally done, I don't want to force a dollar amount on anybody and just use what I make on DLs towards completing the project.
Also, any contributors to the NYP DLs who DO contribute something, I am going to send the completed album when it is done. A little incentive in that way.
Hasn't bore much fruit yet; certainly not enough to complete the project. Although, at this point, it's really just about getting folks to listen to the music and make it a part of their lives.
Hell, that's all it's really about anyway.

[Morefrog Jones]

Congratulations on the New Dad Thing

I'd Pay people 20p to listen to my stuff - but seriously there seems to be so much music around that people are drowning in it - The internet should make it easier for the keen amateur to get on in the music business - but what has happened is that the market is flooded and there are so many wannabe song writers out there - i'm sure some really good ones are going un-noticed.

[tone]

In an age where most people can have a used album from the likes of The Who, Smiths, Bowie, Lou Reed (whatever your taste really) delivered to your door for around £2-3, is it realistic for unsigned, unpromoted artists (however good) to sell downloads at £1 per track? I'm not sure what costs are involved in selling a download, but I would have thought they are minimal? Would it not be better for everyone to sell lots of tracks at 20p than next to none (I'm guessing) at £1?

Trouble is, it's not a fair comparison. First of all, you're talking second hand copies - the availability of which relies on massive production scales. And secondly, you're comparing something that's already paid for itself many times over to something that may never pay for itself - ever.

For example, my album cost me several £thousand, since I couldn't achieve the production standard I was after by myself. The cost of duplicating the CDs or uploading my music to an aggregator is a tiny fraction of that cost, but it's the only cost anyone actually sees.

You could also argue that making the album cost me many more thousands in hours spent not earning while I was learning instruments, practising, writing, driving to gigs, driving to the studio etc etc etc.

I don't *expect* anyone to pay anything, and actually I'm grateful if someone's even interested in hearing my music, but I do believe it has value, and I'm happy to sell it at the recommended price for whichever platform it ends up on.

[PopTodd]

Congratulations on the New Dad Thing

YES!
THIS!

[Doodles]

When you put it like that Tone, I guess it's very different for the people that produce on a shoestring to those that really invest in professional quality production. Of course everyone has the right to set their own price - and those that invest more (in both time and money) have a better chance of recouping at a higher price.

Its not a fair comparison with the second hand albums, but it does seem an ever more competitive market in terms of price (inc streaming etc). I'd love to have your album Tone, but I'd also love to have albums from 20+ others from the forum/Soundcloud... then you're talking £200+ which pushes me back to buying 10 classic albums for £30 from Amazon instead.  

It just seems a bit clunky to me, to be presented with either a free download or £1 per track. I thought there might be a sweet spot in between that gives the unsigned, unpromoted guys an edge in such a flooded market and helps build the fan base.

Oh and thanks on the congrats peeps  

[Hooded Singer]

Hundreds of thousands of exceptional songs are readily available from brilliant talents for free consumption on YouTube and that's if you just consider the legal options. CD sales have been dropping for years and physical media is going away.

Musicians actually make the vast majority of their money playing sell out arenas rather than on music sales.

It's hard to imagine an indie artist writing songs and making money selling the mp3s. I'm sure there are some with large Twitter and YouTube followings with charismatic personalities who can mobilize people to buy from them but that's got to be few and far between.

Even if your music is great, who's going to get to hear it?

[tone]

I'd love to have your album Tone, but I'd also love to have albums from 20+ others from the forum/Soundcloud...

Don't forget you can listen to my album on Spotify... and possible some other forum stuff too.

And pardon my temporary loss of good manners: CONGRATULATIONS old boy! May your offspring grow up with fine musical tastes

[Skub]

If ya wants any of my schitt Doodles,let me know and I'll drop my extortionate prices. 

[Skub]

If ya wants any of my schitt Doodles,let me know and I'll drop my extortionate prices. 

On the baby front,at the time you imagine this is the way life is...but it only lasts a lunchtime before you are looking back.

Enjoy,Daddy Doodles. 

[Doodles]

Thanks guys,

I'll definitely be tucking in to a few downloads... probably during naptime - otherwise the laptop will be continually opened and closed, and the screen turned upside down from whatever keys have been hit.