The point of having an EP and Alboms in general

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2tuoo

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« on: November 05, 2017, 09:22:24 AM »
Hi Songwriters,

I see that musicians are writing their music with an intent to create an album or an LP or other packaged deliverable.

I'm trying to figure out what is the reason for this in this day and age since the songs are bought on an individual basis.

Am I missing something?
Is this a way to manage your schedule?
Is this thematic categorization of your art?

should I start doing this too?
Have a great day!

shadowfax

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« Reply #1 on: November 05, 2017, 09:34:09 AM »
Good question, I can't see the point of an EP or Album but maybe someone who knows better than us will explain :) :)
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tone

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« Reply #2 on: November 05, 2017, 09:50:50 AM »
It depends on so many things.

You say songs are bought on an individual basis these days - but you could say the same for any era. We've always had singles, and people have always bought them. Likewise, albums haven't gone away, and people still buy them too. Maybe the golden age of the album has passed, but I don't think it makes the format redundant.

Also it depends on who your audience is. The people I think will like my music are album buyers for sure. And so am I. I much prefer to listen to an album than a single song. And I love to hear it all the way through, preferably in one sitting. I love how albums paint a detailed picture and offer several sides to a writer or performer.

And if you're a performer, it gives you something to sell at gigs. You can't even break even selling CD singles because of reproduction costs, but albums will make you a little petrol money and maybe a bit more.

From my perspective, I can't understand why anyone *wouldn't* make albums or EPs :p
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shadowfax

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« Reply #3 on: November 05, 2017, 09:54:36 AM »
Point taken Tone :)...so there is a reason to make albums or EP's :)
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2tuoo

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« Reply #4 on: November 05, 2017, 10:01:27 AM »
Gigging Musician is one thing, so are street buskers - CD is merch, got it.

What about digital artists? Bedroom producers? Is there a point?
I understand the point in having an album which tells the story end to end over multiple songs but I don't see it in most cases I encounter EPs, In fact, I almost never encounter this.
Have a great day!

PaulyX

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« Reply #5 on: November 05, 2017, 10:38:29 AM »
Interesting topic. As an amateur who's never made any money from music and just does it for kicks, I still like the concept of writing an album because it encourages you to try new things. I feel imagining the songs living together as an album means you need a few different styles / tempos / subjects so it doesn't get monotonous... I find it stretches my writing a bit (and I'd think the same about an EP). Plus like Tone it is still by far my preferred way to consume music. Long live the LP!
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Hooded Singer

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« Reply #6 on: November 05, 2017, 10:52:58 AM »
Gigging Musician is one thing, so are street buskers - CD is merch, got it.

What about digital artists? Bedroom producers? Is there a point?
I understand the point in having an album which tells the story end to end over multiple songs but I don't see it in most cases I encounter EPs, In fact, I almost never encounter this.
Well if nothing else it comes down to marketing.

Releasing an EP or full album is like 'an event'. Maybe you get artwork for it and act like it's a big deal.

It also gives you an opportunity either to monetise or just draw attention to your historic tracks, if you include them in your EP or album, which otherwise may have been old news.

Then there's pricing, maybe you charge $0.99 a track but for your six track EP you charge $5.00 so the customer is perceiving a discount or added value by buying it that way.

It's also about providing options. Having tracks a la carte is great but I doubt anyone wants to play a preview of 12 tracks and run down buying them individually. But they may want to just take a whole album.

Having an album could be perceived as adding legitimacy to the music or your brand.

There's honestly a million reasons collecting music into an EP or album is beneficial both for yourself and for a consumer, I don't understand why you don't understand.

2tuoo

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« Reply #7 on: November 05, 2017, 11:15:45 AM »
Interesting responses,

I think the fact that I have been doing covers for so long, contributes to my viewpoint on the albums
I've been listening to music on individual song basis, jumping between genres and years.

On other hand, when I'm writing my own things I don;t think of the songs in terms of albums at all.

Seems that most of the responders here are selling their music somewhere. Where do you do it? Can I have links to visit and see what you've done?
Have a great day!

mickyplankton

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« Reply #8 on: November 05, 2017, 11:41:36 AM »
This is a great thread 2Tuoo. And I think the question has a lot of legitimacy in the contemporary age. Certainly great scope for a debate. My own view is firmly in the camp of the responses of Hooded Singer and Tone.
And if you browse Spotify, which is probably the most widely used contemporary platform, they still respect the integrity of the album and recognise albums as distinct entities.
From the perspective of my own band, we have an ambition to release a debut album. Not for commercial reasons, but because for us it represents a major milestone. Something to aim for. It also offers an opportunity to aggregate our best songs into something approximating a statement of intent and to tie a bunch of individual songs together into a loosely Anti Establishment theme.
And sometimes, an album musically can end up being far better than the sum of its individual parts. Funhouse by the Stooges is a good example of this. Its revered by most people who love garage rock/punk. Yet it contains some songs (eg LA Blues) that simply wouldn't work as isolated entities.  
I'm with you re EPs though. I don't think they have much relevancy any more, and they rarely leave much of a historic legacy, but back in the day they were useful to bands starting out, who couldn't afford to produce a full album.
Cheers Micky.


Hooded Singer

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« Reply #9 on: November 05, 2017, 11:43:57 AM »
Seems that most of the responders here are selling their music somewhere. Where do you do it? Can I have links to visit and see what you've done?
https://hoodedsinger.bandcamp.com/track/fresh-lemonade

2tuoo

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« Reply #10 on: November 05, 2017, 12:34:44 PM »
Quote
Seems that most of the responders here are selling their music somewhere. Where do you do it? Can I have links to visit and see what you've done?
https://hoodedsinger.bandcamp.com/track/fresh-lemonade
Thanks!

How's Bandcamp treating you, if it's not a secret
Have a great day!

Hooded Singer

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« Reply #11 on: November 05, 2017, 01:19:26 PM »
Quote
Seems that most of the responders here are selling their music somewhere. Where do you do it? Can I have links to visit and see what you've done?
https://hoodedsinger.bandcamp.com/track/fresh-lemonade
Thanks!

How's Bandcamp treating you, if it's not a secret

It's a good platform. There's no cost for uploading a track, no subscription fee to sell there or anything like that. It's quick and easy to upload to. I've heard that iTunes control 95% of digital music sales though so there's that. I don't think there's a lot of discoverability on bandcamp either, you kind of have to do your own marketing and drive traffic.

On a £10 sale I would lose 20% after deductions and on a £1 sale I would lose 25% after deductions so that's quite a hit.
   
Order total:   £10.00 GBP
Revenue share (15%):   -1.50 GBP
Payment processor fee (PayPal):   -0.49 GBP
Your share:   £8.01 GBP

Order total:   £1.00 GBP
Revenue share (15%):   -0.15 GBP
Payment processor fee (PayPal):   -0.10 GBP
Your share:   £0.75 GBP
« Last Edit: November 05, 2017, 01:25:20 PM by Hooded Singer »

2tuoo

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« Reply #12 on: November 05, 2017, 03:28:22 PM »
Nice!

Are those figures from your own sales or the business model chart from somewhere?
Have a great day!

pompeyjazz

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« Reply #13 on: November 05, 2017, 05:21:53 PM »
Agree that Bandcamp is a useful tool. I'm just an amateur who only really uses Bancamp to record a "snapshot" of what I was doing at a particular time. I've made both my albums "Pay what you want" which means they can both be downloaded for free if people wish.

My latest release contains collabs with fellow forum members Nameless MC and Neil C

Thanks guys  ;D

https://pompeyjazz.bandcamp.com/


PaulAds

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« Reply #14 on: November 05, 2017, 06:38:48 PM »
I’m a big fan of albums (and EP’s too)

It’s a great way to create a snapshot of where you are at a moment in time.

I always loved the way you could tell what album a song was off just from the drum, guitar or bass sound.
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