Comments on: What is a Free CD Worth? http://www.independentrockstar.com/665/free-cd-worth/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=free-cd-worth Marketing, business and self improvement tips for musicians. Principles, strategies and tools to help independent artists achieve clarity and success. Tue, 10 Jan 2012 23:55:23 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 By: YESnack http://www.independentrockstar.com/665/free-cd-worth/comment-page-1/#comment-987 YESnack Tue, 03 Aug 2010 21:46:39 +0000 http://independentrockstar.com/?p=665#comment-987 You NEED to give out some free promos to seed the business process to flow, but you want to try to water a tree from the roots. You need to add water everywhere but try to concentrate and identify your roots effectively. If it is hurting your wallet and soul with every "Free" CD you give, maybe you are in the wrong business or you need to distance the business side from the creative side. For the artist every turn down is personal but for the business man it is just a percentage of wins and losses. Persistsance overcomes resistance! For every crappy thing that happens to you, you have one more log on the fire to tell about your struggle when you finally make it.... I remember a story about the group who recorded "Leam on Me" giving out bunches of free CDs after a show or promo and finding almost all of them scattered on the floor... How did that feel? It is those relentless efforts that pay off in the end for the few that persevere. Try to stay upbeat and enjoy the ride. You NEED to give out some free promos to seed the business process to flow, but you want to try to water a tree from the roots. You need to add water everywhere but try to concentrate and identify your roots effectively. If it is hurting your wallet and soul with every “Free” CD you give, maybe you are in the wrong business or you need to distance the business side from the creative side. For the artist every turn down is personal but for the business man it is just a percentage of wins and losses. Persistsance overcomes resistance! For every crappy thing that happens to you, you have one more log on the fire to tell about your struggle when you finally make it….

I remember a story about the group who recorded “Leam on Me” giving out bunches of free CDs after a show or promo and finding almost all of them scattered on the floor… How did that feel? It is those relentless efforts that pay off in the end for the few that persevere. Try to stay upbeat and enjoy the ride.

]]> By: Cable Spence http://www.independentrockstar.com/665/free-cd-worth/comment-page-1/#comment-530 Cable Spence Fri, 14 May 2010 18:38:42 +0000 http://independentrockstar.com/?p=665#comment-530 It seems to me that if you don't put any value on your product, no one else will...Since the Ancient City Slickers rely on kazoos, banjos washtub base and assorted other sound creations, involving the audience in our act allows us to use our cd's as gifts and prizes. We always do a few of our recorded songs and tell why they were chosen i.e, make the song important to us ! I think I'm going to try asking for comments on the cd by attaching a brief comment list on the back of a pre-paid , self addressed post card. We already have band picture postcards...It would be a new way to use them. Thanks to all for the mental stimulation from your comments. !!! It seems to me that if you don’t put any value on your product, no one else will…Since the Ancient City Slickers rely on kazoos, banjos washtub base and assorted other sound creations, involving the audience in our act allows us to use our cd’s as gifts and prizes. We always do a few of our recorded songs and tell why they were chosen i.e, make the song important to us !

I think I’m going to try asking for comments on the cd by attaching a brief comment list on the back of a pre-paid , self addressed post card. We already have band picture postcards…It would be a new way to use them. Thanks to all for the mental stimulation from your comments. !!!

]]> By: 7ate9 http://www.independentrockstar.com/665/free-cd-worth/comment-page-1/#comment-373 7ate9 Sun, 28 Mar 2010 14:59:22 +0000 http://independentrockstar.com/?p=665#comment-373 I was at a show recently and this less then entertaining band was passing out their fully packaged free CD after their set. I didn't want it, but took it anyway since the lead singer was making the rounds. My girlfriend also got a copy. I played it in my car, and it was unbearable - poor songwriting, mixing, and production. I ended up throwing it away, and my girlfriend's copy was never even opened. I think in a situation like this, I wouldn't have paid anything for the CD even if asked. In the case of "everyone leaves with a copy", that doesn't mean everyone will actually want or keep their copy. I think the best option is to let people know your website or myspace and give away a few songs on there. If you're a memorable enough act, people will visit. If you're a great act, people will spread the word regardless of any marketing you do. Otherwise, you could be left with junk CDs not worth a listen even if they end up in people's hands. I was at a show recently and this less then entertaining band was passing out their fully packaged free CD after their set. I didn’t want it, but took it anyway since the lead singer was making the rounds. My girlfriend also got a copy. I played it in my car, and it was unbearable – poor songwriting, mixing, and production. I ended up throwing it away, and my girlfriend’s copy was never even opened. I think in a situation like this, I wouldn’t have paid anything for the CD even if asked. In the case of “everyone leaves with a copy”, that doesn’t mean everyone will actually want or keep their copy.

I think the best option is to let people know your website or myspace and give away a few songs on there. If you’re a memorable enough act, people will visit. If you’re a great act, people will spread the word regardless of any marketing you do. Otherwise, you could be left with junk CDs not worth a listen even if they end up in people’s hands.

]]> By: Chris West http://www.independentrockstar.com/665/free-cd-worth/comment-page-1/#comment-249 Chris West Fri, 26 Feb 2010 11:12:29 +0000 http://independentrockstar.com/?p=665#comment-249 I think I'd always attach a price to physical media unless it was a home made demo with little or no production cost/packaging etc. It's a little different if it's a promo deal like the one you mention but it still sounds a little odd to make an album, spend a lot of time/effort/money on making a professional CD and then giving it away. Giving your CDs away sounds a little desparate but in a way I guess that's what a lot of smaller bands are at the moment. (I don't know who the band in question is so no offence intented). I'm still struggling to work out how I feel about free/paid downloads though. I did a free download promo of our album in January and now I've moved it to pay what you want. I haven't forced people to provide email addresses in an effort to remove any restrictions from people getting hold of our music. I can't help feeling there's something wrong with this though. Pay what you want feels a bit odd to me. Sometimes I feel it's an ok way of working but then other times I feel it gives off the wrong signals. You're telling your potential audience you don't know what your music is worth by letting them decide. So should you put a price on it then? The other side of this is that charging money for digital media than can be replicated an infinite number of times also doesn't seem quite right either. I think I’d always attach a price to physical media unless it was a home made demo with little or no production cost/packaging etc. It’s a little different if it’s a promo deal like the one you mention but it still sounds a little odd to make an album, spend a lot of time/effort/money on making a professional CD and then giving it away.

Giving your CDs away sounds a little desparate but in a way I guess that’s what a lot of smaller bands are at the moment. (I don’t know who the band in question is so no offence intented).

I’m still struggling to work out how I feel about free/paid downloads though. I did a free download promo of our album in January and now I’ve moved it to pay what you want. I haven’t forced people to provide email addresses in an effort to remove any restrictions from people getting hold of our music.

I can’t help feeling there’s something wrong with this though. Pay what you want feels a bit odd to me. Sometimes I feel it’s an ok way of working but then other times I feel it gives off the wrong signals. You’re telling your potential audience you don’t know what your music is worth by letting them decide. So should you put a price on it then?

The other side of this is that charging money for digital media than can be replicated an infinite number of times also doesn’t seem quite right either.

]]>