So by now if you haven’t downloaded a record for free off the internet for free, I applaud you. However, I would also say that you’re a minority within the music community. The debate over whether the industry as well as society in general should accept this fact is now irrelevant, as CD sales have tanked to impressive lows. However, you’ve spent all this time recording your new record. How do you get someone to pay something, ANYTHING for it? Let’s check out a couple of bands who got a bit creative.
So Many Dynamos sold their new CD “The Loud Wars” on their website for $10. However, for just $12, you could get the CD as well as a ticket to the show of your choice on their album release tour. Not a bad deal, right? I was too lazy to jump on this in time for the package to make it to Boston before the show at Great Scott, so I ended up downloading the album for free and paying $15 at the door for the show. There’s a lose-lose…
The Cool Kids were selling flash drives on their tour from the merch table at a fraction of the price of a CD. Also, if you’re touring in a sedan, take note. You can fit about a couple hundred of these in a box that would hold 10 or 20 CDs.
Family of the Year is selling their new EP Where’s the Sun on their website in two different ways. First, you can buy the physical CD for a very reasonable price of $7. Also, they employed the Radiohead model and offered a download of the CD in exchange for your email address and whatever you want to pay for the CD. This will definitely help to expand their email list, as well as get them the gas to make it from point A to point B. I’m seeing these guys open for Ben Folds with the Boston Pops, a gig they booked through Sonicbids! Very excited…
Antiques wrapped a copy of their record in a 12” x 39” poster. You can download the music for free from their site by providing an email address and a zip code (valuable fan data), then enjoy the record and poster as the physical product. Check out the video on their page; the whole package wraps up nicely. The whole idea of coupling your music with another piece of merch is intriguing to me and the rest of the Member Relations team here. Just toss a download card in with a t-shirt and sell it for $2 more, or create your own combination of merch and music. Even if you only make $2, it’s more than if someone were to steal it.
Josh Freese’s recent stunt was closely enough related here that I had to include it. He sold different packages with his CD, each level of payment adding something more and more ridiculous. Packages started at $7 for just a digital download of the CD, and peaked at $75,000, which included going on tour with Josh, him writing and recording a 5 song EP about you, he joined your band for a month, and so on. You really have to check this one out. It’s worth the read.