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Re: The 'Should Be Free' Mentality
Posted by **Johnny D** on Aug 31, 2013 at 12:43:28 AM:
In Reply to: The 'Should Be Free' Mentality posted by **murray** on Aug 30, 2013 at 7:40:43 AM:
* I've talked with a number of artists out there playing away at clubs, restaurants, and local festivals. Most of them charge something for their CDs. Perhaps not the price of a well-known bands' CD but something...I don't believe in all cases you could say they have developed a solid fanbase as of yet...Artists have to contend with a mentality that's out there because of the ability to download so much for free...It can lead to people believing that everything you create should come at no cost to them.... The artist has to decide whether he or she wants to cater to that mentality or not... If we see someone playing at a restaurant or a Barnes and Noble, won't we throw a few bucks in the jar if we like what we hear? ....
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*And as for the time factor of the buyer? I think it's often no more than a deficient attention span. Too many seem to think of music as something which occupies them on the way to and from work. Not an art form to be granted maximum attention...... Or they want to break a complete work into bits and pieces..... The artist has every right to choose whether to salute that or not...
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*I think if you think it's good, then it's worth paying a little something for. Bandcamp has a "Pay whatever you think it's worth" option which is about as close as you can get to the tip jar scene. You're not forced to throw something in the jar but if you really dig what's hitting your ears, you can't help but show some appreciation in the form of bread...Unless you're a total asshole, imo...
I agree with what you say here, despite what I wrote to Tommy, for his is a different circumstance altogether. Talent or style of any level or type has nothing to do with either.
Bands playing out are in the business of playing out, or even playing for free at some outdoor events as I have for the fun of it. Of course bands and solo artist should try to their sell products, from t-shirts, to hats to CD's. They are presenting a live act as the listening format at that time. So, the selling is just an added TRY of sorts to get them to buy into what you just did, (literally buy into it)! "Greed is good in those cases"! LOL $$$$ is needed by anyone. The trick is knowing WHEN to offer sales. Playing out? ALWAYS! Online songwriters? Depends on several factors. The goal can be to make tons of money, sure!
In the case of songwriters trying to get listened to, (especially on their first attempts), selling CD's or songs is the worse decision they could make. Why? Without playing out and then selling CD's for whoever HAS already heard them in a performance, they automatically have reduced their fan prospects. It is not the idea of wanting to sell CD's or song downloads that is a bad idea, it is WHO and WHEN they decide to sell CD's without a performance even in a coffee house that is a bad idea as to marketing oneself.
The first goal is to "get listeners" when first entering the million member pool of songwriters. The worst way to do that is to sell those songs right away, UNLESS also offering all songs as free streams, to check them out before having to buy to do that. There's no performance or history of a newcomer to attract prospective listeners, never mind prospective buyers.
When asking money for anything, you are then in a business situation in that market or field.
As for my earlier post and this good one of yours? Apples and Oranges. Selling works and should be done in your examples. Tips too! Online or in places, YES! I played for tips at a few places when starting out. Played in bands for decades, and got tips here and there from the club owners or at weddings, where we already got paid good. More IS good!
When I first put my newly written songs "online" though, they were all free, (of course), to gain plays and downloads, which got my site attention over time, which led to one TV producer in Canada to use one song for three TV shows, shown in over 40 countries via satellite. (John and Yoko segment for one. A Calvin Cline segment, and one for the graphics of The Beatles Albums. The song was co-written, sung, and mostly played by Ron Signorelli, (rest his soul). I just wrote the music and melody on piano, playing piano on the track, and did some harpsichord sounds on the keys. Ron sang as if Lennon, and played all the other instruments as if each of the other Beatles! Extraordinary talent Ron was, as was his performance of all his playing ans singing on that song, "Hold On To Your Dreams". I miss him of course. It was the ONLY pro thing he had done with any of his songs, and I am still honored to have had him do what he did on it, as well as produce that song. I stand like an ant next to his talent and scope. he just never pursued the music biz, at all. Just played openings for Jon Bon Jove at some NJ clubs before they got signed to a label.
Anyway, If I had decided to put a price on the songs and CD's I had up at first joining that MP3.com site, (which were not even my first songs by a long shot!), NO way would I have had the numbers to attract such a producer to check out what the hype was over those songs, especially that TV show segment one at the time. People from here went there to play it, (for free, or to download it for free), and those numbers added to all the others from all over the world, gratefully. FREE led to the above story. And more success that followed, although small compared to the media pros. But it all floated my boat in a big way, if not for mega money.
When I started to sell songs online, (after such numbers made sense to try that), I would still offer the songs for free in streaming them too. (Not forcing anyone to have to buy any song to listen to it, in other words). Later, some songs though were just for sale at one point in their promotion stage, to help raise sales info for them to get some attention from the music industry folks. They sold because of people hearing other songs for free, and too wanted to buy the promoted "single" after hearing a short clip of it. Never were songs JUST for sale without hearing something,,,as I hopefully recall correctly. I will check on that if still available.
So, free is good and necessary at the right times, as are sales. Again, the trick is knowing when to do either. And how! (LOL, And How! :) My Cherokee side taking I guess! :)Followup Messages:
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Last updated on Aug 31, 2013