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Father Time
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10/16/2015 5:55:41 AM
Do you try to sell your music? Hope to sell your music?
So anyway as you've seen we're promoting our new band release. I did put the EP up for sale on our website negativetendencies.com but I would be surprised if we sell any. Why should anybody buy music when they can stream it - is the question I suppose. A lot of people sell copies to their relatives but music sales don't come up that often.
Is there a strategy to sell mp3s and CDs if you aren't out there playing live which is of course different circumstances? Should folks even bother trying?
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Hop On Pop
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10/16/2015 6:13:23 AM
I don't expect to sell anything. I have a page up at Bandcamp, where my newest stuff is available for a "name your price" with a minimum of $0. But folks can pay more if they want, and some do.
I would love to make $ from my music, but I don't think that it will come from sales. If anything, it will come from placements in TV, movies, and commercials, etc.
Only had one placement, though. And that was for a radio commercial for a friend's business. He is a good friend and I didn't want to charge him anything, but he insisted on giving me $100.
Yeah, I cashed the check.
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IMPoster
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10/16/2015 7:59:27 AM
Go to Bandcamp and see the latest sales whizzing past every few seconds. I sometimes check out what's selling and usually find an active band who have maybe 50 paying supporters - doubt very much these are all relatives!
HOWEVER, before you think about selling your album you should do the math
Say you sold 50 albums @$10, your band makes $500, split that between band members and you'll be lucky to get more than $100 - $150 each - big deal, is it really worth it, you could spend that on a movie and a family meal (if you're lucky).
So don't get hooked on sales is my advice. You can't give the damn things away even as Todd has found out.
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Shoe City Sound
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10/16/2015 9:29:50 AM
I want to put our tunes out there as many places as we can to maybe catch the attention of someone who needs soundtrack for a fabulous film so I don't care if they download for free or sell - pipe dream maybe, but it would be great.
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Donna Devine
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10/16/2015 11:45:32 AM
---- Updated 10/17/2015 7:58:51 AM
When I began writing lyrics in earnest a few years ago, and searching for collaborators (I don't play an instrument), I had high hopes. Reality soon set in, however, despite one dazzling '15 minutes of fame' when in 2011 I landed a song in an episode of the now-defunct TV series 'Hell Cats'. My two co-writers and I each got the princely sum of $375 each, with occasional small royalties in the year or two afterwards. Still, we were thrilled. ;)
A couple of aspiring Indie artists added two or three of our songs to their albums, and a few other pieces were on internet radio. But beyond that, nothing has happened in any commercial sense.
In the 2014 SongDoor contest, my co-writer and I ended up with $500 when one of our two Finalist tracks won the popular vote. We were thrilled about that too, of course. ;)
Meanwhile, I keep on writing lyrics, and my wonderful co-writers come up with great music. I submit the occasional song to licensing opportunities here and there. One never knows. 'Can't win it if you're not in it' kind of thing. ;) But when I submit anything, I simply let it go out into the universe. After hitting the 'Send' button, I don't spend a minute of time or energy hoping it will be licensed. If it happens, fine. If it doesn't, fine.
Right now, the emphasis for my collaborators and me is on the 'doing it for pleasure' part, and hoping that some songs will touch some people somewhere along the line. It's about the communication.
Maybe one day our songs will find a global audience. :D Perhaps like that singer-songwriter whose old tapes - and avant garde material - was discovered just a short while ago, long after her presumed death in - I think - about the 1980s. Darned if I can remember her name. I read about her early this year. In her 40s at the time, and some time after she'd stopped writing due to discouragement/depression, she seems to have disappeared, and is presumed to have commited suicide.
Perhaps someone here knows who I'm talking about.
Well. Sorry about the ramble. :)
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LyinDan
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10/16/2015 5:14:51 PM
Donna
Why did you start writing lyrics in Earnest? Do you really want to hurt him?
I'm sure you don't, but seriously, stop it!
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Donna Devine
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10/17/2015 2:18:10 AM
---- Updated 10/17/2015 3:30:27 AM
LyinDan, I'm a sadist. ;) Seriously. ;)
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10/17/2015 7:44:05 AM
---- Updated 10/17/2015 10:08:50 AM
This is an odd subject for me.
Odd because, ultimately, yes, I hope to one day become so ridiculously
popular that record companies are lining up trying to outdo each other
in a bid to get me to sign with them. My plan to do this is simple enough;
make better and better records. Till they're 'viral' as the term goes now.
Till everyone and their sister's elbow can't stop listening to them.
Ideally, this goes for both, BEATLESEX records, and American Lesley Jane records,
both of which, at this time, are all free to download.
Why are they free to download if I hope to sell our music one day?
Well for one thing, the upper crust of the richest have made us all far
poorer than we were, saying growing up when I was a kid.
You could afford records then. It was possible. Now other things,
like eating, take precedent. So part of my strategy was always,
make it available, to grow our popularity faster. And it's sort of worked.
We're world famous now, both American Lesley Jane & BEATLESEX.
Still have yet to come up with 'that viral hit' which makes everyone
stop and take notice. Maybe one day. And maybe not.
At any rate, I think God likes that I've put something good into the world,
and it is free. Considering most of what's in the world,
is crap available at low low prices. And sometimes not so low prices.
Usually, it's still crap.
Well this is why I try not to post much anymore.
Yamma yamma yamma...
As for the question 'Should Folks Even Bother Trying?'
well that sounds like a bit of finality, doesn't it?
Like, what, we should give up? We may as well all be dead.
Strive To Be Excellent. Maybe you'll end up a sun-baked tomato like me.
But if you don't try, you're also a punk-ass wimp, which is probably worse.
Unless you like being a punk-ass wimp. Far be it from me to tell you not to then.
~L
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Steve Ison
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10/17/2015 12:00:27 PM
Gonna get a load of songs mastered properly and put 2 CDs out..Hopefully by early next year.
I'd love to sell a few -but really its for own sense of artistic completion..
I'm sure it'll prob cost me alot more to do than i make back in sales
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Noah Spaceship
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10/17/2015 2:52:38 PM
I sell everything hard copy.
I have printed and self produced thousands of CDs and sell all of them quickly, but have never sold anything online.
I cannot keep up with demand when I gig.
That goes for t shirts too.
We silk screen our own stuff.
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Bryon Tosoff
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10/17/2015 3:36:12 PM
Fred
amazing, yeah the best way for an indie is sell at shows, and T's go fast, and if teh artwork rocks, then fly. especially if you hire a couple of hot chicks at shows to help the cause to sell your swag and wares, that always helps
you are a true entrepreneur, a business man , a excellent musician producer, and your music rocks
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Noah Spaceship
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10/17/2015 3:50:58 PM
The hot girls are usually volunteers and help us stuff the sleeves too.
Very hands on, bless their hearts. :)
It's been a while since we put together a few hundred CDs.
But that day is right around the corner again.
This time we will be getting vinyl pressed.
I am excited for that.
They will sell very fast.
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Noah Spaceship
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10/17/2015 3:53:08 PM
On a side note. You really have to get out there, hit the streets and sidewalks or pray for viral.
The latter is very unlikely though.
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Bryon Tosoff
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10/17/2015 4:20:32 PM
I promoted a young fellow about three years ago, man he worked hard himself gigging, hit every single telephone pole, stop sign (illegal , you get fined this is frowned upon) signages , over top of other posters, (Ouch) he was relentless and he engineered, produced played most everything and did a hell of a good job for an 17
year young guy,, he now has his own label, promo and agency. he is also going to school for engineering. sharp and full of piss and vinegar, no fear!!!
Tommy Alto
Recently started a new group after this ( his other band was in a serious accident last year, driver fell asleep on tour, wrecked the van. went over a hill and rolled about 8 times, all the guys were badly hurt, one could not return as their drummer. was in the hospital for 5 months and the bass player had to be replaced as well)
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