Should you give your music away ?

[Microdot]

fcuk giving away music for free. if ppl want it for free they'll find a way to steal it anyway.

And cunts like Radiohead fully realise the damage they are doing to smaller artists and labels by doing so.
A point I made on here at the time, and subsequently supported by artists such as Daft Punk, Wu Tang Clan and Lily Allen in the established music press.
Anyone who doesn't understand why a mainstream act giving their music away free is bad for upcoming acts is an idiot.

[SlavikSvensk]

fcuk giving away music for free. if ppl want it for free they'll find a way to steal it anyway.

And cunts like Radiohead fully realise the damage they are doing to smaller artists and labels by doing so.
A point I made on here at the time, and subsequently supported by artists such as Daft Punk, Wu Tang Clan and Lily Allen in the established music press.
Anyone who doesn't understand why a mainstream act giving their music away free is bad for upcoming acts is an idiot.

it's like everything else...with one hand it gives, and with the other it taketh away.

[Jay Pace]

Anyone who doesn't understand why a mainstream act giving their music away free is bad for upcoming acts is an idiot.

They didn't give it away for free though.
They made much more money, by not asking their fans to pay sales portals and distributors, and just pay them, the band, what they thought it was worth. Some gave them nothing. Others paid them what they though the album should cost.

Nobody is doing up and comers favours by releasing their music, so that it can sit on servers, where nobody hears it because nobody is prepared to buy something from an artist they've never heard. And thats in the event they can even find them in the first place, buried beneath a thousand tonnes of crap.

Nothing stopping labels going direct to fans either. They'd get a hell of a lot more out their artists if they didn't need to pay distributors and sales portals the majority cut just to get stocked and sold.

The main people threatened by people giving stuff away, are the people who offer no real value beyond the ability to sell.

[crime]

fcuk giving away music for free. if ppl want it for free they'll find a way to steal it anyway.

So, you would rather release music which is a compromise on your own vision over giving away stuff which is exactly how you want it to sound rather than have it rotting away on your hard drive with no-one hearing it? How is someone gonna steal something which no label will release because in their eyes it's "too much of a risk"?

and how exactly do mainstream pop/rock acts giving away music for free damage sales of techno music? sorry, I just don't understand how your points make sense.. Techno/electronic music has become less and less popular for years, definitely since the heady days of 1995/1996. There's no point in being bitter (I'm not saying you necessarily are) about the fact it's very very difficult to earn a living from it. Surely if you are making stuff it's better to get it out there in whatever way you can than just be sat on stuff because there are no labels around which consider your music viable to release on conventional formats. I'm seeing this personally as the greatest opportunity ever to be able to break out of any creative ruts I've been stuck in in the past and to do stuff which is really different without worrying about compromising any kind of "Careeer" I might have once had...

[Microdot]

So, you would rather release music which is a compromise on your own vision over giving away stuff which is exactly how you want it to sound rather than have it rotting away on your hard drive with no-one hearing it? How is someone gonna steal something which no label will release because in their eyes it's "too much of a risk"?

I have always released music that is exactly how I've wanted it to sound and never compromised on my own vision, and have never given it away for free.

[crime]

I have always released music that is exactly how I've wanted it to sound and never compromised on my own vision, and have never given it away for free.

well, you're lucky to be in that position.. Myself, I don't have that privilege.. So, what are you saying exactly, that no-one else should give their music away, just because you haven't been put in that position yourself? Just interested to know...

[Microdot]

well, you're lucky to be in that position.. Myself, I don't have that privilege.. So, what are you saying exactly, that no-one else should give their music away, just because you haven't been put in that position yourself? Just interested to know...

No, people can do what they want. But everyone giving their music away for free will create more problems than it will solve.

[teknonotice]

Good thread Henry..And some good points.

Unfor piracy will never end and only get worse so why try and sell it when you can get it for free?

As you’re so well known you’re Return on time and cash investment is getting more international and local bookings, selling more vinyl to the hardcore vinyl lovers, travelling to cool places to play whilst increasing your profile and exposure/following. Then from a central web site to offer both paid for and free downloads. The free downloads could be a lower bit rate for example, or cut half way through for 5 seconds. You could however also furnish your loyal following with special edition high res wavs of certain, new and old tracks. Give people the choice – they feel empowered slightly more. Explain to your fans that they now have a choice.

You could also compliment this with a global digital distribution deal similar to what Teknonotice Digital offer and you have all bases covered. Try and use Facebook, twitter and a blog to communicate to fans about new releases and freebies/mixes/live sets...(a lot of work I may add) and see what happens.

Most unknowns are using the net to try and get more gigs. As you’re a household name in techno you should be trying to get more gigs and then promoting to the crowd to buy your stuff on the net.

As a digital label owner and a producer that releases my own non techno music it’s very interesting. IMO the best of both worlds is where it’s at - a balancing act. Perhaps it also depends on the demographic of the fan/listener.

If it’s a fellow DJ/producer that commercially and economically benefits from playing your music should they pay or get for free?

If it’s a loyal fan that has followed you since the early days, spent cash on many entrance fees/party donation fee/bar/merchandise/your Vinyl should they pay or get it for free?

2 years ago I hooked up with tunecore.com to release my own guitar based indie, made in my bedroom style music. I had to pay about 40$ to upload 2 albums. The music then went live in itunes, amazon etc etc. As music was more of a personal release for me I had never intended to try and sell it. I also, at this time wasn't really sharing it with anyone. The first 3 months were really quiet and sold about 4 copies. Along the way I was learning about new technology, web programming and music distribution online, simply as a hobby or interest. Then I started using amiestreet.com which works on a basis that once enough people download the free version it becomes paid for, and goes up in price the more you sell. This was a great method and online store with a community that you could connect with. Lots time was spent talking to other site members and sharing my music via face book. This worked well and my free music quickly became paid for music. 1 track “strength” even made top 50. Return on time and investment was shite however I felt satisfied Id found a channel to get heard and generate feedback – which as a musician is really all I want. It’s great when people comment, good or bad as it helps you develop.

I was also marveled at the way one can use technology so quickly to promote and sell music – it still fascinates me. Long story short on the back of a lot of hard work I was signed by Believe digital last year to release my music. Today I have the upmost confidence to give people the choice whether they want to buy it or download for free. I have been promoting my music heavily using social media and giving away the high res wav copy. This has had a great effect in fans and also has improved sales. Some have turned round and said “no its ok I’ll buy it”

Perhaps such a “choice” also instills more trust in your punters/following.

If digital is so widely accessible through the torrent sites does it make any difference? I still think giving the listener a choice is best.

Should the whole scene give the listener a choice? Radiohead and Trent Reznor used this strategy well.

As Morbid rightly said giving it away for free helps you build a database ("enter your email and d/l my latest track") that you can then promote to, but will this help sales? How many emails do people get every day and ignore. Or even if they read will they buy or go to Pirate bay?

If digital sales make no money is there any point in distributing too many online stores? Perhaps just from your own web site with a data capture.

From a point of view of my dance music orientated label “Teknonotice Digital” its hard work making any return on time or cash investment. It’s so easy to get lost in all the other labels that are out there. It’s also tough working with online stores who insist you make x amount before you get paid perhaps a third of the sales price.

Thus said the last 3 months sales have picked up simply because we are in so many online stores now through the Believe digital deal. Law of averages in full effect. Well that and a bit of luck I guess. We also notice that the more promoting we do the better sales we get. This may sound obvious however I refer to full time job hours to carry out the promotion effectively and successfully.


I could go on but I’m ranting again..


Peace, see you in Malta next week Mr. Drummer!! Bring the Hydraulix if you would, getting tired of minimal (and seeing as joris voorn is also playing would like some proper stuff!!)

[teknonotice]

PS: you can d/l or buy my music from Christopher Knight, Music, Video and all things audio visual

[scott_robinson]

The point is if people don't want to download something they won't.

Example. I put a liveset up the other day and it had maybe 5 downloads from here and that was free. So it's not down to weather a track is free or not. I am sure if it had been Dave the Drummer there would have been 500 downloads.

This is interesting. Even when stuff is free it doesn't mean people will download it. You need to be established for people to be interested. To do that you need fans to get fans you need to work hard to either get gigs or release records. If you are an unknown there is not much chance of that these days and if you don't have a tune or 2 out then you wont get booked.

Having gone over this in my mind last night I was wondering if anyone would be interested in an experiment.

I suggest we take an established artist and an unheard of artist and make people pay a reduced amount, say 1 euro, for the established artist and offer the unheard of artists track for free. Then count downloads up and gather some stats.

I think the established artist will still get more downloads despite the fact the people have to pay because people don't give a crap about unheard-of's but offer a track by a well established name for a bargain Euro and that artist will still win.

So I will offer a track for free, maybe a few of us can then all we need is an establish artist to step forward and offer up a track.

Does this sound stupid or interesting?