Should you give your music away ?

[davethedrummer]

i've never understood why you can't all work together in some kind of cooperative to make it work somehow?
I mean on this site there are the most intelligent/creative people in the world.
A lot of people here are also capitalist corporate boys, who know how the system works.
Quit whining and do something about it.
I figure u enjoy moaning.

i love moaning!

[Winds]

+1

if i make a sandwich and i want to give it to someone must i wait for others opinions on whether its ok to do it? fcuk that, its my sandwich and ill do whatever i please with it.

mmm.. sandwich... on second thoughts ill eat it myself :lol:

:lol:

[king aaron]

I want some free music but I don't want to steal it or download it illegally, who are some singers who give away their music for free? Like they choose to give it away and want people to download it?

[DannyBlack]

Why not send them an email. "Dear sirs, I can has musicz plz?"

[scott_robinson]

I think no one has answered because there are not many 'singers' writing techno.

You can feel free to download this live set of mine King Aaron scottrobinson - Scott Robinson - Ugly Funk 05-03-99 - SoundCloud but I am sorry I
am not a singer.

[MITA]

give it away give ti away give it away now!

[clubsynthetic]

You can feel free to download this live set of mine King Aaron scottrobinson - Scott Robinson - Ugly Funk 05-03-99 - SoundCloud but I am sorry I
am not a singer.

Liking this lots!

[The_Laughing_Man]

EMI records 1 billion in debt!!!!!

[DannyBlack]

YouTube - EMI-SEX PISTOLS





hahahahaha f*ck em.

[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!!)

[Craig_Lea]

... I'm now thinking about just giving away my music for free.

An interesting experiment could be to try out what the developers of World of Goo did.
For a week or so, they just let people pay what they want, starting from $0.01
You could even extend it to start from free.

2D Boy: I love you, 2D Boy! Blog Archive Pay-What-You-Want Birthday Sale Results

[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?

[teknonotice]

interesting idea scott..what format are we talking?

I got some quality techno released on my label which Henry himself has said is good and others lap up..

YouTube - Ian Zahn No admittance Promo Video 001

[scott_robinson]

well I guess MP3 would be fair to both parties. Glad you thought it was an interesting idea.

[BloodStar]

good idea, but nothing changes,tho. it will be on illegal downlaods sites next day, and not many people will pay for it.

why should they pay you 1 euro for 5tracks if they like just known artist and not interested about other 4tunes. when they go to any online store, they can buy a tune for almost same money, so where is the difference?

[scott_robinson]

Sure BloodStar I hear you but I meant an established artist in techno.

It is a lot harder to find techno music torrents. By the time it gets up the experiment will be over, and we will have stats.

Anyway it was just an idea, I get what you are saying.

[The_Laughing_Man]

YouTube - EMI-SEX PISTOLS





hahahahaha f*ck em.

I think you miss the point slightly.
Of course EMI are poop.
The point is they have the power to influence, to essentially make people buy music by using repition based suggestion (radio play, adverts etc) and a lot of NLP techniques. These techniques are still working, people are still getting the music in droves. They just aren`t paying.
The most effective methods of selling music, and even THEY can`t make a profit.

Good riddance etc, but also, bloody hell!

[The_Laughing_Man]

It is a lot harder to find techno music torrents.

Not really, I know loads of people who are getting flacs and mp3`s ripped from vinyl on the day of release, or even before release from promo ripps via 0day, soulseek etc.
There is like a competative culture in the ripping community to be the first to get it online and some of the Scene releasers are really organised.

[DannyBlack]

I think you miss the point slightly.
Of course EMI are poop.
The point is they have the power to influence, to essentially make people buy music by using repition based suggestion (radio play, adverts etc) and a lot of NLP techniques. These techniques are still working, people are still getting the music in droves. They just aren`t paying.
The most effective methods of selling music, and even THEY can`t make a profit.

Good riddance etc, but also, bloody hell!

Ah i see what you mean. Yeah the NLP that these companies use is quite blindingly good.

That's why the number of charity singles have increased I think. What is one way to guarantee reciprocity? A cause to donate too. "These poor sods have no legs, buy the x-factors new single 'legs for nothing, limbs for free' and we will donate a fraction to buying them 2x4's"...