Bandcamp - free vs not
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You are currently reading a thread in /mu/ - Music
You are currently reading a thread in /mu/ - Music
yo /m/aynes, question:
Would you rather "name your price" or "$x or more"?
I'm new to Bandcamp and selling my music in general.
I've been uploading music to newgrounds since 2009 or so, and in all this time many people have been using it for basically whatever.
Recently, some guys started using it on geometry dash levels (a typical addictive mobile game) and so my views on youtube and such increased substantially.
Now here comes the 'problem'. I'm now selling my latest album (only a few days old) for $4 and some people are complaining that it is not on newgrounds (i.e., that it is not free and under cc). I'm tempted to just put it for 'name your price' and upload all the songs on newgrounds. The thing is I'm scared that people don't value your music if they can easily get it. Is that true?
Been hearing that it's better to be really known before charging for an album. Yeah I'd much rather go for name your price all the way and have faith that people end up supporting the artist if they consume their music much. But does anyone know if that's how it actually is?
tl;dr: free or not free. My concern is resumed in the last line.
Fanks
Keep it $4, nobody donates money.
>>63855839
you're foolish to think people will pay for something if they can get it for free.
i've released two tracks so far and my general rule of thumb is singles are free, EPs are about £2 and an album is £5
>>63856003
also fuck you OP now i feel like watching the American Pie trilogy again
>>63856003
Yeah I offer singles for free, albums cost money and I disable individual track downloads.
>>63855969
>>63856003
what makes me doubt is that the previous ep got some interesting donations. Some guy even bought it for $10.
>>63856051
then do m99
>>63856052
I set each individual track's price so that they sum quite more than the album's price. That gives fans some freedom but basically makes them want to buy the whole thing anyway.
>>63855839
My band have made over $50 in name your own price, just do it odds are the music isn't worth whatever you set the price as
People actually pay for shit on bandcamp?
>>63855839
My piano teacher was talking to me about this a while ago, but about performance. Same concepts still apply though. Basically people expect musicians to work for free, or for "exposure" which is complete BS. We work as hard as anybody else, doing things that most people cant do, if they want to whine about it, they can pick up production and spend money on software, or they can take lessons and see how expensive it is just to learn. It really bugs me when people think "oh, the music is already recorded, there's no reason *I* shouldn't have it for free now." How about I walk into chipotle and get a burrito so they can get "exposure" or go to starbucks expecting free coffee because they already made the rest of the pot of coffee?
>>63856219
This is why I stopped offering name your price for anything other than promo material.
Music should cost money, it requires work like any job, I am legitimately sick of this stigma that artists don't work, or that what they do is somehow less than other professions.
>>63856219
art is a different beast though, bro.
How can all albums cost $10 when some are dogshit and some are glorious masterworks?
I write/perform/record/produce/release music, and it's just a tricky world to navigate. I think most anons are on point - set your albums at $5, EPs at $2 maybe, and free singles until the album is out (or permanently if they're not on the album, I guess).
I wonder if one day recorded music will become like paintings. Y'know, anyone can buy some paint and an easel and make something, but the greats sell for thousands... maybe it will lead people to strive for true greatness.
All I know is that no artist is going to make a living selling records. You have to perform and be a "personality". Bands make their money off interviews and TV spots these days. Just make good music with a strong image, and be able to discuss it at length. Then you might make some money.
I go free myself. But then again, it's a personal project for the most part. I'm really only doing music to remember that i have a voice.
When i find underground guys who don't have a name charging i sort of look down on them. Especially if the music is sub par and or not catchy.
>>63856166
It probably isn't as worth as I'd like it to be but I still feel bad giving it away for free. I get the feeling people just use it as a disposable.
>>63856212
a lot of people do actually. It got me impressed too.
>>63856219
I stand with you (as would any other musician). The problem is what you've already mentioned, most people. So i'm not sure how to even try to fight or revert that.
I'm seeing from the bandcamp thread that most albums are free. The problem I think is if now you want to charge for your music, your album suddenly stands out as expensive or whatever, because every other one is free.
I want to be able to live off of music someday, and I'm not seeing how if I don't sell my music. Live shows are not really an option for me (i don't like crowds etc and my music falls into that edm-ish thing that is cool to listen when at home rather than at a club)
>>63856444
>>63856464
There's honestly no point in offering free downloads when you can give people near infinite streams.
>>63856444
This is an interesting point.
Mine is a personal project too. But lately it's been doing a bit well (many more views etc) and it's motivated me to bet on it a bit more; like go full job one day.
>>63855839
>Now here comes the 'problem'. I'm now selling my latest album (only a few days old) for $4 and some people are complaining that it is not on newgrounds (i.e., that it is not free and under cc). I'm tempted to just put it for 'name your price' and upload all the songs on newgrounds. The thing is I'm scared that people don't value your music if they can easily get it. Is that true?
I believe it is true. (Putting aside the fact that there is now a whole generation of listeners who don't feel music itself has value because they are able to get it for free) if your music costs money it denotes that there is value to it. Face it, you give away demos, not official releases. If a musician gave me their music for free, I would see it as amateurish and the artist himself doesn't value his own art.
On the other hand, as someone who has "set your own price" on albums before, I have noticed a sharp decline in downloads when a price is set on a new release after your back catalog is already name your price. It's an unfortunate fact about making music in the 21st Century--don't expect to make money off your music as you once did decades ago.
So what I do is three things to cover the three main :
1) set the bandcamp/digital release to Pay What You Want. Otherwise casual listeners who are cheap asses won't give you a chance. Also put it on youtube for the REALLY cheap fuckers.
2) Get a digital distribution deal to place your music on iTunes/Spotify. For the casuals who are willing to pay to stream, this is where they go. You can at least get paid a fraction of a cent rather than nothing from above point #1
3) Create a physical release to sell. While digital music doesn't seem to have the perception of value to youngsters nowadays, physical releases still do. Avoid CD, stick to vinyl or cassette. Sell it at your gigs.
Good luck OP
>>63855839
Offer lower resolution versions for free. Maybe even stick in a beep or two that sounds super annoying and out of time in your best tracks. Then offer the full quality tracks at your listed price.
>>63856444
>wow why is an artist charging money for their music I don't like?
>>63856733
depends on the "artist'' if it's your average scrub from the 4 chan bandcamp threads than nine times out of ten i'm going to be insulted by them having standards that they shouldn't have.
>>63856760
>only I decide what someone else's standards should be
>>63856410
Fucking A brother! >>63856415
>>63856581
>Avoid CD, stick to vinyl or cassette.
Vinyls off the table for unsigned musicians, stick with tapes/CDs.
And CDs are very cheap and easy to make.
>>63856415
>How can all albums cost $10 when some are dogshit and some are glorious masterworks?
Because music quality is subjectivity. One man's masterwork is another man's horseshit
>>63856833
>And CDs are very cheap and easy to make.
They also don't sell unless you play reverbnation doucherock
you can charge whatever you like, but i always get annoyed when i see people in bc threads who only have a few albums out and charge anything more than a dollar for them. you can't market your music like you're already famous when no one has actually heard of you.
I'll usually just buy the album at the posted price or $5 if free, or little more if I feel generous.
Individual tracks whether free or not, I'll still pay a dollar to help.
>>63856867
CDs don't sell because nobody uses them anymore, they're not trendy.
>>63856955
Which is why I said
>Avoid CD, stick to vinyl or cassette.
Although it's helpful to press limited run CDs for media/promotional purposes.
>>63856988
That's exactly what I do with CDs, I make my own with handmade artwork and packaging and Mail most of them for free to label/press people.
I buy exclusively CDs because it's cheaper than buying and maintaining some vinyl for me. Plus, it's easier to rip and get lossless encodes with FLAC.
>>63857055
From unknown artists?
>>63857102
Yes, sometimes I'll buy random artists I've never tried before.
I prefer CD simply as a physical source of lossless audio. Buy a disc, rip it, store it.
As for selling albums, I know that a general rule of thumb is roughly $1/track, up to 10 tracks, although your mileage may vary. Personally, when I release music, if it's something I consider subpar work ("here's some old tracks I found. They suck, but here you go" or "here are some old demos/concept pieces") then I'll make it PWYW. Otherwise, $X or more.
And I almost always pay $1 more than the suggested price, but that's flexible. I try to avoid entering "$0" in for PWYW albums or tracks.
>>63856581
>I have noticed a sharp decline in downloads when a price is set on a new release
That's exactly what's making me doubt so much and tempting me back into 'name your price'.
that, and this
>Otherwise casual listeners who are cheap asses won't give you a chance
>Get a digital distribution deal to place your music on iTunes/Spotify
people have been asking for spotify in youtube comments. I need to look into itunes and spotify as soon as i get time.
I'm not interested in physical release atm. Or rather It is a whole unknown world for me. Too daunting for now lol
Thanks for the input man!
>>63856917
we need more like you
>>63856902
I think the same. I'm not absolutely unknown tho. Some tracks are over 60k plays on NG and 40k views on youtube ( i know that's still a bit shit, but it's better than nothing). I'm just trying to figure out what to do to see something in return so it fuels the fantasy of going full time job.
>>63857055
I think cassettes are worse for distro than CDs.
How's the noise market for bandcamp?
>>63857174
I like you.
>>63857186
Thanks. I still shop at my local music stores for cheap CDs. I just pre-ordered the new Deftones album though.
>>63857199
Have you been selling them at your gigs?
>>63857186
>Thanks for the input man!
No problem. Just google "digital distribution". Might cost $50 per release at the minimum. But the service is invaluable.
>>63857277
I wouldn't trust Spotify or itunes personally. They have a habit of shafting artists.
>>63857186
>I think the same. I'm not absolutely unknown tho. Some tracks are over 60k plays on NG and 40k views on youtube ( i know that's still a bit shit, but it's better than nothing). I'm just trying to figure out what to do to see something in return so it fuels the fantasy of going full time job.
Set up distribution, and slap a link in the description. If you wanna play hardball with your listeners, you can upload snippets or previews to NG, or only a single or two from your album, so that if they want more they gotta go buy it.
Regarding CDs, CDs are great for cars. Every vehicle has a radio and will probably have a CD reader. You won't see many cassette decks until you start looking at German vehicles or domestic cars older than 2000. You'll get better distribution at gigs for CD's than cassettes, simply because people have more ways of playing CDs (laptops and desktops, anyone?).
>>63857351
OK then enjoy your other options -- people pirating your music or no one listening until it's listed as Name Your Price
>>63857256
No, I just think that cassettes are a very niche market, they appeal to cassette culture, and are not as utilitarian, or use easily-made packaging as the case is with CDs.
CDs are the most useful physical media for self-sufficient musicians, and the format has been unfairly cast aside due to it being seen as a relic, though not a kitsch relic as cassettes are.
>>63855839
It depends on how popular your music already is.
If you don't already have at least a decent following, it goes like this - you either charge for it, or you gain more exposure. You can get 10 supporters on Bandcamp (with 10 downloads), or 1-2 supporters and 100 downloads. That's just how it works.
As for me, I go with the 'name your price' model because I want more people downloading my music as opposed to just a tiny amount of people both paying for and downloading it.
The trick for either, obviously, is that your stuff has to be good. I've gotten a couple hundred dollars in revenue despite never actually charging for anything because people like what I'm making (apparently). Obviously, more people will also buy your stuff if you decide to charge off the bat if it's good too. But in my case, if I had charged for my stuff right when I started making it, it wouldn't have nearly the type of exposure it does now, meaning I could very well still have less supporters than I do now if I had charged from the beginning.
>>63857277
Will do. English isn't my 1st language and I'm generally a bit retarded, so to speak lol. So every bit of info is probably more valuable than you think!
>>63857431
>No
Well there's your problem
>>63855839
>/m/aynes
>>63857438
I'm getting quite a good traffic on youtube and ng. Currently 1.1k subs on youtube, not sure if that is as good as i think. I wouldn't have second thoughts about name your price if i didn't have followers. But I'm not sure now.
>gotten a couple hundred dollars in revenue despite never actually charging
this is encouraging and congrats btw. Hope you keep it up.
Thanks for the feedback.
>>63857499
desu I don't even know what's a good context for that term. I'm not a native speaker so there's no way for me to tell. I mean, i could google it and whatnot but still. I just like how it sounds.
How do I start the whole shipping physical media thing?
I have only been producing for maybe 2 years now but I never stay with one genre, sometimes I make techno, sometimes hip hop, sometimes disco etc.
anyone else like this and if yes, how do you handle it (2 different aliases, all under on alias etc.)?
>>63858624
>How do I start the whole shipping physical media thing?
Fun fact, since you can sell physical media through bandcamp, you can have shipping labels and stuff created with the help of bandcamp. It's up to you to actually create the merch (burn CD's, make shirts, etc) but bandcamp can help with reminding you to fulfill those orders.
>>63855839
Free singles, Buy Now EPs, $5 or less LPs.
>>63860271
I suggest you go all under one alias. If pulled out wel, it shows versatility. If you're just like trying out genres and not really doing anything decent then it comes off as that: trying out genres and getting bored easily/not putting much effort.
So, i'd say go under one alias and work hard m9
>>63861569
What genre m8?
I'm seeing so many pay-what-you-want albums from fairly known people that it's not even funny now.
Mostly albums from getting-big underground electronic artists for example.
Crazy thing is that in the "supported by" list you can get tired of clicking 'more...'.
'name your price' is starting to look like the safest bet either you're known or unknown
