I Have a New Album on the Horizon And...

[Doug Robinson]

I am casting about for ideas about promotion and sales in this new day and age.

 

FWIW, it's what I think of as my very best work to date, an hour of mostly original acoustic jazz. Accessible without being simple-minded (or sophisticated without being alienating) is how I think of my style.

 

Way back in the past, I've sold between 300 and 500 CDs a year at gigs. But my last CD was almost exactly a year ago, a latin jazz thang. I live in Central Mexico and the group had real popularity so I created 300 CDs, thinking I'd sell about half. As it turned out, I sold about 30 at gigs--people just don't have CD players anymore. That album and two 'best of' compilations put together by a wonderful hi res download-only audiophile label went on their site and even though I hit number 1 in sales, it still wasn't enough to come close to recouping my costs--it doesn't take much to hit #1 on a small niche music site, I guess!

 

Ok, so now I've got HYMN FOR HER, this wonderful new compilation of music that I feel so strongly about and I have to think of how to get it out to people, one way or the other. I'll tell you what I've ben thinking of and I'd love not only feedback but other bright ideas you've been kicking around.

 

1. I'll do about 50 CDs to sell at the record-release concert (originally scheduled for peril but obviously now it will be later). I will sell a few and at least have some physical artifacts for myself to prove that it happened.

 

2. I've been thinking about doing 50 of these USB music cards: https://www.discmakers.com/usb/usb-music-cards.asp I( think the concept is neat for those who only use USBs in their cars--the cards can be imprinted with my artwork and contact info, of course. The cost when all is said and done will be around $4.50 each. I can sell these to people who can't play CDs.

 

3. I am going to turn my bandzoogle website dougrobinson.com and add a download-only store component. I won't offer single-song downloads, just the whole album, and take paypal or whatever. Better than nothing, I guess.

 

4. I have thought about creating youtube videos of four of my projects--playing the album from start to finish but customizing the graphic so that at the top of each track, we can see the players info--this is important because I have heavy hitters on some of them whose names do help me sell albums. The idea would be to listen to mp3s on youtube for free and the attempt to drive fans to download the higher quality versions at my website, in order to support my efforts.

 

5. Can't really see doing merch at this point. I don't gig all that much, and I'm not sure I'd buy one of my own t-shirts.

 

6. I'm pretty sure I can get some rave reviews from a couple of media sources, one big and one little, that are truly supportive. No point in pursuing that till I have my online store set up.

 

7. CDBaby is out of the CD fulfillment biz, and amazon advantage--which used to be great for me-- still sends me orders but shipping them north from Mexico costs far more than the profit margin so I will drop those services (but maybe still offer downloads through them, I guess).

 

8. I have a few friends down here who have audiophile setups and love my work, so I'm going to pitch them on hosting house concert/presentations of the new work, where I'll talk a little about it and then we listen. Even if we only get 10 folks per concert at $10 us each, that's better than nothing. I can also offer download cards or the USB music cards at these events.

 

That's what is in my head now--it seems like a lot of work but I can't really think of how else to do it. Any ideas? Thanks.

 

Doug

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[Nathanael_I]

I feel bad that no one in engaging your thoughtful post. I suspect it is because it is a hard topic with no obvious answers (or at least none that aren't as much work as making the album itself). I'll give it a try.

 

With Spotify offering 31M+ tracks for $10/mo, the economic value of recorded music to most music lovers has gone effectively to zero. There is a massive oversupply relative to most consumers needs. Sadly, as a fellow creative, none of those 31M tracks stop me from needing to play, create, and express myself. And therein lies the rub - unless we have built an audience awaiting our product, there is no general purpose audience waiting patiently and expectantly - their every need is met, even without meeting us. If only they knew....

 

Nightwish (a symphonic metal band I like) is releasing a new album - they fill stadiums in some parts of the world. I pre-ordered the double or triple CD set, but its just to support them. I have a CD player in the studio, but probably won't listen to it that way past the first time. After that, it will be streamed from Spotify on my phone. I don't even want the CD, or a USB - the music is digital! (I ripped all my CD's onto an SSD drive years ago). The version I bought does come with a 40-page booklet, so that is cool - in effect, I bought a booklet with a free (and unnecessary) CD. But they also sell T-shirts, so that's what I bought, along with concert tickets. As a musician, I want to support them. I know how it works. As a customer of their "store", I have to buy things that I either don't really want or need in order to do so. Think about that for a second, the wrong thing is getting monetized. People want to support artists, but have to accumulate stuff to do it?

 

That's where some artists have utilized Patreon - you can "subscribe" to a favorite artist. They agree to make content (that's what artists do anyway), and people pay them directly for it, and people can be more generous than the profit margin of a CD. This involves constantly "singing for one's supper" and building an online following. If you have a local following, would this enable you monetize more dollars and more frequently? It seems you record regularly, perhaps a stream of content would allow you to retain a monthly audience vs. trying for a "big release" once a year? But I get how that could be very unsatisfying creatively - we want to make complete statements... an album. I get it.

 

Many who use Spotify, YouTube, and other large online social platforms effectively give the music away. It is an advertisement, or a teaser. The people making money are generally making it off-site by directing people back to their own websites where they are mostly not selling the recording, but other things. Lessons, merch, books, tickets to live shows, instructional courses, etc. The bigger names also get money and gear from sponsors who want access to their audience. Unless you have tens of millions of views a month, the streaming payments are not worth discussing - the money is made off-platform, sometimes in significant quantities (live e-sports videos anyone?).

 

Another alternative would be to see if you can license your tracks to a music library. That is a also a very crowded space. But synchronization licenses are a valid way to monetize.

 

If the recordings are audiophile grade and you have hi-resolution (96Khz or DSD) masters, you may be able to appeal to that market. But the recording quality will need to be superb - some of these folks listen to the recording just as much as the music. Its a different kind of thing....

 

It sounds like you have a plan to generate some interest with your guest artists, some influencers you know, your website, and that is all great! Working out a monetization plan will be as much work as the immense effort to select, arrange, write, record, etc. Here's some alternate perspective from some people in the North American music industry. I've seen similar things elsewhere, so the perspective isn't unique.

 

6 Crucial Steps to Planning an Album Release

 

Don't Record an Album, Do This Instead

 

How to Get Your Music Heard By Actual People

 

 

What I am certain of is that your playing and artistry are much better than the reception your last album got. It isn't likely an artistic failing. I once had an author tell me that there was only one difference between a best-writing author and a best-selling author, and it was the "selling".... I wish it were different, but we are largely on our own to promote and figure out how to distribute a release. The "recommended plans" take a year or more of effort - just like recording an album. Essentially, its a project called "find your own audience". And it is very different work than playing or performing. It is building a business - and that is hard work, with payoff well down the road.

 

Making music is inherently fun and satisfying. Figuring out how to make it pay anything is real work. This is a hard topic for creatives. It is a hard topic for business people. It takes real creativity and diligence to make it work, but there are people who make it work. They don't seem to have the sorts of careers available in the 1970's though. Its heavily online, and multiple streams from online sources. And constant hustle.

[Doug Robinson]

Thanks for that thoughtful response! I"ll reread it later and get into it.

[drawback]

Hey Doug, this topic isn't my bag (although your music sure is), but MAJUSCULE and his band are well into marketing to today's audiences. Hopefully he'll chime in with some ideas for you.

[Doug Robinson]

Thanks, man!

 

Well, this might belong up in the Shameless Plug section, but since it's my first effort off of my list of creative suggestions, I don't think it's inappropriate to put it here and ask for your feedback.

 

[Anderton]

Hey Doug, it's a different world than it was when we first met.. I'm working with an artist who has sold millions of records and these days, she still has a royalty stream of sorts, but the money comes from gigging and merch at same. She's through with CDs, and is selling vinyl only (I got involved because she needed someone who knew how to master for vinyl.)

 

I've toyed with the idea of releasing my music on USB sticks for years, but my concept would be somewhat different. It would be geared to musicians, and include tracks for remixing, samples used in the process of making it, free presets, artwork, content about "the making of," and so on. The people who like my music really like my music, but it's certainly not for everybody. For example, my album for 2018 was a melding of EDM and rock. It was too EDM for the rock fans, and too rock for the EDM fans. Those who like EDM and rock dug it, but that's not exactly a huge demographic

 

However, pretty much everyone likes my books and such, because they can apply the info to their own music. So, the object would be to produce a product where even if people don't like the music, the other elements included on the USB stick would be appealing enough to justify a purchase.

 

In your case, if you have some heavy hitters behind you, you could supplement the music with interviews, tips about playing technique, the process of recording, even a brief video tour about living in central Mexico (title the video "Music from Middle Mexico," LOL). You can also do music videos, which is easier than many people think. All the music videos for

[/b] were basically lyric videos with public domain images, done with Magix Vegas software on a Windows computer - no cameras, lighting, or other expenses. Yet people like the videos.

 

Our situations are a bit different because I don't depend on the music per se to provide a living. But, it promotes all the other things I do, and it gives credibility that I know what I'm talking about - even if someone doesn't care for the music, they recognize the production values. So for you, the bottom line would be - what can you offer besides music on that USB stick? Artwork? Interviews? Stories?

 

When people ask me what courses they should take at a music college, my stock answer is don't bother - because marketing is the only thing that can get your music above the noise. You already have the music, so your work is 20% done. Now comes the other 80%.

 

What's your marketing hook? Your positioning? Branding? All of these have to be defined, unique, and appealing to wide number of people. It also helps to think in reverse: consider who would buy your product, and what would convince them it was worth buying. Then work backwards and populate your USB stick with something you can promote to them. Sadly, "this has really good music" is no longer a marketing campaign.

 

Good luck!

 

[Edit - Sorry if this is too depressing, but I'm trying to help...]

[Doerfler]

Hey Craig, I foung this post very insightful. I hope Doug does also.

[KuruPrionz]

Gigs are gone for now up here but here is what some others are doing to monitize their music and "swag".

 

Friends have transitioned to adding a small promo "poster" on a stand next to the tip jar.

A scannable patch that can be parsed by cellphone is included for making downloads/payment.

 

Physical media is dwindling in popularity, the efficiency of not needing "stuff" is compelling.

 

One of my friends has a "swag suitcase", it contains a tip area, a few CDs that she burns at home, prints the label etc. She also has a small silkscreen setup and hand screens one-color shirts herself as needed

She's brought in some decent money with the shirts, sells a few CDs. One feature that I love is she installed strings of battery powered LED lights (Dollar Store) so you cannot miss her swag presentation. I've seen her sell 10 shirts at $15 each at a small pub so it does work for some people and is not real expensive or tricky to get into.

 

If you don't gig much or reach many people that way, you need to go online. Facebook seems bloated and fading but you could always at least give it a spin if you already have a decent friend base. Instagram is pretty labor intensive but may broaden your exposure.

 

A fun, well made video on YouTube may direct customers your way.

 

I don't know much about the jazz market or internet sales, I'm learning too!! This is a great thread and topic, thanks for starting it!!! Cheers, Kuru

[Doug Robinson]

Thanks guys-much to chew on here. Craig it is especially gratifying to hear from you. I will respond in a little bit when I have some time.

[Doug Robinson]

Craig--I'm blessed and cursed by the fact that I don't really NEED to make a lot of money, but I would like (and almost need in order to justify) to cover my costs. At 64, I'm retired and doing only what I love--living in Central Mexico, selling a bit of real estate now and then (not right now!) and gigging when I have something new to say--I put on big concerts (300-400 seats) with musicians from all over Mexico and we all have a ball and put a little chunk of change in our pockets. Again, not right now--I had about $2000 usd worth of gigs cancel for next month, which goes a long way down here.

 

I researched vinyl for this new release, but honestly I only know 5 or 6 audiophile adults who even have turntables. A few young people do, of course, but even if by some miracle they'd be drawn to my work, I don't think I'd even sell 50 units and the cost of entry in that low of a quantity is prohibitive, like around $19 each not counting getting them down here and paying duties, so in order to make any profit I'd have to sell them for $34 each--not likely that young kids will pay that.

 

And I love what you're saying about value-added content upon a usb stick. I wish I was more of a media creator--working with video just wipes me out. Did you see my little promotional video above? That little video I made took 7 hours and it could have been so much better. I'm happy to say that I at least sold 5 downloads overnight, posting it here, on FB and one other place.

 

I do agree that 'good music here' isn't enough anymore. Jazz is a bit of an exception in my eyes--I buy things based on artist reputation all the time, and couldn't care less if I also get interviews or rehearsal clips. But that day will come. But I was raised to think the music and the cover art were enough and it's hard to reinvent myself into a content provider. But I will, to some degree because I basically see the logic in what you're saying.

 

It's a new world for sure, and the contrast is even starker now that gigging is out of the question for the immediate future.