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Why do so few artists bring CDs to sell?
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Beat Agency
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
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1752
Posted : Jan 2, 2011 15:51
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The point is when is it enough? When will people be satisfied enough to actually support the artists instead of demanding more and more "solutions" that the artists or labels have to implement?
First people demanded the labels to add colorful booklets, stickers and all sorts of pling pling. Addition that ended up be much more costly to the labels and in the end to the artists. And sales did not rise. On the contrary.
Then people demanded less expensive releases (I can agree on this one though as long as more of the money goes to the artists). But fact is - even cheap music does not sell when people can get it for free.
Then people demanded to get longer samples of tracks in order to buy the music (newsflash: music sales did not go up).
Then people claimed artists should stop whining and get some gigs. But there are not enough empty slots to get that many artists gigs. And the organizers and the audience do not have the will to give the artists a chance. They demand the same top artists to fill out the slots and monopolize the gigs. So no this demand does also not work dear music lovers 
Now some want the artists to bring CD's to the gigs (if they get gigs). But as Remy has pointed out. Its utopia to bring CD's to gigs in countries where the organizers are amateurs who does not know the first thing about getting the artist a work permit Visa.
Secondly most artists who are released by a label does not get more than 1-5 CD's and many labels are not willing to sell some of the stock to the artists or to give it to the artists as suggested.
My question is:
When is it enough? When does the audience start to care about the artists and support them instead of setting up endless demands?
  www.beatagency.dk |
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Axis Mundi
Axis Mundi
Started Topics :
75
Posts :
1848
Posted : Jan 2, 2011 17:14
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Last booking of mine was a New Years party in Austin. I brought 15x of my album, and 15x of my compilation.
I sold no more than 2 of each by the time of my set.
During my set, I handed out the rest to the crowd, one by one, for free.
Was it worth it to bring them? Most definitely.
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Nectarios
Martian Arts
Started Topics :
187
Posts :
5292
Posted : Jan 2, 2011 19:34
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Quote:
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CDs use quite a bit of raw material to produce. quite a bit of plastic, paper, etc...think about the cd itself, the jewel case, the outer rapping, the booklet, and all the ink used. not to mention the energy required to burn/write the cd's. on top of that a physical cd must be transported to the place of purchase by consumers. to cancel all these energy consuming effects, buy digital downloads |
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Peace out.
http://soundcloud.com/martianarts |
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demoniac
Demoniac Insomniac
Started Topics :
85
Posts :
1281
Posted : Jan 2, 2011 19:53
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Axis Mundi
Axis Mundi
Started Topics :
75
Posts :
1848
Posted : Jan 2, 2011 20:32
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The amount of energy the average partygoer uses to get to the party is probably more than the energy cost of the printing of the CDs the artist brings with him. And then, let's think about the amount of energy used and the waste generated during the average open air fest, if you REALLY need something to complain about.
This sort of smug eco-nitpicking is rather hard to take seriously when many people in the psytrance community use airplanes like taxis to travel all over the world. Certainly not everybody is like this but I know enough eco-nazis who will treat you bad for wearing leather boots but will take a plane halfway across the world for the sake of a party or an exotic drug trip.
My point is take the plank out of your eye before pointing out the speck in other's eyes. I'm sure we can all look around our immediate area in this moment and find enough ecological waste to make complaining about waste from printing a few dozen (or hundred) CDs not really worth the bother (such as the computer we are reading and typing this on and the power it takes to run it).
Alternatively, you can look at the CD itself as a work of art and/or collector's item and compare it to any other work of art and the energy and materials it took to make it and consider the ramifications.
OR... you can simply be true to yourself and just download the digital music if you feel that the environmental impact of buying a CD is enough to keep you from sleeping at night. I mean seriously though, stop obsessing over relatively trivial stuff like this and take a look at the BIG picture.
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Beat Agency
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
53
Posts :
1752
Posted : Jan 2, 2011 20:37
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@ Axis Mundi
Come to Europe and bring your CD's and see if you can get them through customs without a work-permit visa. What goes on locally is not really the object here
Support the artists in a more smart way. Donate or buy downloads. Yes it's that simple
www.beatagency.dk |
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Nectarios
Martian Arts
Started Topics :
187
Posts :
5292
Posted : Jan 2, 2011 20:41
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Relax Axis, I am not saying I have a 0 carbon footprint and we are definitely not going to save the world buy simply switching over from physical CDs to downloads...its one of them little bits that help making this world a better place though.
I hold vinyl as a valuable collectors item (and not because of the silly "warmer sound"argument)...but CDs are 1s and 0s just like digital downloads.
Peace out.
http://soundcloud.com/martianarts |
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kriz
Horrordelic Records
Started Topics :
25
Posts :
1247
Posted : Jan 2, 2011 20:46
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I sometimes buy digital, but I always buy the physical copy if its possible.. I have lost too much data in hard drive crashes over the years 
I would like more artists to push at the festival they go to, doesnt need to be a big artists to print up some cds and start pushing
3o~ kriz aka krize 3o~ ....Horrordelic Records.... http://www.horrordelic.com
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- Think for yourself -
http://www.goatrance.de/goabase/member/profile/lkkkaKhOQP |
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Beat Agency
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
53
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1752
Posted : Jan 2, 2011 20:49
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@ kriz
Ever heard of backing up data?
A point you guys also seem to miss is. If an artists is signed to a label then the artists can not just copy a few of his own CD's and sell them at parties. That would be a violation of the agreement with the label. Now I dont justify such an agreement but its the way things are.
I still believe the best way is to donate and buy downloads IF people are serious interested in supporting the artists they like.
www.beatagency.dk |
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Outolintu
IsraTrance Full Member
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63
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1477
Posted : Jan 2, 2011 20:59
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side track:
this eco-talk about cd vs. d.load is not a new one on this forum. i wouldn't bet my money on the fact that digital d.loads are more ecological than cds if you really start to think about all the home computers, hard disks, servers etc. ofcourse one can argue that they're already there and used for many other purposes too but still...
"no one ever sweats on a plug-in" -moby |
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Axis Mundi
Axis Mundi
Started Topics :
75
Posts :
1848
Posted : Jan 2, 2011 23:03
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I'm relaxed, just sharing my opinion
@ Beat Agency, yes I know this is a problem. I'm mainly referring to complaining about buying/using CDs and their environmental impact being a rather shallow argument.
Okay, that's all, I'll shut up now 
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Remy [POF]
Principles Of Flight
Started Topics :
48
Posts :
509
Posted : Jan 2, 2011 23:04
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seriously... who gives a fuck about a few 100.000 cd's printed every year... its nothing compared to whats going on polution wise in the world... fucking hippie bullshit i respect nature crap talk...
On 2011-03-08 23:13, moki wrote:
listening only to free music is like having the free possibility to satisfy yourself with thousends of different free sexual acts. |
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kriz
Horrordelic Records
Started Topics :
25
Posts :
1247
Posted : Jan 2, 2011 23:32
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Beat Agency
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
53
Posts :
1752
Posted : Jan 2, 2011 23:42
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I don't give a flying F*** regarding all the pollution politics. Indeed double standards. To me this subject is about people wanting to support artists or not or just keep setting up demands for the artists to apply to.
As I said it's pretty easy and basic. Support your artist instead of keep demanding changes from the artists. I believe we artists already changed things as much as we could. Now its the audience time to show some will to support the artists. Your turn people
www.beatagency.dk |
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Basilisk
IsraTrance Full Member
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168
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2984
Posted : Jan 3, 2011 00:34
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In addition to the effects mentioned above it is important to consider how the ratio of artists to audience members is always decreasing. This is a very participatory culture and the barriers to entry are continually being lowered. Indeed, the audience could be asked how fair it is to be asked to support everyone following their dreams given how many musicians want to make a living with their art. When it comes down to it most people would rather create than work in an office. Competition is fierce and technology has altered BOTH sides of the equation, offering the tools to create as well as the means to undermine the physical media distribution monopoly. In such a saturated market the only useful strategies are innovation or favouritism in some form or another (which still seems to dominate).
I certainly don't have all the answers; I am just working to expand the options open to artists in the rough and tumble music world of today. Still, this dialogue is missing something without discussing the huge influx of new artists and labels and subsequent saturation of the marketplace. Technological change isn't the only thing at work here. Plus, though it may be obvious, the fact that people are attending events in what might be record numbers (we can't know for sure but subjectively the scene feels bigger now than ever) surely says something about how they wish to show their support!
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