Alright. I've been thinking for a while about this, And I'm just wondering, For a underground artist to put their music online for free or sell it? Especially for Hip Hop it's different because so much artists use artists beats, but I plan on making my Next Project with only my Self-Produced Music, And Which one would I benefit most from?
Putting Out Your Albums Free Or For a Price
- Thread starter Lway
- Start date
Putting it out free with get you more exposure. Selling it will give you funds for more/better recordings. It's really up to you as an artist, and whoever else you may be working with.
Why not do both? Make a cd that you can sell, then put some other tracks that didn't make the album up for free online.
I do remember free things from artists that I have recieved. Whether its a cheap demo, or merch or whatever. It sticks in the back of my mind that the artist(s) believed in their music enough to give it away without charge. Personally it gains them a lot of respect in my book and if I like the music I'll purchase it next time.
The way I see it, and underground artist with little to no following will make very little money selling things until get start growing their following. Perform shows, and toss out some cheap demo cds to the crowd. If your good enough people will like it and start passing it around. Then once you've built a bit of a following release a full cd and sell it.
At the end of the day its your music, do with it what you want.
Why not do both? Make a cd that you can sell, then put some other tracks that didn't make the album up for free online.
I do remember free things from artists that I have recieved. Whether its a cheap demo, or merch or whatever. It sticks in the back of my mind that the artist(s) believed in their music enough to give it away without charge. Personally it gains them a lot of respect in my book and if I like the music I'll purchase it next time.
The way I see it, and underground artist with little to no following will make very little money selling things until get start growing their following. Perform shows, and toss out some cheap demo cds to the crowd. If your good enough people will like it and start passing it around. Then once you've built a bit of a following release a full cd and sell it.
At the end of the day its your music, do with it what you want.
There is an online site (the name slips my mind atm, a friend told me about it) where you can put up your music for free or people can donate to download it. I thought that was a pretty cool idea because some people might really like you and if they see that they can pay, they just might. But, at the same time you won't lose exposure and word of mouth from people not wanting to pay. Also, having CDs at shows would be a good option because some people still like a tangible item (I know I do).
If i can find the name of that site i'll post it here...
If i can find the name of that site i'll post it here...
Capriccio
A#13b5b9
If you mean bandcamp.com then I have just started using it and think it is a great idea. You can choose the price, anything from zero, and whether people pay only your price or can pay more if they want to. Have a look.
R
RAMI
Guest
I think the first realistic thing to do is get your head around the fact that you're not going to make money from your music. I mean "significant" money. You might make a few bucks here and there if you send your CD to a company like CD BABY or whatever. But I guarantee you there are at least 10,000 other people doing the same type of music as you are, many of them are giving it away for free, and it's a huge sea with way too many fish in it. By the way, I'm talking about every style of music, I'm not addressing the OP.
If anyone finds me too cynical, I'll keep bumping this thread for the next 5 years until one person reading it now (June 28, 2012) proves me wrong.
The chances are about as good as saying that if anyone reading this today makes it in the NFL, NHL, MLB, or NBA in the next 5 years, to post it here.
....and don't you dare come back and tell me I'm an idiot because you managed to spam 50,000 views for your Youtube video.
If anyone finds me too cynical, I'll keep bumping this thread for the next 5 years until one person reading it now (June 28, 2012) proves me wrong.
The chances are about as good as saying that if anyone reading this today makes it in the NFL, NHL, MLB, or NBA in the next 5 years, to post it here.
....and don't you dare come back and tell me I'm an idiot because you managed to spam 50,000 views for your Youtube video.
R
RAMI
Guest
....and while I'm at it, let me tell you this.....
Once you stop worrying about making money from your music, you'll start producing much better music.
The truth will set you free.....
Once you stop worrying about making money from your music, you'll start producing much better music.
The truth will set you free.....
....and while I'm at it, let me tell you this.....
Once you stop worrying about making money from your music, you'll start producing much better music.
The truth will set you free.....
Truth be told!
....and while I'm at it, let me tell you this.....
Once you stop worrying about making money from your music, you'll start producing much better music.
The truth will set you free.....
That wasn't what I was hinting at. My goal isn't to make money, it's to make the best quality music I possibly can. I just feel like in a few years I'm gonna look back at my material and say "Damn, This was actually Good solid Work that deserves to be sold, and I gave it out for free". A ton of rappers put out free mixtapes and all that, But by the time they get to their debut album, it underachieves because they were giving out quality album material for free, and The Public got so use to that and they don't like the newer work anymore. Some of the problems with Hip Hop Especially is that Artists keep putting out work for free, and noone's buying when they get to the point that they have to make a album. You gotta make the fans have to buy the albums in order to change the Industry, understand what I'm saying?
R
RAMI
Guest
kcearl
I see deaf people
Im selling mine, i paid for it to get mastered, i paid for CDs to be made...i dont care as long as i sell one itll be worth it, but i have a feeling i may sell four and seven downloads 
I think if youre going to give something for free it should be a taster..if you worked hard on an album then sell it, even if its for a nominal price, i think giving an album for free is saying its worthless...just my 2 cents
I think if youre going to give something for free it should be a taster..if you worked hard on an album then sell it, even if its for a nominal price, i think giving an album for free is saying its worthless...just my 2 cents
R
RAMI
Guest
I agree. I never said anyone should or shouldn't give away anything for free.Im selling mine, i paid for it to get mastered, i paid for CDs to be made...i dont care as long as i sell one itll be worth it, but i have a feeling i may sell four and seven downloads
I think if youre going to give something for free it should be a taster..if you worked hard on an album then sell it, even if its for a nominal price, i think giving an album for free is saying its worthless...just my 2 cents
What I said was, don't expect to make any money from your music.
heatmiser
mr. green christmas
Im selling mine, i paid for it to get mastered, i paid for CDs to be made...i dont care as long as i sell one itll be worth it, but i have a feeling i may sell four and seven downloads
Cool. So you are going to make some actual CDs then...I want one. I was afraid it would be DL-only. Be sure to let me know how and when I can purchase it.
grimtraveller
If only for a moment.....
I agree and disagree in one swift move. I think tasters are a good idea and I wouldn't necessarilly advocate doing it every time there's an album out but neither would I disagree with it.
At the same time, I don't think giving an album away free says that it's worthless. Quite the opposite, in fact. It says 'I want you to hear and have this sooooo much because I think it's sooooo worth hearing and having'. Especially in this free download age we live in where so many people have the mentality that it's their entitlement and right to not have to pay for their music.
grimtraveller
If only for a moment.....
It's actually kind of noble.
kcearl
I see deaf people
yup... i agree with you
Perhaps if you had an album you mastered yourself and only available for digital download it really shouldnt cost much, but getting it mastered and having CDs made, there is no chance of even breaking even, its just part of your expensive hobby
making a living of it? lol, then youre a lucky bugger
Great Pete...theyre back this week...and will be up on sale, Ill post a thread in the marketing forum...it sounds pretty good if I say so myself
I think streaming is going to be the future of online music, whether its paid for by the individual or by advertisers on the site will be the sticking point i think...I dont think even downloading MP3s will last, with the amount of wifi devices available, and its instant delivery itll be exactly what new music listeners will look for
I also think theres a place for giveaways...if I was a giging musician, which Im considering, Id gve away a four track EP with links to the album. I just think putting the effort into an entire albums worth of tracks and saying here, take it, cheapens the work...imho of course
I sell mine and keep none of the money. How stupid is that?
not stupid, pretty damn awesome...and they still have to be worth buying, which they are