What makes you buy a CD? A Marketing question...

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mjr

mjr

ADD -- blessing and curse
What makes you buy a CD from a virtually "unknown" artist?

What I mean is this:

1. When you're looking for new music, where do you look? What sites do you visit? What keywords do you use? How do you "find" new artists?

2. When that new artist is found, what makes you decide to buy that particular artist's/group's CD?

On a different note, if you'll excuse the pun, how do you come up with good content for your website? This is where I have trouble. Marketing myself through words.

I ask these questions because I have several ideas of how to market, and I need to do it on a VERY tight budget, and I don't need to waste my money.
 
Internet sites and local record shops are where i usually see new artists.

I look at 4 things while thinking about buying it...

1. cover art. If I like their taste in art, maybe i'll like their taste in music.
2. Band/Artists name.
3. Album title.
4. Song names.

Since I have nothing els to go off, If i think they were creative with everything els on their album, i'll probably think their music is cool.
It's not full proof obviously, I've bought new music looking at those 4 things and hated it.
 
Mostly word of mouth. If someone whose opinion I respect recommends a band/artist, I'll check them out. I also subscribe to Paste magazine, which has a sampler CD in each issue (published every other month). They cover a lot of indie, folk, americana, singer/songwriter stuff. If I dig stuff on the sampler or one of the reviews sounds like something I'd like, I may buy the album. Occasionally, I'll check out the reviews in Alternative Press too, but they tend to have too many reviews to actually read. I'll check online reviews on All Music Guide and Epitonic, if available.

I like live music, so I'm always checking the local clubs and pollstar for concerts in the area. Some venues tend to offer the type of music I am more likely to be interested in, so sometimes I'll go even if I've never heard of the artist. Having an interesting name (for your genre) helps in this department, too. If your name is "Fellating Dead Monkies" I'm not going to come see you live.

As for websites, I highly recommend having a couple of your favorite tunes available for download as an mp3. Few things turn me off more than a band/artist who is so full of themselves that they only offer 15 second clips, or only songs that I can listen to via a popup player, but cannot download. If you're good enough to end up on my mp3 player, chances are, I'll buy your CD. Also, make sure you have up-to-date tour info, so I know where to find you playing live (& get yourself listed on Pollstar).
 
mjr said:
1. When you're looking for new music, where do you look? What sites do you visit? What keywords do you use? How do you "find" new artists?
Click to expand...
Here's a sampling of music websites in no particular order:
http://www.indie-music.com/bandsmain.php
http://www.sectionz.com/home_mp3.asp
http://www.motagator.net/
http://www.audiostreet.net/
http://www.acidplanet.com/music.asp?M=0&T=99
I don't use keywords, I randomly sample or browse based on popularity. The only thing that matters as far as "keywords" goes would be the genre, although knowing similar artists could help - at least in the description of various bands it has enlightened me at times.

More important than those sites are referrals from friends. And the other important aspect is seeing a song by an artist for review on any of the many songwriting forums I frequent.

mjr said:
2. When that new artist is found, what makes you decide to buy that particular artist's/group's CD?
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The artist has to have good sample tracks. And I mean good, not just okay. I have to like over 2/3 of what I hear to consider buying a CD. Buying individual tracks is generally a better route to go, simply because most artists either have multiple tracks that sound similar or only one or two good ones.

mjr said:
On a different note, if you'll excuse the pun, how do you come up with good content for your website?
Click to expand...
The best content is based on reality. Fluff is easy to churn out. I like to read about how songs were written rather than "how i spent my summer vacation" or some such drivel. My advice: look at sites of popular groups where you like the content and do something similar. Just don't fill it with fluff or crappy pictures. And please make it readable. It's annoying trying to decipher yellow text on red backgrounds; I'm sure you've seen those places.
 
Mostly word of mouth. If someone whose opinion I respect recommends a band/artist, I'll check them out.

-- The problem here is that no one outside of my immediate family (my wife, infant son) and a select few others have even heard my music.

I also subscribe to Paste magazine

-- What's their submission criteria? Can I submit a CD to them?

I like live music, so I'm always checking the local clubs and pollstar for concerts in the area.

-- I don't play live (yet). My CD is essentially me playing all the instruments except for the drums, which come with my recording software, so I obviously would have difficulty playing live anywhere (except maybe an "open mic" night somewhere).

As for websites, I highly recommend having a couple of your favorite tunes available for download as an mp3.

-- I'm already planning to do this. I'm probably going to make them buffered .m3u files (so the wait for the download is less). Probably two songs. Possibly an option (Do you like this song? Get it here! or something).

Here's a sampling of music websites in no particular order

-- I'll check those out.

The only thing that matters as far as "keywords" goes would be the genre, although knowing similar artists could help

-- My genre is country. I'll have to do some serious thinking about who the "similar artists" may be.

The best content is based on reality.

-- Duly noted. Is it ok to put "Thanks for visiting my website...blah, blah, blah..." or is that too cheesy?

And please make it readable
-- 13 pixel (roughly 10 point) black Arial font on a white background.
 
mjr said:
Is it ok to put "Thanks for visiting my website...blah, blah, blah..." or is that too cheesy?
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If you put it at the end of an intro paragraph I could see it, maybe. Don't put it at the top. Look at the pro's pages: do they start with it? Rather than thanking someone for being there, make it so worth their time (meaning it's interesting) that they know you appreciate them.
 
Word of mouth.
Magazine reviews... this one is a bit tricky. I'm mainly interested in experimental and industrial stuff, so I'll check out the reviews in mags such as Grooves, IndustrialnatioN and related sites. However, if it's someone that I haven't heard of, I like to see if they have a website, and more importantly if they have mp3 examples of their work. If I like the mp3s, then I'll buy the album.
 
Word of mouth. That's pretty much it for me. Reviews are completely useless. And...well....the music. All the promotion in the world is rendered useless if nobody finds anything interesting about the music.
 
About once or twice a month I troll the web for new sounds. If I can't at least hear a sample I walk away. If I like what I hear, I buy. I got like 160 CDs in my vast collection that are ALL from "nobodies" And most of them are far better than the crap on the radio.

BTW if anyone's into Rock & Blues you should google "bb chung king and the buddahheads" they rock!

- Tanlith -
 
when i hear of an artist, the first thing i do is head to myspace and see if they have a site that i can stream some music.

I might go to their actual site just to poke around a bit

Then i'll probably head to ITunes to see if they're up there and listen to a bit of each song. if i still like, i'll buy the CD...wether it's on line or at a store or through ITunes...

One thing that keeps poping up, and maybe it's just me, but i don't care what the hell someones CD cover looks like. i think that's bull shit. I'm not in the car or at work staring at their album cover all day. hell, you buy from ITunes and you get nothing but some electronic files with no graphics. It's good to look professional, but i don't give a crap what the CD looks like. If the music's good and you can get it infront of your target market, it will sell.
 
mjr said:
Duly noted. Is it ok to put "Thanks for visiting my website...blah, blah, blah..." or is that too cheesy?
Click to expand...
Ok, i have a tip and if i come out sounding like an ass im sorry. NEVER EVER put that at the end of a website, especially if the website is music releated. yes if you are running a business or you are in marketing, managment, .. ect.. it is ok.. but a music releated site that is personally yours NO.

Why not to say that, you ask?
Well, you DO NOT want to make it sound like they are going to visit your page, check it out, then leave and never come back. If you leave that messege that is what you are doing... your saying thanks for comming, goodbye. you do not want to leave that impression! You want people to come to your site, leave, and come back... you want people to keep comming not come once to check you out and just never come back.

I have done a lot with website design and marketing and that is actually one of the biggest mistakes people do; Adding that little closer, phrase, w/e you want to call it.


Also, just one more tip/ comment about same topic; when you leave that closer it also sounds like your sucking up to them. Sucking up to your peers, fans and visitors. Its like your saying "Thanks for comming to my site, i know i am a rookie but please please come back to my site i am begging you" ... <May not be the best example but you get the point... and it also makes you seem very un-professional.


Well i hope this helps..
Iced
 
mjr said:
What makes you buy a CD from a virtually "unknown" artist?

What I mean is this:

1. When you're looking for new music, where do you look? What sites do you visit? What keywords do you use? How do you "find" new artists?

2. When that new artist is found, what makes you decide to buy that particular artist's/group's CD?
Click to expand...

While I've only purchased CDs from artists whose music I
was familiar with, I can comment on what's made me purchase
vinyl records from unknown artists: a combination
of the type of music, cover art and information about the
music printed on the back of the album. Surely something
provocative on the cover, along with some cool artwork and
good color combinations, etc. can't hurt, and may provide a
psychological incentive for people to purchase your album.
A short catchy description of your music by some reviewer
may help too, to lessen the fear of the unknown for the
prospective purchaser (now, I don't mean something braggy,
but something more factual about the music style and what
makes yours unique). Best of luck!
 
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