Help: Wholesaling recordings

Subject: RE: Help: Wholesaling recordings
From: Kim C
Date: 29 Jun 00 - 10:35 AM

Thanks y'all!

Subject: RE: Help: Wholesaling recordings
From: Paul G.
Date: 28 Jun 00 - 07:29 PM

I would agree with Phil on the wholesale pricing -- $10 if your selling for $15. I've done reasonably well that way with both my solo and group recordings. Consignment is another avenue...the seller gets a third of the sale price without any risk -- you just have to trust the sellers honesty. Web outlets are also pretty good. if you have your own web site you can set up secure on-line credit card ordering through CDstreet.com. They'll ship for you or you cand ship yourself. As others have stated -- the best way to sell is through your gigs...develop a reputation...get heard. It's not magic and its not easy. My only advise contrary to what has previously been posted is DON'T GIVE IT AWAY! The only freebies should be to radio stations that might play it, reviewers who might write about it, and booking agents who might book you ( and a few for special friends and family and the Mudcat). You deserve to be paid for your time, effort, and investment. If your product is good, folks will buy it and you'll be rewarded. If not, then they won't...Best of luck!

pg

Subject: RE: Help: Wholesaling recordings
From: GUEST,Phil Cooper
Date: 28 Jun 00 - 06:04 PM

Margaret and I have put out quite a few independent recordings over the years. We still make the bulk of our money selling them at concerts. Wholesale, the price sort of varies depending on the place that's buying them. Some local stores will pay us about 2/3 of our asking retail price, some about 1/2 of our retail price. I would be wary of folks asking to pay you much less. If you're putting it out yourself, you are not getting big label quantity price breaks on manufacturing. Also, if your recording is sitting on a store shelf and no one knows who you are they are not likely to buy it, unless they can hear bits of it. Radio play helps with that, but you'll still probably find that sales are best when you have just played.

Subject: RE: Help: Wholesaling recordings
From: Margo
Date: 28 Jun 00 - 05:51 PM

I have friends who have two CD's out. They have their own web site, and they perform regularly at local farmer's markets, festivals, and pubs. They don't have anyone else selling their CD's, they just sell CD's at performances or online (mail in order form, no credit card set up). They've ordered more CD's, so they must do ok. But I'm sure they'd sell more if they did wholesale to an outlet of some kind.

Kohoutek is right - it's a process. You have to build up fans. (Keep your day job?) My friends who are a duo are a computer programmer and a city planner, so they obviously aren't depending on the income from music (but would like to do that). I guess that means, keep your day job! (NOI) Margo

Subject: RE: Help: Wholesaling recordings
From: Kohoutek
Date: 28 Jun 00 - 04:50 PM

If you are any good - you need to treat your first release as a 'loss leader' Let people hear you, give the retailer some free copies, let him sell you to his customers.

If you want to be heard - give your music away. If what you're doing is great, listeners will want more and be prepared to pay for it

If you're hung up about losing money, you'll get nowhere

K.

Subject: Wholesaling recordings
From: Kim C
Date: 19 Jun 00 - 10:08 AM

This is for those of you who have independently put out your own cassettes/CDs whatever. Without divulging too much information, what sort of wholesale discount do you give to dealers? We have just finished our first recording and since we've never done this before, we don't really know what sort of rates dealers expect. Naturally we don't want to get cheated but we don't want to cheat anyone either. Any thoughts? Thanks!