Selling your music on USB drive

Subject: RE: Selling your music on USB drive
From: GUEST,punkfolkrocker
Date: 25 Nov 14 - 03:08 PM

One distinct advantage of selling CD quality 16/44 [or even high Resolution, eg. 24/96] WAV files on a USB stick
[or memory card]
is that the buyer then has all user flexability to burn to CDs or convert to MP3 or apple format.

The disadvantge is the music is even easier to copy and pass on freely to other people.

That is probably the main limitation on the USB stick being used more as a sales media
by major record lables.

They already made big consumer unfriendly mistakes with copy protection software on CDs & DVDs.

Trying to impose copy protection on yet another format, USB sticks,
is probably one more potential losing battle too many for the record companies.

Subject: RE: Selling your music on USB drive
From: GUEST,Ray
Date: 25 Nov 14 - 01:25 PM

My '14 model Golf doesn't have a factory fitted USB connection but it does have an SD card slot - as do many computers and most TVs. How does the price of SD cards compare with memory sticks?

Ray (apostrophic pedant)

PS Spotted a sign in Debenhams a couple of weeks ago which said "3 Item's or less". i.e. two mistakes in four words!

Subject: RE: Selling your music on USB drive
From: GUEST,bernieandred
Date: 25 Nov 14 - 12:05 PM

Very constructive. A couple of observations though. Our audience is in the over 60 age bracket! Computer users, but not experts, so I doubt that very many of them are downloading much.
All the graphics of the original CD can be loaded on the USB drive.

Finally, something I didn't realise until talking to some younger fellow musicians, most late model cars in North America, have a USB connection in the on board stereo system. So they can just plug a stick in & away you go.

Subject: RE: Selling your music on USB drive
From: GUEST,Reynard
Date: 25 Nov 14 - 11:01 AM

Just a few thoughts:

If you are selling a format that can't be played except via a PC/MP3 player, and that has no artwork or other packaging, I wonder if it is worth selling it physically at all? Could you not make the albums downloadable and sell them online individually at a cheap rate?

Is it really beneficial or attractive to offer all 10 together? It might be a bit overwhelming and in some sense devaluing to the music, and also off putting to anyone that already owns a couple of your CDs!

On the other hand, I do understand that it's good to have something to physically sell at gigs...

Speaking personally, I access a lot of music online or through Spotify, but still buy the odd CD because I can play them on the kitchen stereo or in the car, and it's nice to see a bit of artwork, liner notes and all that stuff that gives you a bit of a feel for where the artist is coming from. I wouldn't buy a USB stick because it has none of those features.

I hope this is constructive :)

Subject: RE: Selling your music on USB drive
From: GUEST,Rachel
Date: 25 Nov 14 - 08:01 AM

@ Guest..... My advice would be to check the spelling of the word 'advice' before casting the first stone.....

Subject: RE: Selling your music on USB drive
From: GUEST,bernieandred
Date: 25 Nov 14 - 12:41 AM

I have found some reasonably priced 4 gig thumb drives, but per gig they are still very expensive compared to 16 & 32 gig drives.

Subject: RE: Selling your music on USB drive
From: GUEST,punkfolkrocker
Date: 25 Nov 14 - 12:23 AM

...hmmm... now lets' have a pause to think about the state of the world...

ebola.. Ukraine.. global recession.... such a lot tha'ts going so despairingly wrong..

yet still there are petty pedantic buffoon's who d'ont have anything worse to get aggrieved by
than a misplaced '...!!!???



Oh btw, USB drives.. a few recent high profile release's..
eg The Beatle's' novelty apple shaped USB stick,
possibly Prince,
and others that I cant' remember right now...

Subject: RE: Selling your music on USB drive
From: Bert
Date: 24 Nov 14 - 11:18 PM

It would be nice if we could buy 1 gig SD cards cheaply.

Subject: RE: Selling your music on USB drive
From: GUEST,bernieandred
Date: 24 Nov 14 - 11:03 PM

Maybe Lynn Truss was thinking of you when she said "He eats shoots & leaves". Assuming you are male.

Subject: RE: Selling your music on USB drive
From: GUEST
Date: 24 Nov 14 - 10:30 PM

My advise would be to learn how to use apostrophes. CDs doesn't have one.

Subject: Selling your music on USB drive
From: GUEST,bernieandred
Date: 24 Nov 14 - 08:52 PM

We sell CD's at the gig, but sales are less & less each year. I am putting all of our CD's (10) onto one thumb drive & selling the package at a greatly reduced rate. i.e. 50% off.
Is anybody out there doing this already? What kind of packaging (if any) are you offering. Anyone got any advice etc.etc. Thanks