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24 Oct 10 - 12:14 PM (#3014294) Subject: How much would you pay for a CD? From: Howard Jones This is a spin-off from the "downloads for £1" thread. The point of the discussion is that in the digital age it's up to the consumer to decide what something is worth, rather than for the record company to dictate a price. So how much would you be prepared to pay for a CD? £5? £10? More, or less? Let's assume you've heard the performer and decided you like their music, and that it's a properly put together product, not a CD-R burned on their PC. Are you even interested in buying physical CDs or do you prefer downloads? |
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24 Oct 10 - 12:15 PM (#3014296) Subject: RE: How much would you pay for a CD? From: kendall The going rate here is $15.00 plus postage. |
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24 Oct 10 - 12:21 PM (#3014305) Subject: RE: How much would you pay for a CD? From: Midchuck As our two CDs have gotten older, we've gone from selling them for US$15.00, $12.00 or one of each for $20.00. People seem fine with that price. Of course, the bulk of our buyers are middle-aged or older, and aren't into downloading and all that. Heck, we still have cassettes in inventory, and sell one every now and then for a couple of bucks, usually to an aging hippy with a real old car or truck. Peter |
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24 Oct 10 - 12:22 PM (#3014308) Subject: RE: How much would you pay for a CD? From: Charley Noble Or in the UK, £10 or so. But I'd pay much more if I really lusted for it! I do prefer CD's that are commercial quality. Some of the home computer produced ones self-destruct in car CD players when they get hot. If I just want to learn the song a download or even a MP3 sample of first verse and chorus is fine and I'd be willing to pay for that as well. Charley Noble |
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24 Oct 10 - 12:23 PM (#3014309) Subject: RE: How much would you pay for a CD? From: artbrooks To answer the last first, I greatly prefer physical CDs, because then I can play them in the car as well as at home. I really don't know what the going rate is there. In the US, a "commercial" CD normally costs between $15 and $20 in a music or book store. That would be about £9.5-£13. Sales tax of 7% is on top of that, and that varies by locality. I expect to pay $10-$15 if I buy directly from a performer...normally at the upper range. |
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24 Oct 10 - 12:38 PM (#3014330) Subject: RE: How much would you pay for a CD? From: John MacKenzie $10 or £7:50. I still have some left BTW :) |
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24 Oct 10 - 12:38 PM (#3014332) Subject: RE: How much would you pay for a CD? From: John on the Sunset Coast Well, I have no problem with a record company dictating a price. I still have the discretion as to whether I will pay that price. If I, and lots of Is will not pay their price, said price will come down until it reaches a price I will pay. I don't download any thing that I have to pay for over the computer. I'm still enough of a Luddite that I have as little personal economic data on my computer as possible. I figure if hackers can break into UCLA's computer with all its safeguards, how much more easy is it to get into Paypal, to say nothing of my own computer. Finally, a dollar a track (US that seems to be the norm) is, to my way thinking, is fairly expensive. Not to say that professional CDs are any sort of a bargain at lists of $15-$18. The actual materials cost a few cents, and the duplication likewise. I don't have any idea of the actual cost of the recording session, but it seems to me the talents get the short end. Years ago--the heyday of the 45RPM--a house painter friend wrote a hit song (multiple hundreds of thousand record sold) for which he got a royalty of 1 cent per record sold, and probably my brother and I were the only ones to ever listen to that music. Did I say it was actually the B side of the record? But he got paid as if it were the A side hit. |
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24 Oct 10 - 12:40 PM (#3014337) Subject: RE: How much would you pay for a CD? From: Little Hawk If Winona Ryder was wearing it, I'd pay a lot. |
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24 Oct 10 - 12:42 PM (#3014338) Subject: RE: How much would you pay for a CD? From: Dave MacKenzie The last recording I bought was a (second hand) Bill Monroe LP for £2.99. |
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24 Oct 10 - 12:56 PM (#3014349) Subject: RE: How much would you pay for a CD? From: michaelr Went to a Lunasa concert recently. They were selling their new CD "La Nua" for $20. No way, says I, that's too expensive. Then I looked for it in stores. Turns out they're not with Compass anymore, so I had to have the record store special-order it. I paid $18.95. Big savings. Good thing it's a great album. |
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24 Oct 10 - 01:11 PM (#3014362) Subject: RE: How much would you pay for a CD? From: treewind When we started recording with WildGoose we followed the WildGoose pricing which made our CDs £13, but after a while we thought that was a bit steep. Now all our WildGoose CDs are £12 if you buy one, £10 if you buy more than one. Home-brew CDRs like the Pig Dyke Molly Music are £10. |
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24 Oct 10 - 01:19 PM (#3014367) Subject: RE: How much would you pay for a CD? From: VirginiaTam Depends upon the artist. I am more inclined to pay £10 to £15 for the little known folk artists we see at festivals than £5 for a well known blues, rock or jazz artist on Amazon. |
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24 Oct 10 - 02:05 PM (#3014406) Subject: RE: How much would you pay for a CD? From: Howard Jones I find these responses interesting. The implied message on the other thread was that people are expecting to pay less for music (and perhaps prepared to accept lower-quality). The response so far suggests that, in the folk world at least, people do place a value on music and are willing to pay a realistic price for it. |
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24 Oct 10 - 02:55 PM (#3014429) Subject: RE: How much would you pay for a CD? From: michaelr I wouldn't call $20 for a CD that cost $1.50 to produce "realistic". I pay it reluctantly because I love the music, and because I will not resort to illegal downloads. But my feeling is that a price over $10 or so is gouging. |
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24 Oct 10 - 03:06 PM (#3014439) Subject: RE: How much would you pay for a CD? From: gnu You are not paying for "production". |
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24 Oct 10 - 03:08 PM (#3014440) Subject: RE: How much would you pay for a CD? From: gnu And, don't forget, production costs are an economy of scale. |
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24 Oct 10 - 03:17 PM (#3014443) Subject: RE: How much would you pay for a CD? From: Tim Leaning £10 is plenty. |
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24 Oct 10 - 03:33 PM (#3014454) Subject: RE: How much would you pay for a CD? From: Andy Jackson Sorry but I don't follow the logic of the OP Howard Jones.."that in the digital age it's up to the consumer to decide what something is worth". It has always been, correctly in my view, for the producer to determine a price for the product. Only he knows the real cost of production and of course the correct level of recompense for artistic contribution. Yes the cd only cost a few pence to replicate but that is the smallest part of the process. To answer the original question I am happy to pay around £10 for a CD I want. I have just paid nearly £20 for an L.P. I have been after for years. As a founder member of a record production company (sounds grand!) I have always believed that it is just as dangerous to undervalue your product as it is to overcharge. But remember it is the performance and the talent of the performer you are buying the right to enjoy, the value of the plastic and the machinery is meaningless. Andy |
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24 Oct 10 - 03:52 PM (#3014462) Subject: RE: How much would you pay for a CD? From: GUEST,PeterC An item is "worth" what people are prepared to pay. If that is less than the cost of production then it won't be produced. Personally I am happy to pay between £10 and £15 |
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24 Oct 10 - 04:17 PM (#3014482) Subject: RE: How much would you pay for a CD? From: Fidjit Well my studio time. A whole weekend. ca 20 hours or more. Cost me SEK 2000,- = £190 = §300 Cost of running off 100 CD's in Jewel cases with inlays and back and inside pages of colour printing. Came too SEK 4000,- = £382 = §600 Total cost for 100 CD's SEK 6000,- = £575 = §900 Cost for 1 CD = SEK 60,- = £5.75 = §9 Not included in the costs are the following. Difficult to access the costs of these items. All the practice for getting the songs up and running to record. Cost of Guitar strings (and Guitar. And Concertina) All the art work and photos that I mostly did myself for the print work inside the Jewel cases. All the mileage by car backward and forwards to the Studio and the CD production team. All the Blood, Sweat and Tears. All the freebies sent to Magazines (that don't print a word about it) And the ones sent to Folk Radio Stations that never get to play a single track. (Too busy with Kate Rusby, etc. Again). All the promotional CD packages sent to Festivals and Clubs in the hope of getting a gig. All the extra replacement Jewel cases.'Cos carting them around they are liable to get cracked and broken. How can you put a price on that. As part of it all goes with the Gigs involved whilst getting it all ready. My CD's cost, Ten Quid. OK ? Still have some left. Stop me and Buy one. Chas |
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24 Oct 10 - 04:28 PM (#3014493) Subject: RE: How much would you pay for a CD? From: kendall There is more to it than just cutting a disc. Time is involved, and what is time worth? |
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24 Oct 10 - 05:38 PM (#3014542) Subject: RE: How much would you pay for a CD? From: michaelr production costs are an economy of scale. What is that supposed to mean? |
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24 Oct 10 - 06:12 PM (#3014564) Subject: RE: How much would you pay for a CD? From: Ron Davies For somebody whose music I like and whom I want to support, I'm happy to pay $15. I figure that at least part of that is to encourage the artist to make more CD's. For that price I want a real "jewel-box", not a cardboard excuse. And I would like, if at all possible, lyrics for all songs, and certainly some background on each. |
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24 Oct 10 - 08:41 PM (#3014650) Subject: RE: How much would you pay for a CD? From: GUEST,.gargoyle If it was in an out-of-print book .... any price up to $500.00 US.
For a CD - zero for most...the web is free.
IF I personaly met...or...know....and want to support the artist....$1000.00.
Sincerely,
Outside of the local Salvation Army Band..there is no "artist" worthy of 1K US. |
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24 Oct 10 - 09:17 PM (#3014660) Subject: RE: How much would you pay for a CD? From: kendall If people are going to just steal someones music off the internet, why would anyone make another cd? |
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25 Oct 10 - 01:38 AM (#3014723) Subject: RE: How much would you pay for a CD? From: VirginiaTam And I would like, if at all possible, lyrics for all songs, and certainly some background on each. hhmmm... it takes some decent desktop publishing software and the knowledge to use it to fit all that into little CD booklet. Expensive to reproduce too. A song title, writer, musicians/vocals is plenty for the sleeve. Lyrics can be posted on artist's website. |
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25 Oct 10 - 02:27 AM (#3014738) Subject: RE: How much would you pay for a CD? From: GUEST,Patsy For me £10 is enough to pay for a CD £12 at the most depending on the artiste. I like to peruse the aisles of HMV especially the 'World Music' section or if I am looking for classical music but I get more pleasure scouring little obscure record shops and have found many a little treasure tucked away. The only good thing about the internet is it is good for finding unusual covers or forgotten recordings. My son downloaded a huge amount of Billie Holliday for me, I wouldn't know where to start looking in a store but he compiled a CD for me with authentic 'crackles' in the music which you wouldn't get with a digitally remastered CD. |
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25 Oct 10 - 02:45 AM (#3014741) Subject: RE: How much would you pay for a CD? From: Will Fly authentic 'crackles' in the music which you wouldn't get with a digitally remastered CD I wrote in the "downloads for £1" thread: I can also recall that what were often crappy recordings of early rock'n roll in the 1950s are now regarded as the real thing :-) Early digital remastering was mainly very insensitive to the tonal values of the original record and concentrated on clarity at the expense of everything else. This has certainly improved. But I don't think the artists themselves would have approved of 'authentic crackles' either - they would have wanted the original shellac/vinyl to be as perfect as possible. I once did a spoof '30s recording - with added dust and crackles... just for fun. |
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25 Oct 10 - 03:08 AM (#3014747) Subject: RE: How much would you pay for a CD? From: andrew e The trouble with buying CDs is that you don't really know if you're going to like more than one track until you've bought it! iTunes sell tracks separately and I believe this has impacted on whole CD sales. I think $15[Aus] is a good price for the actual CD, and about $6 for the MP3 download. Talking about "authentic crackles", didn't Steeleye Span have a track with a built in jump? |
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25 Oct 10 - 03:09 AM (#3014748) Subject: RE: How much would you pay for a CD? From: Howard Jones Sorry but I don't follow the logic of the OP Howard Jones.."that in the digital age it's up to the consumer to decide what something is worth". That was a paraphrase of the argument used on the other thread. Of course the consumer has always had the choice not to pay the asking price, but in the past that usually meant not acquiring the music. The alternative to buying the album was at best a taped copy of a friend's. These days it is quite easy to acquire a good-quality copy for little or nothing. The costs of manufacturing a CD are just a small part of the total cost. Besides, the cost of production isn't a consideration for the purchaser. However if consumers aren't willing to pay a price which covers the cost of production, will musicians and record companies be willing to continue to provide the music, if they can't recover their costs? The other thread was prompted by a comment from someone in the music industry who is suggesting that downloads should cost £1 - since so many are being downloaded illegally the industry might as well give away recordings in order to generate interest in live concerts and merchandising. Some bands have been giving away music for free, or inviting fans to pay whatever they feel it's worth. I'm not sure that model works for the folk world. |
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25 Oct 10 - 05:11 AM (#3014781) Subject: RE: How much would you pay for a CD? From: GUEST,Peter Laban At the height of the economic boom in Ireland,around 2005-2006, some traditional music CDs were sold for as much as €23 while the average lay around €20. At the moment I think (haven't bought many CDs recently) prices are in the €15-18 region, depending on the typoe of outlet. Most traditional CDs are self-produced ones. Which means the people recording put up the money, make the effort and sell/market them themselves. The '1.50 to produce' certainly doesn't cover the outlay for studio, graphic design, the cost of freebies for broadcast/review, (and optional advertising and marketing), website etc. Distributors will pay you €7 if they take any off you, usually in batches of (multiples of) 25, the cost of getting the CDs to them is yours to shoulder. The US distributors I have dealt with will pay even less, again handing over the burden of getting the material to them to the seller. After one of two batches I decided it was not worth dealing with the US crowd. Some shops will pay more, some specialised shops are very fair (€12 for a CD they sell at €20) some slightly less so. Disadvantage is the majority of shops in Ireland will only deal on sale or return basis and you'll have to check up on them to see if they have sold your CD, they will certainly not send you a cheque when they sell out. That al said and done, I have no problem buying CDs at the current rate of €15-18 when the music interests me. |
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25 Oct 10 - 05:20 AM (#3014782) Subject: RE: How much would you pay for a CD? From: Ian Hendrie I am happy to pay £10-£15 for a CD. I try to buy from the artists themselves or a folk orientated shop/web-site. Amazon, Play, etc. can survive without my custom. |
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25 Oct 10 - 06:09 AM (#3014791) Subject: RE: How much would you pay for a CD? From: GUEST,Patsy I think the cost of CDs has levelled off to a more sensible price now compared to the mid-late nineties. Back then I bought a Ronettes CD at an extortionate price (I thought) of £15.99 as a gift for someone and out of the 18 tracks there was only 4 possibly 5 songs that the person could remember. So yes that is the danger ending up with something that you don't fully listen too and you are stuck with it. When you are faced with a CD that has got far too many tracks to listen through can be a bit of a bug bear for me. These days I try to look for something that is more quality than quantity and hopefully will be good at first or second listening and want to play again and again. |
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25 Oct 10 - 06:43 AM (#3014809) Subject: RE: How much would you pay for a CD? From: GUEST,Ralphie I'm with the majority on this one. There seem to be two types of artists here. The Biggies (McCartney, Elton et al) with big record companies, and even bigger marketing budgets, who can afford to sell their stuff really cheaply as a loss leader. And some even give complete albums away with the Sunday newspapers! But this is more about the artists at the other end of the food chain. People who (rightly or wrongly) think they've got something to offer musically, and subsidise the production manufacturing costs out of their own pockets, not even knowing if it will sell. For these artists, I would willingly pay 10 to 15 pounds for a CD. Having just released my first Solo CD ELOISE (www.the-attic-tapes.co.uk If someone could do a clicky I'd be grateful!) which I paid for myself, I'm happy to say that after 2 months it's in profit, not by much, but I've paid the production costs. I sell from home or at gigs when I can get any! It doesn't have a bar code, as there is little point in distribution or mainline shops. After everyone has taken their cut the money coming to me is minimal. I will, and have left 5 or so with Festival record stall holders (most of whom I know and trust anyway) The deal is that they sell it for £12 I get £8 they get £4. Which seems fair to me, after all they've got overheads too. And if they sell them. They just ask for more. Everyone wins. As for downloads, No thanks. Too many people taking their cut. You'd have to have a lot of people downloading a track to make more than a few pence. No point in that. On my site (Still in it's infancy) there are 3 snippets of three tracks to see if anyone likes them.(but not the complete track) I think that is the best way for small artists to go. Not forgetting that it costs to set up a website too. More overheads. As for media advertising. Far too expensive. One tiny ad in fRoots magazine would wipe out my tiny profit at a stroke, and result in probably no sales! I have sent copies to Radio friends in Local radio here in the UK who've kindly played it, and have said nice things. Result. No sales! Haven't even bothered with main stream radio. It would sit in the great pile of unopened mail of literally thousands of CDs they get every week. Having worked there I've seen it. Some peoples offices you can't even open the door to get in! So, support the small artists that you enjoy at a gig, and buy the CD at the price at which it is offered. There are reasons for the price. Let's face it 12 quid is only the cost of a curry after all and a CD lasts longer! |
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25 Oct 10 - 06:51 AM (#3014811) Subject: RE: How much would you pay for a CD? From: maeve Guest Ralphie's link: http://www.the-attic-tapes.co.uk/ |
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25 Oct 10 - 07:00 AM (#3014815) Subject: RE: How much would you pay for a CD? From: GUEST,Ralphie andrewe. The Steeleye Span with the deliberate jump was their accapella version of Rave On. Which they did for a laugh. Saw them doing it live too! Added crackles? haven't heard Mr Fly's track, but the last track on ELOISE (thats enough plugs ed!) Hopscotch, is a recreation of an Alexander Price tune recorded originally on 78 in 1910 ish. Concertina and Piano. Using the looped surface noise from the original 78, I recorded the tina and piano accompaniment on a csrbon granule microphone! I also remember there was a blues song (Stones in my Pathway) on the Young Tradion LP "Galleries" performed by Peter Bellamy using the same technique. i rememeber that he was really thrilled when people got upset about it! No sense of irony some people! |
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25 Oct 10 - 07:02 AM (#3014821) Subject: RE: How much would you pay for a CD? From: GUEST,Talphie Thanks maeve! How come some people can do that and I can't? You're asking how come I got a website at all....Confession time. My girlfriend runs it! Computer Numpty me. Regards Ralphie |
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25 Oct 10 - 07:08 AM (#3014823) Subject: RE: How much would you pay for a CD? From: GUEST,punkfolkrocker If i was a regularly gigging solo performer I'd consider a 2 tiered sales approach for promotion at gigs.. 1. factory pressed & printed CD, [or best quality CDr] at no more than £7 - £10 for anyone in the audience 'impressed' enough to risk purchasing... 2. no frills CDr sampler EP in a simple paper/plastic sleeve for about 3 or 4 quid [the price of a pint ???], which includes a reasonable 'discount voucher' redeemable against future purchase of any proper full CD Album. might at least cover costs... |
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25 Oct 10 - 07:08 AM (#3014824) Subject: RE: How much would you pay for a CD? From: GUEST,Ralphie Can't even type! That should have been "Alexander Prince" and "carbon granule microphone" Doh! |
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25 Oct 10 - 07:11 AM (#3014826) Subject: RE: How much would you pay for a CD? From: GUEST,Desi C Well, given you like the artist and want it, I would suggest a price based on the number of tracks. Let's face it these days top artists take years (why!) to come up with one album with a paltry few tracks and charge the mandatory £12 or so. So why not £5 for a minimum 5 tracks and 50P for every track after that and a Max £7.50 for a new CD with 10 or nore tracks. And a Max £5 for 'best of' albums which more often than not are hardly worth that, after all if you already had bought a book would you expect to pay full price for a second copy? |
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25 Oct 10 - 07:27 AM (#3014831) Subject: RE: How much would you pay for a CD? From: GUEST,Banjiman The better half's (Wendy Arrowsmith's) CDs are priced (at gigs) at £10 for either one of the 2 released to date.... or both for £15. We can do this as both are very much into the profit zone now. Amazing how much difference the "bargain" price makes to sales.... it seems to be a no brainer for people to buy the 2..... and much batter that people are listening to them rather than them gathering dust in the garage. She has just started recording the 3rd. This will be priced at £10 again and we'll probably keep the "any 2 for £15" and probably add a 3 for £20 price. Paul |
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25 Oct 10 - 07:28 AM (#3014832) Subject: RE: How much would you pay for a CD? From: GUEST,Ralphie Well Desi C As my CD is 17 tracks that makes 11 quid! So, £12 ain't too bad for over an hour of music! Lol! |
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25 Oct 10 - 07:56 AM (#3014849) Subject: RE: How much would you pay for a CD? From: Fidjit And not to forget the cost of any tracks that are copyrighted. Just filling out the paper work is horrendous. My CD, "More Scratches", has 15 tracks on it. So that's about right for a Tenner. I have several other CD's that are Computer made. Chas Clark, "Just Scratching The Surface" The Fidjits, "Live at Galleri Texas". The Fidjits, "Singing in the Spring". The Fidjits, "Christmas Concert". For which I charge just FIVE QUID each for. Which is about what they cost to make. I just run them off when I run out of the ones I have, Chas |
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25 Oct 10 - 04:26 PM (#3015254) Subject: RE: How much would you pay for a CD? From: Tootler I think £10 - £15 for a well produced CD is reasonable. £10 at a gig is good because it makes things simple. Downloaded tracks should go for substantially less. My reasoning has nothing to do about the argument over costs but because you are buying an inferior product. Converting to mp3 degrades the original, so why should you pay as much as for the CD? |
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25 Oct 10 - 10:08 PM (#3015432) Subject: RE: How much would you pay for a CD? From: sharyn I regularly pay U.S. $15 for them. I don't download stuff because I want the artwork, lyrics, notes, etc., although I have been tempted because I have a lot of one-hit wonder CDs in my collection. I made a CD in 2009. It cost me over $9000 U.S. to make it because I made a full-color booklet for it with all of the lyrics to everything, plus a lot of original artwork. I made it the way I wanted to and it is a little jewel. If I had paid for online distribution, it would have cost even more since the royalties for downloading cover songs have to be renewed every year. I have lots of them to sell and there are sixty days until Christmas and far less before Chanukah... Sharyn |
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25 Oct 10 - 11:32 PM (#3015458) Subject: RE: How much would you pay for a CD? From: GUEST,Curtis For the guy who asked what economy of scale is, it is basically the greater quantity produced, the lower the per unit cost of production. Basic economics. |
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26 Oct 10 - 02:40 AM (#3015507) Subject: RE: How much would you pay for a CD? From: GUEST,Ralphie Tootler. Thats about right! Mine goes for £12 (plus £1 for the Jiffy bag and postage 96p! so actually the Jiffy bag is free ans re-useable!) At a gig a Tenner seems fair. Easier to deal with, and the customer has made the effort to come and to pay to get in. |
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26 Oct 10 - 04:30 AM (#3015546) Subject: RE: How much would you pay for a CD? From: mattkeen Ralphie - why do you say that downloads are not worth? Who takes another cut? You can just set it up with a Paypal account from your own site - you get all the money. If you want some help doing this the guy who did our Collective site is very very reasonable - let me know if yuo want a conatct Or CDBaby terms are good |
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26 Oct 10 - 08:24 AM (#3015681) Subject: RE: How much would you pay for a CD? From: GUEST,Desi C Thinkng about this again, someone below said '£12 for an hour's music aint bad' Well, is it really? I go to see various folk gigs with guest artists, average ticket price I reckon is about £6. for that you usually get a good hour at least or more and a dozen or more songs/tunes, most if you've bought a ticket you'll want to hear, plus it's 'live' and you'll usually see and hear support acts. All for £6 ish. And a lot of these artistes will have albums for sale at the £12 level. So why is an hour of CD recorded music, often with new tracks you might not like, costing twice as much as the live gig? Also I think too many big name artistes are too content to flog their wares at over inflated prices, rather than go for volume sales at half the price and probably gain many new fans. I mean on the Pop and Rock scene acts are getting Gold discs for a volume of sales that wouldn't have got them in the top 50 in the 60's |
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26 Oct 10 - 08:58 AM (#3015714) Subject: RE: How much would you pay for a CD? From: Howard Jones So why is an hour of CD recorded music, often with new tracks you might not like, costing twice as much as the live gig? Er.. perhaps you might listen to it more than twice. According to your argument, CDs are grossly under-priced, because you're likely to listen to them dozens, if not hundreds, of times. Compared to the cost of a live gig, they offer great value of money. Of course, listening to live and recorded music offers different experiences, but one is not necessarily inferior to the other. I also don't understand your argument about not liking some tracks. When you go to see an artist perform live you have no idea what they're going to perform, so you have no assurance that they'll be songs you enjoy. At least with an album you can look at the track list before buying it. Besides, if an album is a new release it's probable that the artist will perform much of it during live gigs. Except for a very few acts at the top of the tree, volume sales are difficult to achieve in the folk world. I also get the impression that folk audiences are quite hard to impress, and that it takes more than a cheap CD to win fans. |
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26 Oct 10 - 09:05 AM (#3015720) Subject: RE: How much would you pay for a CD? From: olddude If it was a new one from Bruce Murdoch I would give a weeks pay .. :-) Yea they run usually 15-20 bucks here in the states. Most folk CD's are around 10 with postage |
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26 Oct 10 - 09:17 AM (#3015732) Subject: RE: How much would you pay for a CD? From: GUEST,Uncle Rumpo some acts, I will mention Lindisfarne*, price their CDs at gigs for as high as they can get away with from an older middle class audience. [*all CD's layed out on a table at the bottom of the stairs to the concert hall at a standardised high price well over a tenner, including a budget lable compilation on sale in the local shops for about £2.99] |
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26 Oct 10 - 09:40 AM (#3015749) Subject: RE: How much would you pay for a CD? From: Howard Jones some acts... price their CDs at gigs for as high as they can get away with Doesn't that apply to every trader in any product, whether its CDs or baked beans? Most vendors will charge what they think the market can bear. If they get it wrong, and the buyer can get it cheaper elsewhere, then they won't make many sales. |
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26 Oct 10 - 10:19 AM (#3015782) Subject: RE: How much would you pay for a CD? From: Daver A retired man is wakened one morning by some local boys banging on garbage cans. After three mornings of this he decides to do something about it, so he goes out to the boys and tells them he really appreciates their music and says he'll pay them $1 a day to drum for him. After a few days of this he tells them he's having financial problems and can't afford $1 a day, but he'll pay them $.25 instead. The boys respond that there's no way they'll play for only $.25 and they never disturb him again. Most musicians play because they love to play, and money distorts things. You have to support yourself financially, but for every professional musician who depends on selling CDs to eat, there a hundreds of amateurs with day jobs who are just as good but continue to play for enjoyment. What do we want to support? |
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26 Oct 10 - 10:44 AM (#3015804) Subject: RE: How much would you pay for a CD? From: Howard Jones Speaking as one of the hundreds of amateurs, although I wouldn't claim to be "just as good", I would unhesitatingly answer that I would want to support the pros. Most of what I've learned about playing, and most of my repertoire, has come directly or indirectly from professional musicians, and very often via their albums. |
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26 Oct 10 - 12:55 PM (#3015963) Subject: RE: How much would you pay for a CD? From: Fidjit I buy loads of CD's of other people. Source of my song bag. All part of the expense of making a CD. Chas |
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26 Oct 10 - 02:47 PM (#3016082) Subject: RE: How much would you pay for a CD? From: GUEST,lefthanded guitar I would pay 10 -15 for a CD, but when I talk to anyone under the age of 25, they don't buy CD's anymore. They get all their music online. So friends, is it worht our while to make a CD??? |
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27 Oct 10 - 04:47 AM (#3016518) Subject: RE: How much would you pay for a CD? From: mattkeen Yes it is Its proven over and over that folk music is most succesfully sold at gigs in a CD format. It will change no doubt as the download generation get older but now its CD and generally at gigs |
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27 Oct 10 - 05:41 AM (#3016550) Subject: RE: How much would you pay for a CD? From: GUEST,matt milton yep, the folk scene seems to be pretty unique in still buying CDs. I don't buy many CDs anymore myself - I have an emusic subscription and a whopping credit card bill to pay off, and I'm a bit sick of owning so much CLUTTER and STUFF. But I like the fact that folkies will probably still be buying physical products at gigs for a good 20 years or so. (I reckon.) If you're a working musician and you happen to make folk music, then I say charge as much as you can. That's what everybody else does, with every other product under the sun. At a gig though, I think it's probably shooting yourself in the foot to charge over a tenner. People need to drink and be merry, after all. |
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27 Oct 10 - 05:50 AM (#3016554) Subject: RE: How much would you pay for a CD? From: GUEST,LDT In an ideal world £3.50...but I understand there are costs involved so £6-10 for an album depending on number of tracks. My problem is I'm running out of room to store CD's I buy and I only put them on my I-pod and file them away anyway. So its more practical sometimes to just download rather than have a physical CD. If I go to a gig and like the artist I'm more likely to buy the CD especially if I can get it signed or the little booklet in it is of interest. |
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27 Oct 10 - 06:23 AM (#3016573) Subject: RE: How much would you pay for a CD? From: GUEST At events such as the recent Habourside Festival in Bristol the bands preforming were very good each one a little bit different than the last and it takes an event like this to show what talent there is around, supporting them by buying the CD is a great thing to do especially if the band is local and if a great time was had something to remember it by. I agree that they should keep the cost of the CD low to make up for the expensive beer and cider in the Festival beer tents though! It is interesting about under 25s getting their music online. I don't want to sound like a grumpy old woman but I can't imagine that there is much to download as far as new talent goes. Sorry if I am mistaken. |
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27 Oct 10 - 06:33 AM (#3016577) Subject: RE: How much would you pay for a CD? From: Mr Red 2 GBP if I have to (rarely) 0.2 GBP in Emmaus (charity shops with worldwide exposure) infrequently. The only CD's I have bought new were for wedding video music. All others are review copies or donations. I prefer to make music or the happenstance of talk radio with occasional music. |
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27 Oct 10 - 06:36 AM (#3016581) Subject: RE: How much would you pay for a CD? From: GUEST,LDT "It is interesting about under 25s getting their music online. I don't want to sound like a grumpy old woman but I can't imagine that there is much to download as far as new talent goes. Sorry if I am mistaken. " As a (just) under 25year old I find pleanty of 'new' music I like to download, which suits my tastes. Would be nice if some more 'old' stuff was available too. |
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27 Oct 10 - 06:43 AM (#3016584) Subject: RE: How much would you pay for a CD? From: GUEST,matt milton there's LOADS of old stuff available to download. iTunes and emusic both have a sizeable chunk of the Folkways and Topic catalogues for starters. |
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27 Oct 10 - 07:19 AM (#3016604) Subject: RE: How much would you pay for a CD? From: treewind Something that's not been made clear, though Ralphie has hinted at it, is that the production cost of a pressed CD has far more to do with the numbers produced than anything else. It's true that the cost of pressing another 500 CDs of an album that's already been recorded, designed and mastered is only about £300, and it's even cheaper if you get several thousand done at once. That's one reason why superstars who've already sold a hundred thousand can give them away free with the newspapers. It's also the reason why the music industry would rather spend million s on heavily promoting their chosen few than giving hundred of prefectly good bands and singers a decent break, each of which wouldn't be nearly so profitable. But many folk acts never get beyond the first 500 CDs, and the cost of producing the first 500 is more like £2500 if you pay for studio time and artwork. So after a lot of hard work and cash flow deficit you don't even break even until you've sold at least 250 at £10 each. CDRs are OK to make in small quantities, but I find a batch of 10 is the best part of an evening's work - not just burning CD's but printing on the CD, tray card and 4-page inserts (even if only the 2 outside faces are printed) and cutting, folding and assembling. If I value my time, they aren't cheap. Anahata |
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27 Oct 10 - 07:30 AM (#3016610) Subject: RE: How much would you pay for a CD? From: Fidjit QUOTE < CDRs are OK to make in small quantities, but I find a batch of 10 is the best part of an evening's work - not just burning CD's but printing on the CD, tray card and 4-page inserts (even if only the 2 outside faces are printed) and cutting, folding and assembling. If I value my time, they aren't cheap. Anahata > UNUOTE Still worth doing for promotional eventualities, because the real thing would be thrown away anyway. All they need is a taste. I do feel though, that you and Mary are already a few worthy rungs higher up the ladder than I and many others. Chas |
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27 Oct 10 - 07:47 AM (#3016616) Subject: RE: How much would you pay for a CD? From: GUEST I do make CDRs occasionally though, of stuff that's never going to sell in hundreds like the Pig Dyke Molly music. And promo sometimes, but that isn't usually a full jewel cased package. |
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27 Oct 10 - 07:51 AM (#3016617) Subject: RE: How much would you pay for a CD? From: GUEST,LDT This may sound a bit odd...but I'm far more willing to buy a CD for the 'higher' price of £10-15 if I buy in person if the artist is getting more of a share of the profits. Plus I like to hear a 'sample' of what on the album before buying. Made the mistake once of buying an album without hearing any of it first coz it had been recommended to me and well...it got played once and then shoved in the back of a cupboard (that was that months frivolity budget wasted). I get put off with the price of postage on sites like amazon, when a reasonably price cd suddenly goes out of my budget....which is when I start to ponder whether to download it and save the postage. lol! |
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27 Oct 10 - 07:52 AM (#3016619) Subject: RE: How much would you pay for a CD? From: GUEST,LDT Oh and prefer cardboard to jewel cases....jewel cases hate me they break as soon as I touch them. |
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27 Oct 10 - 08:09 AM (#3016631) Subject: RE: How much would you pay for a CD? From: GUEST,Desi C Yes Ralphie your maths is as good as mine is bad. But I meant a MAX price for any CD of £10 even if over 11 tracks, which let's face it very few are nowadays. You would be giving extra value for money which I hope would mean extra sales for you so you would hopefully only gain by it. Personally, and call me a skinflint, I wait till albums age enough to appear in the bargain bins or crpp up in club raffles and my tastes are very ancient anyway ;) |
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27 Oct 10 - 08:54 AM (#3016665) Subject: RE: How much would you pay for a CD? From: treewind Sorry, anon GUEST 4 posts up was me. Using a different browser and forgot to check. Anahata |
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27 Oct 10 - 08:56 AM (#3016669) Subject: RE: How much would you pay for a CD? From: GUEST,Ralphie Desi C Each to their own. Nobody is forcing anybody else to part with hard earned dosh! As has been said. The market is the market. I've got lucky insofar as my disc was recorded at home, my girlfriend did the artwork, so my only real costs was the pressing and printing (proper glass master btw) On the website are some examples plus in the future there will be some WIP tracks for fun. My beef against downloads boring Old Fart that I am is this. A few years ago with Patterson Jordan Dipper, we produced Flat Earth, (sadly now deleted) I spent hours planning a running order for the CD that had a beginning, a middle, and an end. The intention being that it flowed, and took the listener on a journey (Bleedin Hippy!....Tales from Topographic Folkies!) That's just the way I am, too many years at the Beeb, trying to be artistic I suppose. The thought of it being sliced up into individual tracks on an i-Player in shuffle mode, makes my skin crawl. But Hey, that's just me. But, I digress. Back to pricing structures. I feel that what I charge for my new CD (as a little independent artist) seems to fit with what others are charging. As I've said, it's still selling, slowly admittedly, but well enough. That'll do me for the moment. When I get the hit single well....That's another matter. I'll really start ripping you. bastards off!! LOL! Cheery thoughts to all, and an interesting thread thanks. |
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27 Oct 10 - 11:25 AM (#3016805) Subject: RE: How much would you pay for a CD? From: mattkeen @ Ralphie "As for downloads, No thanks. Too many people taking their cut. You'd have to have a lot of people downloading a track to make more than a few pence. No point in that." It was that bit I was trying to get at Ralphie Agree very interesting thread and great to have the thoughts of people who are actually dling it and some even doing it for a living |
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27 Oct 10 - 11:54 AM (#3016828) Subject: RE: How much would you pay for a CD? From: GUEST,Peter Laban I have to agree with Ralphie. When I brought out a CD with concertina player Kitty Hayes some years ago I received several angry (yes really) e-mails from people who thought it appropriate to give out to me because I hadn't made the tracks available as downloads. Much more money could be made was the suggestion. Now, that wasn't the objective of the whole operation so that didn't convince me but I looked into it for good measure. A friend had managed to get a CD on iTunes and said it was an unbelievable hassle. I looked at the CDbaby terms and didn't think it was worth the effort. CD was what we set out to do, the full booklet and all, and that's what we did. An initial run of 1500 and a small extra run of seventy five or so (the printer had printed a surplus of covers/booklets so we used that up, with the master made it was a cheap run). And that was it, it has run it's course. |
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27 Oct 10 - 05:15 PM (#3017154) Subject: RE: How much would you pay for a CD? From: Fidjit The last CDR I made was a concert that "Halmstråket" had at Dalsland Centre 18th July. Mostly for the band to hear how we sounded. Came out OK. Take up was on Mini Disc. Transferred and edited via WAV then converted to MP3. 19 tacks. Hopefully, when we get our MYspace site up and running there will be a few tracks on that. I've my own things on my own a href="http://www.myspace.com/clarkchas">Myspace site that can be downloaded. Chas |
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27 Oct 10 - 05:19 PM (#3017158) Subject: RE: How much would you pay for a CD? From: Fidjit This might work better My Myspace site Chas |
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28 Oct 10 - 04:41 AM (#3017522) Subject: RE: How much would you pay for a CD? From: mattkeen There are a couple of sites that when you order a physical CD they send you a link so that you can download the tracks straight away and dont have to wait to listen. I agree that the artists intention when producing a physical CD is often to present the whole package as one - its the way I like to purchase music myself. I am however suggesting that its worth considering alternatives and whether adding downloads as an option for physical CD buyers is worth thinking about. Money wise you dont have to use CDBaby - and certainly you dont have to use them or similar EXCLUSIVLY. The main reason for using digital distributors like CDBay is that they get into markets we cant (iTunes, Tower Records etc.) May not be relevant to a folk artist - probably isnt. But my main point is that you get 100% of the money (almost!) if you put the downloads on your own website and have a Paypal shop for people to pay. |
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28 Oct 10 - 05:04 AM (#3017534) Subject: RE: How much would you pay for a CD? From: treewind Putting downloads on your website for paying is not trivial though. It's easy to provide a file for download, but it's much harder for a site to know who's paid and who hasn't, reliably and without inconvenience for the user or possibility of abuse. The cheaper web hosting packages don't even let you do server side scripting to start with... I don't know. Maybe I'll try creating a page with a few songs and tunes at £1.00 a track and see what happens. I'll let you know if I get rich on it... (don't hold your breath) Anahata |
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28 Oct 10 - 11:09 AM (#3017737) Subject: RE: How much would you pay for a CD? From: mattkeen Hi Anahata Yeah - i doubt rishes to - even though sales are much more likely for somebody with a strong reputation and "track" record like you Anyway - I have a friend who has set this up for several sites including my own and it works - I am just putting it forward as another possibility - driving potential buyers to the site is another issue altogether As it happens I have had previous CD's ditributed physically and digitally through CD Baby but results were so patchy that for me its not worth bothering with But I am interested in how cottage industries (like folk performers etc)might better use the net. I thought there might be something in that idea of allowing downloads to any physical CD buyer - you could even upload WAV files to somewhere like www.wetransfer.com a free file transfer service |
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28 Oct 10 - 11:11 AM (#3017741) Subject: RE: How much would you pay for a CD? From: mattkeen @ Anahata Didnt get a chance to talk to you but I was absolutely entranced by your lovely playing at a session at the Radway this year Thanks very much Mary to |
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28 Oct 10 - 06:54 PM (#3018078) Subject: RE: How much would you pay for a CD? From: treewind Thanks - we weren't in there much this year! I am interested in how cottage industries (like folk performers etc) might better use the net. It's certainly a cottage industry! Sites like MySpace and Youtube help a bit - at least you get loads of download bandwidth for free. I see it as a promotional tool, not as a main sales medium. In the end it doesn't make a huge difference. Live gigs is where the sales happen, and live music is what folk music is all about. It would be very sad if all we did was make downloads for the web. Anahata |
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28 Oct 10 - 11:54 PM (#3018222) Subject: RE: How much would you pay for a CD? From: GUEST,Ralphie And there Anahata you've got my thoughts in focus. I much prefer buying from the artist either at a gig, or from their owm website,as often as I can. It seems to me that downloading tracks is a little soulless to me, and as people have said, how do you know if people aren't ripping you off? If you have a decent soundcard with a Line Out Jack, or even a Headphone socket. You can record whole swathes of music on an Edirol or Zoom, and then transfer to your iPod... Cottage Industry? Attic Industry in my case!! |
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29 Oct 10 - 09:47 AM (#3018472) Subject: RE: How much would you pay for a CD? From: GUEST,matt milton In terms of cottage-industry sales, the most significant web-based development is in my opinion PayPal. More so than myspace or facebook or CDbaby. I think all independant musicians should be as vocal as possible in getting the existence (and URL) of their paypal account across to their audience. |
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29 Oct 10 - 04:04 PM (#3018788) Subject: RE: How much would you pay for a CD? From: GUEST,mattkeen Are you saying they cant rip you off using the CD they bought from you then Ralphie? |