Independent unsigned label distribution solution stuff

[sty]

Apologies for the tablet autocorrect errors. Too hard to fix at the mo

[bluesbass]

Great question!
Sites like CD Baby have heaps of tips on this sort of thing... some of it bogus (IMHO) but some of it might be useful.
Bandcamp is supposed to be great, but we haven't looked at it very seriously yet... will do when we release our next recording.

Just a little off topic question if I may to those dudes releasing stuff on vinyl... where are you getting it pressed?

[Lawrence]

Yes I find myself unsure these days if Im "old fashioned" or "Quality conscious"

I like my IPod - its great for mowing lawns or background music when Im in the workshop..but I never "Listen" to music on it. To be more specific I never "Listen" to music on headphones of any sort (except when Im checking mixes..always give them a headphone test)

Being something of a tidyness freak around HiFi gear etc, I hate having loose leads visable, so plugging my IPod into the Lounge system is a hassle, so all playback is from disc....or occassionally vinyl (tho why anyone wants surface noise and static pops mixed in with their heavily EQed bass eludes me)

Releasing material on line for free makes sense for spreading the word about live performances...as long as your target market are Ipod/mp3 types.

I miss the multi sensory experience of hearing the music, reading the cover and handling the cover..especially the big multifold album covers. I also regret the move away from "bodies of work" where the album is a single statement that is best listened to continously from end to end. All my favourite albums are always played from end to end...I never pick and choose individual songs.

My favourite musical experience at home tends to be live shows on BluRay.

[MogwaiBoy]

I also regret the move away from "bodies of work" where the album is a single statement that is best listened to continously from end to end. All my favourite albums are always played from end to end...

The move towards singles is a purely corporate driven decision if you ask me, although THEY claim that our attention spans are shortening and requirement for instant gratification increasing, hence the shift. I beg to differ.

Any band worth their salt will make an album a cohesive statement that works best played in one sitting without skipping. Bands with longer songs tend to demand more careful listening - it's one of the reasons I love instrumental music so much... it's not "ewww no vocals = background music" to me.

See: Godspeed You! Black Emperors new album

[mitch.twentyfive]

but surely its worth atleast doing small runs of ep's/albums even if its only to have them at your shows.

Yeah... I suppose. Read a blog post once from some guy that said (in as many words) "your CD is going to be ripped into MP3s as soon as the punter gets home, so why not sell people the MP3s on a small USB key instead? That way, they'll at least get something useful and that they can re-use".

Thoughts?

a great idea. didn't the Mint Chicks try this once?? i might be wrong.

[Danger Mouse]

I also regret the move away from "bodies of work" where the album is a single statement that is best listened to continously from end to end. All my favourite albums are always played from end to end...

The move towards singles is a purely corporate driven decision if you ask me, although THEY claim that our attention spans are shortening and requirement for instant gratification increasing, hence the shift. I beg to differ.

Any band worth their salt will make an album a cohesive statement that works best played in one sitting without skipping. Bands with longer songs tend to demand more careful listening - it's one of the reasons I love instrumental music so much... it's not "ewww no vocals = background music" to me.

See: Godspeed You! Black Emperors new album

I can kind of see both sides of this. My album collection is probably 80% full of albums with 1 (or 2 or 3 at the most) decent songs and the rest is filler, those I'd quite happily forgo the crap songs and just have the ones I like. However, a few albums, like Nevermind, Appetite, Highway to Hell, Electric etc... incredible albums start to finish, which is why they all get a listen every 6 months or so.

If bands were able to produce that sort of quality regularly, then it would definitely be a shame to lose the album format, but I bought the latest Chevelle album a couple of weeks ago and it's really only got one decent song on it, so I paid $27 for one song basically (I still buy CDs).

[druz15]

yeah I only listen to entire albums, in fact if I get home and have only got halfway through one on my ipod, I'll finish it in the morning before I go on to the next album. I hate looking through my itunes and having songs within albums with mismatched play counts as well (a little OCD I guess).

I still buy CDs, although haven't been able to afford it for a few months, but if a band puts an album out on vinyl and it has a download code instead (e.g new Datsuns album which I want to pick up this week), sometimes I'll get both (e.g John Frusciante's new EP and album).

We once got told "don't even bother with albums, they're dead, just put out an EP of your best stuff at least once a year" which I totally disagreed with. I guess I can see how that might work for an indie band or punk band with a bunch of 2 minute songs, and you can pump out an EP every 6 months, but we've been working on our 12 song album for over a year now, and most songs are over the 5 minute mark. One band I know of back home put out 3 EPs in the space it took us to put out 1, suffice to say the quality was not the best, but they probably sold out each run easily (mind you not that hard to sell 50 copies)

I know one big indy band just did limited edition singles and EPs for years until they put out their first album, auckland based, can't for the life of me remember the name.

Basically any artist can do whatever they want, whatever they think suits, there's no right or wrong format, it's what you think your fans would wanna buy, I just hate when people try saying that the album is dead, I know shitloads of people who still want to hear a good album, not a bunch of singles from a Now compilation

[thehenderson]

I'd say the album or single thing is mostly a genre thing, and that on the whole bands get initial exposure through singles in most pop genres.

Heaps of bands release exclusively through bandcamp and promote the release through facebook and whichever blog will post about them. Press vinyl and shipping it to NZ is really expensive. My band has sold a bunch of vinyl in NZ but the label paid for it and I wouldn't pay for it myself.

Personally I would release stuff as a free download through bandcamp and soundcloud, and then make some merch and sell that at shows to all your new fans.

[druz15]

Personally I would release stuff as a free download through bandcamp and soundcloud, and then make some merch and sell that at shows to all your new fans.

this is the key also.

You can bundle your album with merch as well download code bundled with the t-shirt or mug or tea cosy or what have you

[thehenderson]

Or molded replica penis set, amirite guys?

[druz15]

Or molded replica penis set, amirite guys?

was actually the next thought I had

[jeremyb]

BAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA!

[badmotor]

Marketing genius.

[Single coil]