NorioDS
How many GFSAers are selling CDs when they gig? Selling CDs online?
I would be keen to start a section of the web site where people can listen to 10-60 seconds of each song on your CD and then, if interested, order the CD for delivery via post office.
GFSA would take some part of the profit but it would be a small amount as the idea is to promote YOU lot.
The main advantage of something like this is that people like me might not be attending many gigs but would still love to buy your music after giving it a listen. This way, we can, and it gets delivered to us (I love getting cool stuff in the post!).
As the forum grows, this could eventually become a decent-sized market to sell a few 100 or even a few 1000 CDs to? (Can't guarantee that part! But I hope so!)
So... are you selling CDs at gigs? Wanna sell online too?
Heath
that is an awesome idea , i know there are a few people on the forum that do have cd's out . so sorta like an GFSA ITUNES .
what about also selling them as mp3's aswell .
Bob-Dubery
How about making digital downloads available? Pay the money and then download the album as high-res MP3 files plus jpegs of the artwork? That cuts out the need for physical media which means
a) No physical media to move by post or courier
b) No physical media in the costing which should mean more pure profit for artist and for GFSA.
NorioDS
I'm happy to do both. I know I still love CDs, especially of local musos. Plus I tend to lose my MP3s, without fail, once every 2-3 years ?
mattayou
Really Great Plan Norio!
I know AJBryson has a cd I am sure he would be keen. If I was in that sort of league I would jump at it like a shot ?
AlanRatcliffe
I'm all for it. Exactly the sort of thing we should be getting into, IMO - promoting ourselves to each other and getting to know what is available and, most importantly, helping members get their music out there. We help them move CDs, and eventually get bigger and buy adspace to promote it (Hey, I can dream, can't I?).
Random, but connected thoughts:
Don't forget Keira has a CD too, as does Jo Ellis. Jo is also giving away his entire CD as free MP3s, just charging for physical CDs and promoting himself to get people in to see the Jo Ellis Band - I'd love to support that kind of thing.
I think most of the artists without contracts are punting CDs at gigs/on websites, rather than mp3 downloads, but would be nice if we could offer the facilities for our members too. It also helps the members who have a few tracks, but not a full CD, or those like myself that just want to share the music and don't want to sell CDs or play live.
Could also work to punt small studios hoping to land ad/soundtrack work. I suspect there may be a whole morass of legal/royalties with artists registered with the relevant organisations though.
I would say we insist on at least one free full track - fulltracks bring in listeners and sell CDs, excerpts and low quality not so much(IMO). We also benefit from added traffic due to listeners finding and visiting the site.
Manfred-Klose
Great idea.
I have been planning on starting on my instrumental album soon, got a few songs, just need to record them.
NorioDS
@Alan: Actually, Keira's CD is what started this thread ? I read about it and decided I wanted to be able to buy it online!
The free full-track works for me.
So far, so good ?
Heath
I suspect this may also encourage members to finish /record albums and may also get some smaller bands to join the forum .
Guy-Onraet
Great idea. I was actually going to phone one of you (Al, Nori) to chat about a similar idea - sparked by my working with shredacademy.com - and see if it fitted with the GFSA T&C's. But this is even better. My album is being released very soon and i have a few other projects that would work well here too. Like i said, great idea!
AlanRatcliffe
Tailon. wrote:
I suspect this may also encourage members to finish /record albums
You talkin' to me? </guilty_conscience>
?
aubs1
Brilliant idea, even though I would also prefer to buy the physical CD instead of just the downloads........
andrewjbryson
Great Idea !
And i think this is a vital part of the Forum's growth and a easy way for artists to get their music some good exposure.
There are quite a few of us that have and will have finished albums by the end of this year.
So yes, let us know what you need and how we can be of assistance.
Riaan
I would be keen to start a section of the web site where people can listen to 10-60 seconds of each song on your CD and then, if interested, order the CD for delivery via post office.
GFSA would take some part of the profit but it would be a small amount as the idea is to promote YOU lot.
Sounds like a great idea!
NorioDS
Okay so what's the next step? Do we allow people to place orders on GFSA and then the artists send the CD? Does the artist send some CDs to GFSA and we sell till we run out of stock?
The MP3 bit is (much!) easier to do but need to figure out how the CD thing will work.
AlanRatcliffe
The logistics of the CD sales are a bit of a hassle. We could start with the downloadable MP3s and see how it goes? Simply provide links to contact the artist to buy the CD on each downloadable track page - then they handle the CD sales themselves. A bit of a mish-mash, but possibly more workable for now.
If we do sell the physical CD too, I would say lay in consignment stock - then it's all centralised from GFSA, and if we are selling, then we should be the despatchers too. A half dozen to ten copies would be enough.
