Dec 02 2008
They Grow Up So Fast….
Money makin’ musicians, that is! Thanks to the wonders of the internet and the brilliant brains behind piracy, the industry has been forced to change from the standard model that has existed for the last century or so.
In particular, I’ve noticed that musicians can’t make an album the same way they used to. The best strategy is to release a hit single (a la Katy Perry, “Kissed a Girl”) and hope to sell a million copies of that one song. Most music fans have developed a ravenous ADD, inspiring a need to find the “next big thing.” Listeners won’t take the time to listen to a whole album while there are so many hit singles to absorb. Additionally, the cost of a single is 99 cents. That puts it in impulse buy territory. The $10 or $15 or $20 that full albums cost is a much bigger commitment and acts as a primary deterrent.
A couple of artists have been making strides to change the heart and soul of the industry. Most famously, Radiohead released their album “In Rainbows” under a “choose-your-own-price” philosophy. A fan might pay a good chunk of change for a highly anticipated record, but someone unsure of how much they love Radiohead could download it for free. This practice cuts out middlemen in the piracy ring, giving digital thieves direct access to their booty. The most devout fans, of course, could pay top dollar for a physical collectors edition with bonus material down the line.
Girl Talk took a similar stance with his second release, “Feed the Animals”. He allowed visitors to his site to pick a price, with multiple rewards at different tiers of payment.
The best part about this business method is that it forces artists to be at the top of their game. If fans are going to pay anything, the product had best be top quality. The flip side is that it is far too easy to pay nothing and walk away with your hard drive slightly more full and the artists hearts a bit more empty.
More soon….
