If you were a carpenter and a song was a chair...

[JurijPopotnig]

for what price would you sell the song?

It's time to think about a different approach when it comes to selling music. The old way doesn't work obviously...

It's stupid to think you can sell fresh air if there's fresh air everywhere except your name is Adele.

I don't give music streaming businesses a chance, as we've seen with Adele ....quality doesn't need greedy banks that gave credits to desperate "innovators" to revolutionise something doomed dead in times of the internet and rising individual possibilities.

These streaming cervices are only pushed by media and it's owners with the whole purpose: profits for the banks.

We need something new. What if we all name a price for a song?

And then all start selling their songs for this one price and let the world decide whether it's worth the money or not. Just like crowdfunding but with a price the industry voted for what they think is fair(every 5 years?).

When you got your money the world gets your song as it's with every f**king other product.

Do you think this could work? In the end something new must come out it just isn't right the way it is now. There's no control, no relation between work and price too much of the same boring music just because major labels push the sales and this list goes on and on.... Something that buggy won't survive a long time, it's common sense.

I think this would also improve overall quality and diversity of music. People would be more critical to what they hear and fund.

A shit song produced by a high paid engineer is a shit song no matter how much it cost, let the people decide if it's worth not the banks and the labels in times of the internet we can do so.
What do you think? Even if you don't like it what is a song of yours worth in your opinion?

[harryupbabble]

At the moment... my songs are embarrassing and just crap. The way I determine this is by comparing them to the songs that are not crap to me, classic rock and pop songs mostly.

I like that you are looking for better ways to sell your songs but I'm not really sure that your method would work. How is naming your own price an improvement? The delivery system (Bandcamp, iTunes, CD Baby) would remain?

[JurijPopotnig]

At the moment... my songs are embarrassing and just crap. The way I determine this is by comparing them to the songs that are not crap to me, classic rock and pop songs mostly.

I like that you are looking for better ways to sell your songs but I'm not really sure that your method would work. How is naming your own price an improvement? The delivery system (Bandcamp, iTunes, CD Baby) would remain?

I don't know if it works either but I will try.

The delivery system would be a site just like a crowdfunding thing where you can pre listen the songs fund them and track the new releases. Or on the FB page of the artist it doesn't matter. What matters is the idea.

Improvement: A thing has a price, that's like the whole point of capitalism. Not so in music business today. IDK what do you mean exactly. I just wanted to know how much would you want the world to pay you for one song you did if you'd sell it once to the whole world. All work included how much would you charge if making music was a profession like a carpenter, like it is, a number?

[cryophonik]

I think we pretty much have named a price for a song. I usually see songs priced somewhere between 99 cents and $1.29. To most buyers, I don't think that's really a difference - at least not a large enough difference to make or break the buying decision. If I want a song, I'll pay a buck as easily as I'll pay a buck thirty because the difference is negligible to me. But, obviously, that difference is amplified to the seller, especially at high-volume sales.

The bigger difference that I've seen since putting our album out is the method and agent of delivery. We've sold a handful of CDs, but just one single mp3 through CD Baby, and all those sales occurred before it became available on iTunes. Once it was on iTunes, a lot more people started buying it. Hell, most off my friends even told me beforehand that they wanted to wait for iTunes because it was more convenient, they know and trust the name, etc. As a an artist, it sucks, because I have no way of knowing if they are accurately reporting sales, and I make less per sale from iTunes than I do from CD Baby. But, as a music buyer and iOS user, I agree that iTunes is pretty convenient.

[JurijPopotnig]

I think we pretty much have named a price for a song. I usually see songs priced somewhere between 99 cents and $1.29. To most buyers, I don't think that's really a difference - at least not a large enough difference to make or break the buying decision. If I want a song, I'll pay a buck as easily as I'll pay a buck thirty because the difference is negligible to me. But, obviously, that difference is amplified to the seller, especially at high-volume sales.

The bigger difference that I've seen since putting our album out is the method and agent of delivery. We've sold a handful of CDs, but just one single mp3 through CD Baby, and all those sales occurred before it became available on iTunes. Once it was on iTunes, a lot more people started buying it. Hell, most off my friends even told me beforehand that they wanted to wait for iTunes because it was more convenient, they know and trust the name, etc. As a an artist, it sucks, because I have no way of knowing if they are accurately reporting sales, and I make less per sale from iTunes than I do from CD Baby. But, as a music buyer and iOS user, I agree that iTunes is pretty convenient.

Hi,
I don't want individual people to pay for the individual download. I want the world to pay for the one release. It's like crowdfunding a finished product. This would also include the funders/fans in marketing if it works out because it gives them a reason to advertise your song otherwise they won't get it. I was thinking more of number in the 10000$ range if you get me now. Everybody wins, most important quality wins imo.

When it's released you get it everywhere for free. If people stop paying they're stuck with old music.

[deastman]

What you're describing sounds sort of like a state funded communist utopian dream where every musician gets their share. Unfortunately, most of us live in societies governed by free enterprise, and the market decides what it is willing to pay.

[harryupbabble]

Hi,
I don't want individual people to pay for the individual download. I want the world to pay for the one release. It's like crowdfunding a finished product. This would also include the funders/fans in marketing if it works out because it gives them a reason to advertise your song otherwise they won't get it. I was thinking more of number in the 10000$ range if you get me now. Everybody wins, most important quality wins imo.

When it's released you get it everywhere for free. If people stop paying they're stuck with old music.

Aha, I think I understand now. In that case, if it takes me a year to make those songs, then I would set the crowdfunding goal to what I need to survive that year in terms of living expenses. Maybe 10 thousand dollars is a fair goal. But are crowds sympathetic to such causes as "I'm a songwriter, help me quit my day job"?

This is a very interesting topic. I hope your proposed method works. Let us know the outcome.

[JurijPopotnig]

What you're describing sounds sort of like a state funded communist utopian dream where every musician gets their share. Unfortunately, most of us live in societies governed by free enterprise, and the market decides what it is willing to pay.

What has this idea to do with state funded music, communism? Are you working for a major record label or you talking about things you have no clue about?
No communist is coming and forcing you to buy my music you scared freak.

[fluffy_little_something]

Some people spend weeks on a single song, so if you get paid by the hour ... But I suppose that is where talent, or the lack thereof, kicks in. Effort vs result...

[JurijPopotnig]

Some people spend weeks on a single song, so if you get paid by the hour ... But I suppose that is where talent, or the lack thereof, kicks in. Effort vs result...

Best wins but not necessary in terms of the quantity that's one of the goals. Customer decides whether it's worth the try and if the price is reached it becomes free to download for everyone for private use.

[Zexila]

What has this idea to do with state funded music, communism?

That's what you are describing actually, he just connected the dots for you

A shit song produced by a high paid engineer is a shit song no matter how much it cost, let the people decide if it's worth not the banks and the labels in times of the internet we can do so.

People decided, that's what they pay for, nobody is forcing them, if your music is worth anything to anyone, setup donate option and enjoy in your dream, easy as that.

[Numanoid]

for what price would you sell the song?

Bob Dylan is really called Zimmerman, and Zimmerman is the german word for carpenter

Dylan gets paid well I believe

[fluffy_little_something]

Nobody needs any specific song to survive, music is a luxury item for the masses, like Gucci bags made in China and sold at McDonald's

Centuries ago some musicians used to work for kings and queens, i.e. kind of for the state, and they had quite a good life, much better than starving musicians today who don't want to accept that nobody likes their music.

I prefer the Carpenters to Dylan

[JurijPopotnig]

What has this idea to do with state funded music, communism?

That's what you are describing actually, he just connected the dots for you

A shit song produced by a high paid engineer is a shit song no matter how much it cost, let the people decide if it's worth not the banks and the labels in times of the internet we can do so.

People decided, that's what they pay for, nobody is forcing them, if your music is worth anything to anyone, setup donate option and enjoy in your dream, easy as that.

I don't get your connections to communism there's no mention of state nor a mention of force and I strongly oppose any whichever ideology. There's only one right or wrong for every situation in life. Communists and capitalists are merely religious f**ks imo. I've studied economics and I don't discuss this any further as I can see you just want distract from the topic.

People don't decide they become stuff advertised all day, what money wants them to see and many will buy stuff just therefore. Don't underestimate the neurological factor of ads and mass behaviour.

Yes I could have a donate button and in the end it would be nothing else like such a thing just with an release level set and it would weed out 9 of 10 songs I have to listen trough when I'm going trough stuff on Beatport. 9 of 10 songs of which the production costs would have exceeded the income by far. So no communist intervention here also, all free market decisions.

[Zexila]

What has this idea to do with state funded music, communism?

That's what you are describing actually, he just connected the dots for you

A shit song produced by a high paid engineer is a shit song no matter how much it cost, let the people decide if it's worth not the banks and the labels in times of the internet we can do so.

People decided, that's what they pay for, nobody is forcing them, if your music is worth anything to anyone, setup donate option and enjoy in your dream, easy as that.

I don't get your connections to communism there's no mention of state nor a mention of force and I strongly oppose any whichever ideology. There's only one right or wrong for every situation in life. Communists and capitalists are merely religious f**ks imo. I've studied economics and I don't discuss this any further as I can see you just want distract from the topic.

People don't decide they become stuff advertised all day, what money wants them to see and many will buy stuff just therefore. Don't underestimate the neurological factor of ads and mass behaviour.

Yes I could have a donate button and in the end it would be nothing else like such a thing just with an release level set and it would weed out 9 of 10 songs I have to listen trough when I'm going trough stuff on Beatport. 9 of 10 songs of which the production costs would have exceeded the income by far. So no communist intervention here also, all free market decisions.

Well, you are behind an ideology too, that doesn't differ too much from communism, plain and simple