They could start by making decent music.

cue the haters who didn't like the last album!


/It was completely different, but still good
//that being said, I like psyc-rock.

Whether you want to or not, you will be giving your music away for free.

It's Portishead. I highly doubt they're incredibly wealthy off their anemic back catalog. Sure, they probably live decently well, but why should you be demonized for making a passable living doing what you love?

Do you give your labor away free?

Byrne & Eno completed their last album independent of labels, marketing it initially through Byrne's website and a little later through iTunes, and they covered all of the production & recording costs in the first 4 weeks of release.

Whamdangler: Do you give your labor away free?

because making music is the same as having a real job.


I respect musicians for their art, but I think a real artist would be just as pleased if a person admired it for free.

FeedTheCollapse: I respect musicians for their art, but I think a real artist would be just as pleased if a person admired it for free.

You're right, but I suspect they'd also like to pay their bills.

Carry On is sick. Been a fan since the beginning. Don't eff this up.

Dusk-You-n-Me: Carry On is sick. Been a fan since the beginning. Don't eff this up.

Well the good news is that at the pace they're going, they'll have another decade to figure it all out before releasing another album.

Bob_Laublaw: You're right, but I suspect they'd also like to pay their bills.

then they can tour.

FeedTheCollapse: Bob_Laublaw: You're right, but I suspect they'd also like to pay their bills.

then they can tour.

It's like when I flooded the internets with nude photos of myself. Although millions admired my art for free, I made my fortune on the 'dates' arranged later.

FeedTheCollapse: because making music is the same as having a real job.

What is "a real job"? Do YOU give your labor away free? I didn't think so.

I respect musicians for their art, but I think a real artist would be just as pleased if a person admired it for free.

Music is a business the same as ______________. (Insert your business here).

You know, I think that NiN did it right. Release parts of the album for free, offer the rest for a price. That way, people won't feel ripped off if they paid for 14 crappy songs and 1 good one.

Have a good 15-60 second "preview" of the songs. That's also motivation for a person to purchase... they know what they are getting.

The consumers are willing to pay, ignore the pirates. The consumers object to the intrusive and often-times damaging DRM that is placed in music or on discs. The consumers object to over-paying for a disc. The consumers object to paying an industry the majority of the money and would prefer the artists get a bigger portion and understands that prices can be reduced (major sports can learn from this, too). The consumer is fed up with being force-fed tripe from an industry that is failing to listen to their customers and plays the same old tired stuff on the radio (still the main avenue of marketing, iirc)..

record an album that people will want.
tour relentlessly and promote vigorously.
charge a fair price for tickets to your concerts to further entice people to attend.
give fans who attend a "free" album or t shirt of their choice (could be back catalog or new album - same with other merch - order according to demand)

this would essentially act kind of like a "loaded ticket", the merchandise costs get factored into the ticket so fans don't feel they are getting ripped off when they see "$30+ for a fark shirt? instead charge like $30 for a ticket and factor in the cost of the merch into that). for fans that don't want either the band could either refund that portion of the ticket or simply absorb the "breakage" as part of their revenue and profit!

this isn't a new concept but I haven't really seen it used by bands.

Machtyn: You know, I think that NiN did it right. Release parts of the album for free, offer the rest for a price. That way, people won't feel ripped off if they paid for 14 crappy songs and 1 good one.

Have a good 15-60 second "preview" of the songs. That's also motivation for a person to purchase... they know what they are getting.

The consumers are willing to pay, ignore the pirates. The consumers object to the intrusive and often-times damaging DRM that is placed in music or on discs. The consumers object to over-paying for a disc. The consumers object to paying an industry the majority of the money and would prefer the artists get a bigger portion and understands that prices can be reduced (major sports can learn from this, too). The consumer is fed up with being force-fed tripe from an industry that is failing to listen to their customers and plays the same old tired stuff on the radio (still the main avenue of marketing, iirc)..

i agree on the part about the consumers but the whole 15-60 second sample thing doesn't work. people want to hear the entire song which is why some bands will put up their entire new album on sites like myspace that will stream the entire thing for free. for some artists, a sample is not enough to showcase a song, especially when sometimes only the intro is played. sites like amazon are terrible about this. 30 second song samples? fark, doesn't even give you enough time to adsorb weather that song is even good.

I think what NIN did was a great idea, but he already had a very large and dedicated fan base so such a model would not work for all - not just starting out bands but even established bands that do not have that large of a fan base would not benefit from such a model.

oh no...

Im sorry guys, you have to do what every band has to do..WORK FOR IT! no one gave my band business ideas when we toured, and we didnt cry like babies.


Dont make music that sucks...and if you cant do that-go sell insurance ya pricks!

My business model involves Beth Gibbons getting very friendly with me.

How about just releasing it normally, but not as expensive? How is that so difficult?

Okay - Radiohead worked because there were people who wanted to buy it and people who wanted to hear it, and some folks paid, and some didn't... The bandwidth was probably covered by those who paid. The big winner was the form you had to fill out. That database sent out an email that they touring - to everyone who downloaded the album.

Why? Because record sales aren't and never have been the main profit centers of the music industry. The TOUR is the profit center.

To prove the point: how many ancient and crusty old bands that said that "Hell would freeze" before they reunited... And not just in the States, (new window) also check out who the top earners in Europe (new window) were last few year.

Bowie figured this out a while ago and told the entire industry not to wait for checks from the back catalogs or car commercials - you got to go back on the road.

...and sell overpriced concert T's.

PS - HUGE Portishead fan.
Maybe if they wouldn't pause for a DECADE between albums, they could fill their pools with Krystal. Just a thought.

Sell it on their website, $5 for high quality DRM-free files. I'll buy it. That is how I got the latest Sigur Ros record. Then offer a physical disc packaged with some extras like a DVD or something at a reasonable price. Then do some touring if you feel like it and sell some stuff at the shows.

Start with a low price (if not out right free) for some low-quality mp3s. Set a higher price for higher quality mp3s or the digital format of the customers choice. Add in some digital extras (digital album artwork, booklets etc.) to that. At the same price offer a CD too. At the highest price do a limited edition something or other. Vinyl, CDs, high quality digital version plus something else physical (nice case, book, DVD, whatever).

Probably not a perfect solution. Probably should do what they're doing and ask the fans what they would really like. No point in printing 4000 limited edition vinyls if no one wants them. But it's something I might do if I had the fan support.

FeedTheCollapse: Bob_Laublaw: You're right, but I suspect they'd also like to pay their bills.

then they can tour.

How nice of you to decide that a music artist must work twice as hard to make a living, simply because you don't have a problem stealing things that they are asking money for. Should they also come and mow your lawn too?

//needs more Beth Gibbons pictures

That girl looks hot in sweaters

Free low quality mp3's
limited edition versions
ACTUALLY TOUR, instead of playing 10 shows across all of North America.
Record every show and offer copies of the show immediately after the show ends.
Stick around after and talk to your fans and sell merch directly
put out more than one album every eight years.

Beth Gibbons has to get her smack after all.

/what, you thought their records sounded like that because they *aren't* on downer drugs?

FeedTheCollapse: Bob_Laublaw: You're right, but I suspect they'd also like to pay their bills.

then they can tour.

Jonathon Coulton does exactly this. There is also a tradition of fans throwing beanie babies onto the stage with safety pinned cash. Sort of like a tip jar. He makes enough through touring, merch, volutary purchases and tips to not have a day job.

Fark U: FeedTheCollapse: Whamdangler: Do you give your labor away free?

because making music is the same as having a real job.


I respect musicians for their art, but I think a real artist would be just as pleased if a person admired it for free.

You're clearly not an artist and you don't live in today's world.

Do you think music gear and touring is free?

Can't steal a concert experience. Also, you misread his post, he was saying "give away the content, sell the experience/merch".

Plenty of artists make a living off touring.

Economics 101 - Supply and Demand

An FINITE demand divided by an infinite supply is as close to ZERO as makes no odds. Data is worthless. It's over. Get used to it.

The RIAA and MPAA lost this battle 10 years ago, they just haven't realized it yet.

Artist can sell things that are not in infinite supply, such as seats at a venue or merch.

Your comparisons are stupid. The free gas thing... wow, that's so far off the reservation.

Go be stupid somewhere else.

Necrosis: Sell it on their website, $5 for high quality DRM-free files. I'll buy it. That is how I got the latest Sigur Ros record. Then offer a physical disc packaged with some extras like a DVD or something at a reasonable price. Then do some touring if you feel like it and sell some stuff at the shows.

THIS

Let me put it to you this way: I bought the friggin Saul Williams album for 5 bones b/c it was fast and offered right off his website. He had it for free too, but I wanted the FLACs.

The album was meh, but for 5 dollars I didn't care.

Whamdangler: Music is a business the same as ______________. (Insert your business here).

I would question anyone's motives if they're sole motivator for making music is for the money.


jayhawk88: How nice of you to decide that a music artist must work twice as hard to make a living, simply because you don't have a problem stealing things that they are asking money for. Should they also come and mow your lawn too?

i wouldn't complain.

The idea that somehow that Portishead record sales keeps a roof over their head is laughable. Any money they are making is coming from touring.

I bought their main 3 albums. I just think it's a bit odd that somehow a fan is worth more than another because they bought the CD.

FeedTheCollapse: I would question anyone's motives if they're their sole motivator for making music is for the money.

ftfm.

FeedTheCollapse: Whamdangler: Do you give your labor away free?

because making music is the same as having a real job.


I respect musicians for their art, but I think a real artist would be just as pleased if a person admired it for free.

I respect plumbers for their pipes, but I think a real professional would be just as pleased if a person flushed for free.

See how stupid that sounds?

I'll wait another 11 years. Don't mind a bit.

annoyed_grunt: I respect plumbers for their pipes, but I think a real professional would be just as pleased if a person flushed for free.

See how stupid that sounds?



if that's their thing, go right ahead. But since absolutely no one, or very few anyway, goes into plumber for the love of wallowing in shiat, I don't mind if they're only in it for the money. But if you're a musician or an artist, the drive for fame and fortune should not be the main reason. if it is, you're likely terrible as an artist or you have some kind of weird need to be constantly validated.

either way, unless you're selling Thriller-esque proportions of records, there's no way you're really making a living off selling albums alone.

FeedTheCollapse: See how stupid that sounds?

You've successfully proven that comparing being a musician to a having real job is stupid in an apples/oranges kind of way.

Do you give your labor away free?

No, and I most certainly don't expect to get paid indefinitely for two or three weeks of labor, either.

In fact, comparing recorded material to continued labor is just as stupid as comparing being a musician to having a real job.

I give money to musicians who actually work for a living - i.e., the ones who make material I like to listen to, and then show up to my town and play it in front of me. If the material is really good, I'll show up to the live show as often as it happens.

The CD is just there for me to figure out whether or not they're worth the cost of the live show. And as others have pointed out, no one really makes money on those anyway unless they sell in ridiculous amounts.

Did Portishead even tour for Third stateside? I wouldve gone to see'em.