How Music Should and Will Be Sold
Dave Douglas’ new album, Keystone, can be purchased as a CD (includes a DVD as well, free shipping), MP3 (entire album, cheaper than the CD), or MP3 (individual tracks). Douglas has started his own web-based label, Greenleaf Music. I’d like to see the MP3 album, which is now $10, even more cheaper than the CD, which is $15, but this model makes a lot more sense to me than the DRM-encumbered iTunes Music Store, where you end up paying as much or more for an album than a CD version of the same thing.
Douglas also has some sheet music on his site which is interesting.
This quote from the About Greenleaf page is right on:
And how will Greenleafs business approach differ? “We endeavor to be as innovative in our marketing plans as the artists are in their music,” says Friedman. “We plan to re-evaluate current approaches to everything from package design to marketing, promotion and sales strategies and look at every marketing expense in light of its potential resonance with each individual project. We will count on web marketing as a means of artist development and as our artists will be on tour, utilize the live performances to sell records and create sales bases. We also believe that what interests listeners is not just the recorded product, but the artists themselves. As such we are interested in making available sheet music, artist commentary, discussion and more.”
I expect we will look back on these sort of efforts and wonder why it wasn’t obvious to everyone at the time that this is the way the music industry would end up.
Jamuraa Jan 28
You don’t pay more for an album than a real CD on iTunes, in most cases. The only exceptions that I know of are iTunes Exclusives, or albums which the producer/studio explicitly decided that they are going to leave one or more songs out so you’re forced to buy them all at $0.99 a track. A quick, non-specific survey of 15 albums on iTunes comes up with an average album price of $10.57, high of $12.87.
Not that I agree with the DRM, but it’s not as bad as it’s made out to be here.
Adam Rosi-Kessel Jan 28
I’ve only purchased iTunes tracks through pymusique, which apparently doesn’t have the “purchase entire album” option (I didn’t know that option existed). Maybe that’s why I had the impression that ITMS was always more expensive than buying the CD. Still, Amazon often has CDs for $10 or less; and certainly used CDs are even less expensive.