Ddistributing Songs
Ddistributing Songs
In another thread, scodiddly posed the question, "Are we basically leaving the batch mode of distributing songs and instead going pipeline?"
This is interesting to me. I was an early user of MySpace and Sounclick to post single tunes as I was working them, did it just a little on Soundcloud, also. This was back in the daze when I had a mailing list, which eventually hit about 50 folk, to whom I would send CD's as the culmination of the effort, as well as give away mebbe another 25 more to local friends, family and victims - an "album", if you will.
With the advent of bandcamp, which sounds much better and is lossless and allows lossless downloads, I went to releasing my "albums" there, typically in 10 song batches, artwork and notes, etc.
My first two releases were "E.P.s" and I periodically did some, until I was persuaded a cuppla years ago to default to 5 song releases as easier to digest. One project collaborator even insists we do 3 song releases.
I don't see going back to the 1 song model like I initially did, but ...
So, less for the pro's than the home-recording guys, but "Are we basically leaving the batch mode of distributing songs and instead going pipeline?"
This is interesting to me. I was an early user of MySpace and Sounclick to post single tunes as I was working them, did it just a little on Soundcloud, also. This was back in the daze when I had a mailing list, which eventually hit about 50 folk, to whom I would send CD's as the culmination of the effort, as well as give away mebbe another 25 more to local friends, family and victims - an "album", if you will.
With the advent of bandcamp, which sounds much better and is lossless and allows lossless downloads, I went to releasing my "albums" there, typically in 10 song batches, artwork and notes, etc.
My first two releases were "E.P.s" and I periodically did some, until I was persuaded a cuppla years ago to default to 5 song releases as easier to digest. One project collaborator even insists we do 3 song releases.
I don't see going back to the 1 song model like I initially did, but ...
So, less for the pro's than the home-recording guys, but "Are we basically leaving the batch mode of distributing songs and instead going pipeline?"
- Scodiddly
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Re: Ddistributing Songs
Mixerman's recent book suggests that albums are a waste of time and money for artists these days.
https://mixerman.net/killer-record-toc/
https://mixerman.net/killer-record-toc/
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Re: Ddistributing Songs
Nobody buys physical product any more so I’d say yeah.
“Listening to records” as a pastime. Doesn’t that seem like a dated concept?
“Listening to records” as a pastime. Doesn’t that seem like a dated concept?
dehumidified
- Nick Sevilla
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Re: Ddistributing Songs
Spent some time with a friend, basically deciding to release one song at a time.
That took some of the worry from his mind, not having to worry and fuss over an entire albums worth of writing, recording, etc.
We will see how this goes.
That took some of the worry from his mind, not having to worry and fuss over an entire albums worth of writing, recording, etc.
We will see how this goes.
Howling at the neighbors. Hoping they have more mic cables.
- digitaldrummer
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Re: Ddistributing Songs
I've been of a similar mind to VVV. Pre-Covid, I had one of my bands doing 5-song "EP" releases. We could put them on a CD (inexpensively through the Kunaki robot) and on Bandcamp for free. Sell CDs at gigs. We even tried CD-Baby and Distrokid to get them on Spotify, Amazon, iTunes, etc. but I'm about to cancel my Distrokid account due to the $1.53 in streaming royalties not making up for the $36+/year subscription. I'm no business genius, but I believe in ROI...
And lately for my own material I decided to release "singles", but I do that under an "album" on Bandcamp so that when I have enough singles grouped together... well then it's an album... and at that point I may decide to do a CD but as was also mentioned here, hardly anyone is buying CDs. I do buy CDs still but I have to admit when I am listening just around the house, it's usually SiriusXM or Pandora through a couple sets of Sonos Play1 speakers I got at Costco.
Also, I rcently released a full-length project with a "virtual band". a couple of the guys (who are older than me and should know by now they are not going to be rock stars) had this idea that a Kickstarter campaign was going to sell CDs and make us thousands of dollars (based on a successful campaign another musician had 10+ years ago). But you can't really do an honest KS campaign for an album you already recorded, and KS is all about crowd funding - so if you don't have a bunch of people already engaged, there is nothing magic about KS that brings you new fans. anyway, that all fell through. The only way I see bands making any money these days is by touring relentlessly and selling merch at gigs -- but nobody has had many gigs for the last year. so that sucks too.
And lately for my own material I decided to release "singles", but I do that under an "album" on Bandcamp so that when I have enough singles grouped together... well then it's an album... and at that point I may decide to do a CD but as was also mentioned here, hardly anyone is buying CDs. I do buy CDs still but I have to admit when I am listening just around the house, it's usually SiriusXM or Pandora through a couple sets of Sonos Play1 speakers I got at Costco.
Also, I rcently released a full-length project with a "virtual band". a couple of the guys (who are older than me and should know by now they are not going to be rock stars) had this idea that a Kickstarter campaign was going to sell CDs and make us thousands of dollars (based on a successful campaign another musician had 10+ years ago). But you can't really do an honest KS campaign for an album you already recorded, and KS is all about crowd funding - so if you don't have a bunch of people already engaged, there is nothing magic about KS that brings you new fans. anyway, that all fell through. The only way I see bands making any money these days is by touring relentlessly and selling merch at gigs -- but nobody has had many gigs for the last year. so that sucks too.
Last edited by digitaldrummer on Sun Mar 14, 2021 11:43 am, edited 1 time in total.
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- zen recordist
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Re: Ddistributing Songs
All of my records are 5 songs, which wasn't by design, it just worked out that way, but I like it: long enough to have an overall arc to the songs but short enough to not tax people's attention span too much.
Also for me, it's a lot easier to focus on 5 songs at once rather than 10. I feel like 10 would take me forever to finish, 5 take long enough as it is.
I just put mine on bandcamp for my half dozen devoted fans and I don't really do any promotion, but certainly from a marketing standpoint I think it makes way more sense to put out shorter releases more often rather than a big one every couple years.
Also for me, it's a lot easier to focus on 5 songs at once rather than 10. I feel like 10 would take me forever to finish, 5 take long enough as it is.
I just put mine on bandcamp for my half dozen devoted fans and I don't really do any promotion, but certainly from a marketing standpoint I think it makes way more sense to put out shorter releases more often rather than a big one every couple years.
- markjazzbassist
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Re: Ddistributing Songs
i've continued to buy physical music (cassette and vinyl) and only listen to albums, i do not stream. i hate singles, i won't release them for my music. maybe i'm wierd, i don't care, it's art and i will do it how i want to do it.
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Re: Ddistributing Songs
I'm in the middle of laboring over an 8-song release right now and recently came to the conclusion that I need to just release a single now (from the album or unrelated) to scratch my itch while I finish up the larger project. After that, I definitely see myself switching to shorter EPs and singles. Releasing something months after the inspiration and spark are gone just feels weird!
- losthighway
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Re: Ddistributing Songs
I think the question is: Do you listen to or think about albums as "albums"?
If you do, then it's a good chance many people who listen to your stuff do as well.
If not, visa versa.
The album assumes someone is going along for the ride and interested in digesting a big work. The single is more promotional.
If you do, then it's a good chance many people who listen to your stuff do as well.
If not, visa versa.
The album assumes someone is going along for the ride and interested in digesting a big work. The single is more promotional.
- winky dinglehoffer
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Re: Ddistributing Songs
So I was thinking about MJB's preference for albums, and reflecting on the fact that 78s, which run 3 or 4 minutes a side, were dominant until the 1950s, and then it occurred to me that maybe the term "album" originally referred to those "books" of 78s people would buy. It would make sense--there's a physical resemblance to a photo album, for instance. It makes a lot more sense that the term would be transferred to the LP from something that was, in a much more concrete sense, an album. I haven't bothered to figure out where I might discover if this conjecture is correct or not.
- markjazzbassist
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Re: Ddistributing Songs
yeah i can't say record, because that denotes vinyl. whereas i mentioned i'm still collecting cassettes. logically i said to myself, i need to call them an album because that isn't medium specific. the origins of the word i don't know either, i'll go with what you put if it makes you feel betterwinky dinglehoffer wrote: ↑Tue Mar 16, 2021 1:47 pmSo I was thinking about MJB's preference for albums, and reflecting on the fact that 78s, which run 3 or 4 minutes a side, were dominant until the 1950s, and then it occurred to me that maybe the term "album" originally referred to those "books" of 78s people would buy. It would make sense--there's a physical resemblance to a photo album, for instance. It makes a lot more sense that the term would be transferred to the LP from something that was, in a much more concrete sense, an album. I haven't bothered to figure out where I might discover if this conjecture is correct or not.
- winky dinglehoffer
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Re: Ddistributing Songs
And yet why? Record would simply signify recording, I'd think--there's really nothing medium-specific about it, but it is mostly used to denote vinyl. I'll call CDs records sometimes, or refer to an album (regardless of format) as a record. And people don't generally call a full-length CD an LP, but it's quite common to refer to a short CD (or even a short song collection in other digital realms) as an EP.markjazzbassist wrote: ↑Tue Mar 16, 2021 1:57 pm
yeah i can't say record, because that denotes vinyl.
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Re: Ddistributing Songs
Agreed, a record is just a way of storing information (police record, dental record, etc.) it's media-agnostic.winky dinglehoffer wrote: ↑Tue Mar 16, 2021 2:39 pmAnd yet why? Record would simply signify recording, I'd think--there's really nothing medium-specific about it, but it is mostly used to denote vinyl. I'll call CDs records sometimes, or refer to an album (regardless of format) as a record. And people don't generally call a full-length CD an LP, but it's quite common to refer to a short CD (or even a short song collection in other digital realms) as an EP.markjazzbassist wrote: ↑Tue Mar 16, 2021 1:57 pm
yeah i can't say record, because that denotes vinyl.
Even so, people still call movies films and refer to digital video "footage," so in the end nobody really cares
- winky dinglehoffer
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Re: Ddistributing Songs
But it's interesting that certain terms transfer more readily even as others seem arbitrarily to get attached to a particular medium--why is "album," which may date back to the 78 era, more transferable than "record?" Why has "EP" transferred more readily than "LP?" And yeah, it doesn't matter, but I try not to let that stop me.
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