So is anybody making money from selling their music online?

[The dman]

Or is it just a great concept?

I'm just wondering. With all the promise of the internet and breaking away from "Big Brother"and taking the grass roots aproach there was or is a lot of potential but I seem to have the following conversation a lot with people.


Me: Hows the new cd doing?


Artist: Great,I'm getting a lot of hits on MySpace and my cd is on CD baby etc as a matter of fact a guy in Italy just bought one and I'm on 7 internet radio stations.


Me:: That's great, how many have you sold ?



Artist: 1...... to the guy in Italy





So I'm curious, are there any Grassroots artists making a decent wage from Internet sales or is it still mostly from live shows? I know there's a lot of crap out there but there's also some good music being layed down and released on the grassroots level.

Comments Welcome

[TheReal7]

Not here. I don't have my songs on iTunes or any other sites like that. Just CD's you can order though my websites. Sales have slowed a bit, but I have only sold a 150 online, or so, since March. Shows are really the best place to sell as an independent artist. :(

[Shandy]

I still sell more at gigs, but I get CD Baby checks every week, probably averaging $30-40, but it's up & down. Right now it's pretty quiet, but last month I had a nice run and got a couple of checks for $120 or so.

It's pretty much split 50/50 between CD Sales and downloads, with iTunes bringing in the most sales, by far. Next in line would be Rhapsody.

At any rate, it's defintitely not enough to pay the rent...

[jomo1234]

www.tunecore.com

[TheReal7]

Originally Posted by jomo1234

www.tunecore.com

Thank you. I was looking for this site but totally forgot what it was called.

[netrom]

I just received a check on approx. $100 (radioplaying) a year after the release! It sucks... I'm just "a member of the band" though....4%....Another member 'stole' my share!...

[djwayne]

On Soundclick, I get thousands of plays, many hundreds of downloads when they're free, but downloads drop off to zero when I put any price on them, and plays and chart position drops as well. I take the price off and downloads start up again, and my chart positions rise.

So what's that's telling me is some people like the music I have posted, but not enough to actually buy it. Soooo back to the drawing board !!

Quite frankly, I'm quite surprised the songs did as well as they did.

SoundClick is a great place to try out music though. It'll surprise you on who all posts there. Even Amy Lee from Evanescence has a site there. That's cool. Check her out at.....

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/page...?bandID=430807



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[Mark Warren]

I'm doing a bit better, but I include access to a number on online porn sites with the purchase of the CD, so they get more bang for their buck!

[dreamsongs]

Originally Posted by Mark Warren

I'm doing a bit better, but I include access to a number on online porn sites with the purchase of the CD, so they get more bang for their buck!

That may be the wave of the future...gotta make money somehow right ?

[Kenny Gioia]

The concept is still a great concept but you still need to get people to WANT to buy your music.

You still have a unique product, but you need to create a demand for that unique product.

And that's getting harder everyday with most bands putting 3 or 4 songs on their sites for free.

So fans need to "want" more.

How many bands have more than 3 good songs to begin with?

And you need a professional video. And you need to look interesting "IN" that video.

Music is only a small part. The days of ugly bands is over. The days of the music being enuff is over.

The hardest concept for most artists to grasp is that you need to be exceptional in all areas.

I can throw a brick and hit some good musicians with a good singer and good songs, but finding something truly special is not as easy.

And there are plenty of talented bands out there marketing themselves unbelievably.

So you need to be great and great at marketing. Whew.

The one thing I notice far too often is that artists or bands forget what they are trying to achieve.

If you want to sell a couple of CD's each week playing on the street or in a coffee house, that can be achieved fairly easily.

But if you're trying to be the next U2, Green Day or even Ashley Simpson (yukk) it's harder than winning the damn lottery. (Think about it - Someone wins the Lottery in each state every week.)

So what makes you think that it should be anywhere close to being easy?

Good Luck.

[djwayne]

All that is well and good, but you need good songs.

Somebody comes along with a song like "My Ding-a-Ling" and blows all the music theories away.

So what's going to be the next fad or craze ?? Who knows ??!!

In this business you never know what's going to hit or miss.

[The dman]

But if you're trying to be the next U2, Green Day or even Ashley Simpson (yukk) it's harder than winning the damn lottery. (Think about it - Someone wins the Lottery in each state every week.)

No, I'm not talking about "being a star" I'm talking about somebody making an ok living off of selling their music. Not rich but not any worse off than your typical day gig.

The hardest concept for most artists to grasp is that you need to be exceptional in all areas.

So very true. I spent some time listening to "homegrown artists" on my space today and I walked away with 2 things.

1.Some of what I heard had some potential but was ruined by subpar recording and production. ( I'm sure there's spectacular music there but I didn't run across any today)

2. There's too many choices. I was hitting link after link of singer songwriters and my god, who has the time to sift out the stuff they like.

[WindowSills]

Originally Posted by dsd

There's too many choices. I was hitting link after link of singer songwriters and my god, who has the time to sift out the stuff they like.

Usually with MySpace, you start by searching for bands you like and see if someone has put them as an influence. Either that or you see what bands your 'friends' are 'friends' with and check them out that way. As an artist, you can allow other people to stream your songs in their profiles too. And as an artist you have to hope that when somebody does check out your page, it's not while MySpace's servers are pitching their daily fit, so that people can actually listen to your tracks.

I find new stuff mostly through word-of-mouth. My friends are also musicians or at the least, obsessive music lovers, and we all have overlapping tastes. Often times it's one of them who'll turn me onto new stuff. It's rare that I'll discover someone new because of the radio anymore. I also read music blogs and some magazines that cover the type of stuff I like (Performing Songwriter, Paste) and have occasionally found some great stuff that way.

And to actually answer your original question - I'm making some money from online sales (both of the CD and through downloads) but it's not exactly keeping a roof over my head.

[rainsinvelvet]

Originally Posted by Shandy

I still sell more at gigs, but I get CD Baby checks every week, probably averaging $30-40, but it's up & down. Right now it's pretty quiet, but last month I had a nice run and got a couple of checks for $120 or so.

It's pretty much split 50/50 between CD Sales and downloads, with iTunes bringing in the most sales, by far. Next in line would be Rhapsody.

At any rate, it's defintitely not enough to pay the rent...

This is about where my band is at the moment. Some months are better (like if we got a good review in a mag or something)..

ERic

[Dave Peck]

I'm selling a CD of original ambient electronic music in a couple of stores in San Francisco that specialize in the style, and also on www.electro-music.com, a web site devoted to experimental electronic music. Here's a link to the CD:
http://electro-music.com/catalog/pro...products_id/40

It's actually doing quite well. I think what may be helping is that it is a smaller niche and people who go to these stores and this web site are already more likely to be interested in it, and I have some one-minute excerpts of some tunes on the web site so people can get a taste.

So if your music appeals to a specific taste, maybe try to find an outlet that specializes in that style.

Oh yeah, and buy my CD, dammit. Support the arts!

DP

[GYang]

All artists I know here (even very famous) don't expect to get something from selling CDs.
CDs, MP3s compilations and downloads are considered as promotion of their art and they make money on shows, advertising campaign and huge moral compansation on being more-less appreciated by people around them.
That's bad for recording industry, but as I'm in my heart half artist, I think it's actualy good thing.

Perform frequently, be good in what you do and reward will be OK.

[steveH]

yeah, have to agree, CDS and downloads seem to be more like the free happy fun pack you give away.

$$$$ is elsewhere. it's not in music!

Madonna didn't make any $$$ doing music. She wrapped herself in entertainment - and THAT'S what sells!

So if you want to sell your music on the internet, some kind of bundled scheme needs to be set up. Sell iPODs loaded with your music and the fee for the music bundled in the price.


Look at James Lugo and his Reality show he mentioned in a different thread. Entertainment is what could lead him to the $$$$ (more clients, better composing jobs, etc.).


If you want make the real $$$ - real estate. Play on the side for fun.

[swimslowly]

i know plenty of people that make money from music (online and offline). you have to tour regularly and work harder than anyone with a regular job (last year i played 200 or so shows and drove around 100k miles). being an indie label you get decent checks from itunes and people do buy cd's if you put out consistently good products. I know Kill Rock Stars does about 20% of their business online...that should give you some idea as to retail vs. online...so if your friend sells one cd online the demand in retail stores is about 5.

but of course it's easier to say no one buys music if yours isn't selling at the moment...but seriously, thinking long term and being persistent does pay off.

be positive!

major labels exist for a reason - even if the press releases are always saying they don't make money. bullshit!

[swimslowly]

Originally Posted by GYang

All artists I know here (even very famous) don't expect to get something from selling CDs.
CDs, MP3s compilations and downloads are considered as promotion of their art and they make money on shows, advertising campaign and huge moral compansation on being more-less appreciated by people around them.
That's bad for recording industry, but as I'm in my heart half artist, I think it's actualy good thing.

Perform frequently, be good in what you do and reward will be OK.

also, I would agree with Gyang here. shows pay better than cd sales. especially colleges. but you need the cd sales (that you don't make *much* money off of) to get the shows...

[Gregg Sartiano]

Originally Posted by steveH

$$$$ is elsewhere. it's not in music!If you want make the real $$$ - real estate. Play on the side for fun.

I know people who bought houses with $$$ from making music.

[Gregg Sartiano]

Originally Posted by swimslowly

(last year i played 200 or so shows and drove around 100k miles)

500 miles per show?

THAT'S dedication!...or a good tax writeoff!

[Absolute]

If it was about talent 90% of what we have all heard would never be heard

Why bands make it cannot fit in a post on gearslutz but I'll tell you one thing that you hear repeated all the time which is the biggest load of inept thinking going: Be original

Your chances go up by a factor of 10 if you copy the current trend as soon as it breaks. Those are official stats...haha

[voiceaddict]

Originally Posted by Absolute

Be original

My friend, that applies to marketing .... unfortunately, most bands hear marketing and think it means get a groupie to start posting flyers.

[TheReal7]

Originally Posted by Gregg Sartiano

I know people who bought houses with $$$ from making music.

I am slowly SLOWLY buying new gear with CD sales. So if anyone here like the stuff in the links in my sig...be sure to snag a copy of my album to help get some more gear :D To the Slutz who have already picked up a copy, thank you very much!

[u b k]

Originally Posted by Absolute

Why bands make it cannot fit in a post on gearslutz but I'll tell you one thing that you hear repeated all the time which is the biggest load of inept thinking going: Be original.

indeed, originality is mostly irrelevant.

if you just want to generate buzz and short-term interest, be likeable, or memorable, or both.

if you want to make deeper waves and sustained interest for a longer term, you have to be remarkable.

i chose the word remarkable with a lot of care; meditate on it a bit, there's gold in the concept.


gregoire
del
ubk
.

[jamieboss1]

you guys should check out this site:
www.noisehead.com

[never174]

I play in a band that releases our own cd's and we sell between 3,000 and 4,000 of each release. But we were on a major for about 12 years. We don't tour anymore,just the odd date her and there. I also have a friend who does ambient guitar music and he sold almost 5,000 of his last cd. It 's called "Hammock". He hired a publicity person for about 6 months and got his music on "hearts of space". I think there are some people making a little money. A lot of it is just stupid luck.

[heathen]

Hav'nt made much money yet, though will find out at the end of the financial quarter, for our latest release, first album was released a few weeks back and 2nd is near ready to go (will be out in a few months), the thing is the 2nd record is so much better than the first.
We are getting some reasonable reviews a little bit of airplay from the first record. So hopefully the 2nd record will kick it.

[audiothings]

about the "be original" thing....

i am all the way across the world from the hub of popular english music. so somebody help me put my thoughts in perspective:

is green day original? - i don't think so... (no offense intended to fans of the band). I think that they are an extension of an existing style... of course they have idiosyncrasies that make them identifiable, and in some way, unique. But i can think of a number of bands that have their abilities and approach. Every kid who bangs a drum kit or savages a guitar long enough is going to have his own style/sound. But is it really original?

is the dave matthew's band original? - in this context, i do think so. In terms of song writing, musical skill/ability and freshness/uniqueness of style, you cannot deny the band their due.

i'd wager a guess that if your band is as unique as DMB, its only going to be a matter of time before you make the scene. If your band is as unique as green day, you will need a lot of luck to come through, because there are 100s of bands sounding as 'unique' as you.

this is a bit ironic... as i might actually prefer the raw honesty of a punk band to all the intellectualism and sensitivity of DMB... but this is not about my taste in music... this is about what is 'original', and whether it sells.

now, somebody tell me... from where i'm at, i hear a lot of bands that i would put in the same ballpark as green day, but none that sound as unique and skillful as DMB. You guys who live in places where english popular music is everywhere tell me - are there 100s of undiscovered DMBs out there? (I would guess that there are 100s of undiscovered 'green days' out there).

respect,