[Dixielandjazz] Re: The worm turns - at long last

[TCASHWIGG at aol.com]

In a message dated 7/10/04 8:15:33 PM Pacific Daylight Time, 
bhaesler at bigpond.net.au writes:

> The 2004 Dresden jazz concert CD, which I have courtesy of Jack Wiard, 
> seems
> visually to be a 'commercial' product and was available within 12 hours.
> Their professionally designed single page insert and label appear to have
> been pre-prepared. The CD case back insert ditto, with the track and band
> information overprinted during the night-time production period.
> Notwithstanding Tom Wiggins' scepticism, I do not think that the greedy 'big
> boys' could match the efficiency and cost factors of the small-profit,
> small-time enthusiasts, even if they wanted to.
> For the moment, it seems to be a win-win situation for the artists and/or
> the concert organisers.
> Very kind regards,
> Bill.
> 
> 
Bill & All:

I think my skepticism is borne out right in this paragraph mate, Somebody at 
Dresden invested the time and money into the equipment and technology to do it 
for that festival which I believe is a good sized event.  It could very well 
be a test for the bigger plans to come for Rock & Pop festivals which drives 
the recording industry and the mass profits.

You can bet that when the numbers show up sufficiently there will be mobile 
recording/CD manufacturing studios showing up at all major events and concert 
that have prominent artists performing.

The independents and small record labels with the creativity have always 
driven the MAJOR BIG labels to gobble up everything that works and has profits in 
it.  ALL major Labels started as small independent labels, and went about 
buying up every small independent label they could on the way to becoming Mega 
conglomorate labels.

Sony bought Columbia who bought hundreds of small labels over the past forty 
odd years, the same with Warner Bros., MCA, etc.

I do agree that for the moment it is indeed a win win situation for the 
artists and independent labels.  However; at least in the USA where the OKOM market 
seems to want everything for almost 1935 prices, I believe that with the new 
technology it is very possible for the artists to manufacture the CDs and 
offer them to the consumer at much cheaper price than $15.00 and thereby sell many 
more copies.   

The reason they should be doing this is quite simple, now that they have the 
direct opportunity to eliminate the studio rental costs for the most part, the 
manufacturing label's profit margin add on,  the distributor's profit margin 
add on, and the retailer's profit margin add on, why the heck should they not 
refrain from being so greedy as the people that they already hate who are 
eating up all the profits from their music sales.

I would rather sell thirty thousand CDs for $10.00 than 500 for $15.00 and 
have a garage full of them left over.

However; if the act does not tour and travel and keep playing in front of New 
audiences it is a moog point anyway, they are then relegated to the  self  
Ego gratification division of the market and are making the music primarily for 
their own amusement and are not really business and profit minded about the 
project in the first place.

Old Henry Ford did not make all his money on selling only five hundred cars, 
he sold millions of them, which means as in any other business the more you 
sell the cheaper and faster you can sell them and re-invest the money into 
expanding your marketplace for new buyers.   Every Ford bouncing down the road 
attracted new buyers hungry for the new product.  ( Sheesh I wish I could buy one 
of those early Fords now for the price they sold for in 1935 too, but it ain't 
gonna happen folks.)

As with the first Ford motor cars, every CD you put into the marketplace 
becomes a walking audible promotional tool for your band and your music spreading 
the word and the sound to many others who might otherwise never have heard of 
it, much less gone out to a record store or stopped by your garage to buy a 
copy.

In the mass music marketing world, it almost impossible to get Radio airplay 
on a commercial station without having the product available in retail stores, 
which are traditionally serviced by the distributors, who purchase the 
merchandise from the labels,
(if they can find them) which they can't with most independently produced 
band CDs.

Without distribution you can't get air play, and without airplay you can't 
get distribution, and in most cases without both you can't get Retail shelf 
space at the major record stores, which put your little project and independent 
label right back in the wannabe department again.

On the other hand selling you CDs on the Internet can be quite profitable if 
you have a good marketing strategy and stick to it faithfully and treat it 
like a business.  I have a couple of clients that have sold in excess of 
thirty-thousand CDs of three issues in the past two years strictly on the Internet and 
at live performances.

Surprisingly folks the World is not sitting out their waiting for your next 
release of Tiger Rag, but if you go out there and generate some genuine 
interest in your show and your band, there are new audiences who can and will 
discover you and the music and if they like you they will on impulse BUY the CD, 
however 98% of them will never drive across or downtown to try and find it in a 
record store, and three weeks after they saw you live, many of them will have 
already forgotten your name and would not know what they are looking for if they 
actually did go to the record store.

Another important factor if you are serious about selling product, "Accept 
all Major Credit Cards"  it is a proven fact that sellers of CDs and music 
products average 38% more sales when they accept credit cards, especially for 
impulse buying merchandise, hence, if you have a hot customer in front of you who 
is debating whether to buy the CD or the T-shirt, and or debating whether to 
buy a copy for their brother or mother, etc., they are much more likely to buy 
the extras if they can put it on the plastic, usually because they are running 
short of cash at the event.  The idea here folks is to make it as easy and 
simple as possible for the customer to spend their money when and where they are 
in the mood to do so, if you don't someone else will, now that you can bet on.

The Early Bird does get the worm, so if your into worms go get em.

Cheers,

Tom Wiggins