[Dixielandjazz] Selling CDs

[Steve barbone]

I just signed up with CDBaby.com to see if they are a viable source of CD
sales for Barbone Street.

Based in Oregon, they take $4 out of each sale and send you the rest. I put
a net price of $12.97 on "To Mac With Love" and sent them 5 copies. They
charge $35 for the following set-up.

Listing your CD - Showing the Cover Art - Putting sound clips on their
website - linking your website - description of your music. They are a broad
based internet seller of "indie" music.

Not being well known outside our territory, it will be interesting to see if
we sell any. Other OKOM band CDs there include New Black Eagles & Sac y
Pulses.

On the local scene, where we are well known, we do quite well at retail
outlets. I placed 10 CDs in 11 local retail outlets in the beginning of
2004. All within a 50 mile radius of my house. Selling on average, just over
1 per month, per outlet since then. (261 total in 24 months) Kind of like a
vending machine route. I place the CDs on the racks, on consignment, get a
receipt, and every three months check the racks.

CD Selling price there is $14.99, store pays me $10 each when 5 are sold.
Helps us build our local audience, even at the colleges where we sell
through the bookstores.  College bookstore sales help get us Swing Dances,
Frat Parties and Mardi Gras gigs at several local colleges/universities, as
well as weddings. 

Probably break even considering the time/expense, but then our main band
goal is to get paying gigs, not sell CDs. So in that regard, it is very
successful.

Any other ideas out there?

Cheers,
Steve