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Post by Alex on Apr 27, 2010 18:25:34 GMT -5
so i've been thinking a lot lately about what to do with new releases and what formats they should be released in and whether or not its even worth my time anymore. here's how i see it:
cds - theyre the cheapest way to release music in a mass amount. i can get 1,000 pressed for between $500 and $800, but they dont sell anymore, theyre out dated and people just put them on their computers to use the mp3s for their ipods, iphones and ipads and whatever else theyve come up with.
vinyl - records are the most expensive thing to press and they are popular in punk culture and have stupid collectors, but they still dont really sell enough to make money back from pressing them. not to mention i cant afford to press anything bigger than a 7inch when all is said and done anyways.
cassette tapes - super cheap. no one wants to buy them though. hardly anyone really wants tapes or listens to them i feel like. theyre just kind of silly/cute things to release.
mp3 downloads - this seems like the most popular format of music these days. its kind of sad, but i also understand. its free and easily accessible. but i think that running a digital record label is really silly and pointless and thats what blogs are for, and if thats what this is coming down to, i dont want to run a record label anymore.
what are everyone's thoughts on this? i have a bunch of stuff i want to be "released" in some way, shape, or form. (mourning, new alex and the imaginary friend album, tanner's new album, endure's stuff, ambush's only recordings, a sampler of some sort)
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still a stranger
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Post by on Apr 28, 2010 13:37:51 GMT -5
I have kind of been thinking about this lately (sort of). I absolutely agree with what you're saying about cds being dead in that kids aren't into buying them and only put them on their computer to use for their ipods, but I've been pretty into the idea of burning mix CDs and using a CD player instead of an ipod. The rate that ipods get stolen/broken at is absolutely terrifying for how much they cost. Portable CD players cost around 6 dollars these days so I could go through quite a few of them before I'd have been better off buying a new ipod or something.
I feel like digital releases are the way to go only because it seems like more and more people these days don't even own anything to play physical copies of music with. It's pretty terrible.
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xxx
still a stranger
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Post by xxx on Apr 28, 2010 19:28:42 GMT -5
i'm not so sure why it's "terrible" that people don't have things to play physical copies of music. the only argument i could see someone making for someone to want physical copies is for the booklet, and i can see two reasons for that. 1.) they want to know the lyrics and 2.) for some dumb aesthetic reason that doesn't matter to anything that's being said--it just looks pretty.
music is music whether it's on an ipod or a fucking 8-track as far as i'm concerned. the only thing that happens if record companies go under is that there is less actual garbage for people to hold as cultural capital in their boring ass bedrooms and apartments. go green!
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still a stranger
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Post by on Apr 28, 2010 20:23:19 GMT -5
I mean, it's terrible for alex in that he runs a records label. I personally don't care about owning physical music. I literally don't own anything at all. The burned CDs don't even exist yet. The only reason I want "physical copies" of music in the form of burnt CDs is because I'm pretty sure my mom is going to get rid of my computer and I want to have some music saved.
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Post by wolf on Apr 28, 2010 20:25:13 GMT -5
IF I WAS YOU
I'd have all releases on the website for download. Some available for free, and others for pay. As well as that I'd have the albums (or the new ones) on limited (i.e, not too many, the amount you think you can actually move) vinyl and tapes runs.
I think CD's are pretty pointless. Unless it's worth it for you financially to do small runs.
My two cents
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xxx
still a stranger
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Post by xxx on Apr 28, 2010 20:53:17 GMT -5
I mean, it's terrible for alex in that he runs a records label. I personally don't care about owning physical music. I literally don't own anything at all. The burned CDs don't even exist yet. The only reason I want "physical copies" of music in the form of burnt CDs is because I'm pretty sure my mom is going to get rid of my computer and I want to have some music saved. i'm not so positive you meant that--to me it seems like you were cleaning up something i pointed out. also, you own things--get real. also, i think it's funny the way people turn into businessmen in a minute when they're giving their "two cents" to a label. i mean it's music, it's gotta stay afloat right!? |
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scum
introduce yourself!
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Post by scum on Apr 28, 2010 23:20:09 GMT -5
financial discussion, cost to profit ratios, which format of commodity sells best - really? punk is an obsolete excuse for commodity production, shows are a spectacle of false togetherness, punk kids are the target group for the next great co-optation by capital. when your subculture does not create a challenge (or when its challenge is a limited engagement of only certain tentacles of the leviathan), it becomes a part of the spectacle and therefore part of the oppressive totality under which we all struggle. your subculture of DIY capitalism is just the next costume leviathan will wear to disguise its vicious teeth and rusting armor.
to reposition some words from a cute french jailbird - "broken records, being sharp, can be thrown in the face of any small-time venture capitalist."
just put up everything for free. we can spout sanguine laments about the loss of the "physical product" as much as we want, but every format is the same - stale capital for fashion-hungry consumers. the free digital format is every bit as dead, but at least you cease to be the pusher-man mafioso for capital's next open playground.
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Post by Alex on Apr 28, 2010 23:27:24 GMT -5
financial discussion, cost to profit ratios, which format of commodity sells best - really? punk is an obsolete excuse for commodity production, shows are a spectacle of false togetherness, punk kids are the target group for the next great co-optation by capital. when your subculture does not create a challenge (or when its challenge is a limited engagement of only certain tentacles of the leviathan), it becomes a part of the spectacle and therefore part of the oppressive totality under which we all struggle. your subculture of DIY capitalism is just the next costume leviathan will wear to disguise its vicious teeth and rusting armor. to reposition some words from a cute french jailbird - "broken records, being sharp, can be thrown in the face of any small-time venture capitalist." just put up everything for free. we can spout sanguine laments about the loss of the "physical product" as much as we want, but every format is the same - stale capital for fashion-hungry consumers. the free digital format is every bit as dead, but at least you cease to be the pusher-man mafioso for capital's next open playground. so... vinyl? |
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still a stranger
Posts: 74
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Post by on Apr 29, 2010 8:15:31 GMT -5
Or you can get real and realize that I never in my post said I didn't "own" anything. What the fuck are you on about?
I'm in the process of moving and my mom is getting rid of literally all my shit that I can't fit into one box and in that box I have only a handful of books, zines, shit to sew with and clothes. Other than that I have a bike, a canteen, pocket knife, a guitar, skateboard (which I'm giving away), and a record player (which I'm selling). I never claimed not to own anything, but I don't know how many people can really name all the things they have, and I said specifically I don't own any physical music, which I don't. Stop trying to fucking contradict everything I say for once.
As if I actually think people not owning ipods and fancy dumb shit is terrible for them, it's shitty for alex's situation which is the topic of the thread I'm responding to after all.
Oh okay Jeremy you're right this time. It sucks that everyone doesn't have awesome shit to play music on or a billion other things, I highly recommend everyone get of RYF right now and go spend money.
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still a stranger
Posts: 74
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Post by on Apr 29, 2010 8:18:00 GMT -5
Also to be fair, I don't really think anyone on this forum really cares about ryf.
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xxx
still a stranger
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Post by xxx on Apr 29, 2010 9:46:34 GMT -5
sambam...sambam--you can't hide the things you type! here's a direct quote from your post yesterday @ 8:23:
"I literally don't own anything at all."
weird because then at 8:15 this morning you decide to say this, with the evidence pointing different like 5 posts above it:
"Or you can get real and realize that I never in my post said I didn't "own" anything. What the fuck are you on about?"
and then you go on again not ONLY to refute that you didn't say "i dont own anything at all" but to say that you SPECIFICALLY said something different--which we just got the proof that you never did:
"and I said specifically I don't own any physical music, which I don't. Stop trying to fucking contradict everything I say for once. "
weird.
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still a stranger
Posts: 74
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Post by on Apr 30, 2010 12:16:29 GMT -5
Yikes. I meant about physical music when I said I dont own anything at all, but I guess you'll just say I'm cleaning up stuff. Yes, it is absolutely my fault for being unclear, but I don't really know what to say anymore. I agree with what you said about using this forum for actually discussing stuff in the mist conx thread instead of posting jokes all the time but lately it just seems like more trouble than its worth.
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Post by tOM on May 1, 2010 13:49:13 GMT -5
alex, i think you should just just carry your friends albums. let them put out their own stuff. you've lost money on this. its cool you put out their stuff however let them put out their own stuff and your carry it. like a distro.
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Post by Alex on May 6, 2010 13:49:33 GMT -5
alex, i think you should just just carry your friends albums. let them put out their own stuff. you've lost money on this. its cool you put out their stuff however let them put out their own stuff and your carry it. like a distro. this may be the best idea. but plan-it-x totally just stole my thunder and announced they will be done as of next summer. i think im just gonna stick to digital downloads, tapes and vinyl when worth it (ex: bands that will actually go on tour). |
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Post by wolf on May 7, 2010 11:26:03 GMT -5
I won.
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