Should you go digital-only, and skip the CD?
August 2nd, 2008
Should you go digital-only, and skip the CD?
The real question is: How much of your potential audience are you willing to exclude?
We’re in transitional times. A lot of people have iPods. But most still don’t. A lot of people get all their music online. But most still don’t.
If you decide not to put your music on iTunes or Rhapsody - (say, if you have cover songs and don’t want to bother with the paperwork) - your music will never be heard by the millions that get all their music on iTunes or Rhapsody.
But if you decide not to have your music on CD, your music will never be heard by the millions that still do all their listening on CD. (Even if they listen to streaming clips while sitting at their computer, they do all their real listening in the car, or on the home stereo.)
So the answer for 2008 is : if you’re serious about being a professional musician, you need to do both.
If you’re just playing around, and never expect even 100 people to want your music, then just upload to MySpace like everyone else does, and don’t make a CD.
But in these long-tail days with over a million bands on MySpace, having a professional CD - a beautifully designed and manufactured CD - really sets you apart and shows you’re serious to anyone in the music industry receiving your CD. Investing $1000 into manufacturing CDs shows that you plan to make at least $1000 selling them. Not spending the $1000 is like saying, “I don’t think I’ll ever make $1000 doing this.” Then you wonder why a booking agent or label is not interested?
To close with a telling example:
When visiting Apple iTunes, I had lunch with the guy who’s in charge of independent music editorial - the one who chooses who gets featured placement.
I asked him, “What’s the best way for me to turn you on to something I think you’ll love?”
His answer? “Send me the CD.”
I said, “Uh.. really? What if it’s already on iTunes? Shouldn’t I just send you the link?”
He said, “Yeah. I commute an hour each way to Apple’s office. I do all my real listening in the car, so I need the CD.”
What about for a first EP released by an unknown artist in a genre where people traditionally buy vinyl or digital? Is it worth putting out a CD or maybe just doing a small run of promo CD’s for the industry types who listen in car’s??
[...] Derek Sivers, founder of CD Baby, recently met with the guy who makes the decisions on which music gets “featured” on Apple’s iTunes service. He had a telling experience that the “all digital all the time” world isn’t quite a reality yet. In fact, sometimes physical media is the best way to get noticed as Derek wrote: [...]
The real answer is to know your market. In the Kids music market which I work in…many people belive it or not…are just now switching over to CD from Cassette (REALLY!). This is in a time when my kids music marketing clients actually sell more downloads than physical CDs …Mmmm…
I agree with Derek, do it all, even the experimental stuff. Last Christmas I sold an MP3 player preloaded with ALL the songs I ever recorded. I sold out my entire stock twice in one month!
Also, don’t forget selling product at gigs!! Plus it’s fun for the listener to be able to read the credits, check out the art, etc. it’s all part of the experience. Plus (as mentioned in the article) it’s a great “calling card.” I still buy CDs (mostly at other peoples’ gigs if I enjoy the show!!) but I also download from iTunes. CD Baby is great for helping artists offer their product in both formats!!
To go one step further, do you think a typical indie artist should go after a distribution deal?
Considering the percentage you lose with a traditional deal, isn’t it better to only use online services (such as CD Baby) + downloads + sales on your website + sales at your gigs?
Having a bigger distribution might give you more sales but you lose the direct connection with your fans you have otherwise.
Also the money you’re giving up within a distribution deal could be better spent for communication and promotion.
I obviously don’t have the answer. I’m just asking!
Vincent
[...] Should you go digital-only, and skip the CD? [...]
Your physical cd is a material manifestation of your art, vision
experience..and Yes! There are many
folks that will listen your cd in a car while driving to work..
Vyasa
Speaking strictly as a listener and consumer of music, I need to say that there is a certain tone to an entire CD that I enjoy. I’m not saying that every CD is expected to be a rock opera or anything but there is a subtle formula that exists in a full body of work. I don’t want the paintings on my wall cropped and I don’t necessarily want my music that way either. I’m with Derek. Both is good but I would be sad to see the demise of the option. Also, the fans peddle and share the goods, perhaps awkwardly but, bit by bit, they carry the passion of the artist forward and out into the world.
Gotta have a CD. What are you going to give to the radio station? What are you going to give to the local paper? Trust me, an email link doesn’t cut it. And if your giving them a CD, make sure it has a legible spine and isn’t some CD in an envelope.
Absolutely you still need the CD. I’m pleased that CD Baby has connected my music to iTunes etc. But I have only a trickle of online sales when compared with my CDs, selling on the floor after the gig. I’m still getting known as a musician, and I can’t think of too many sales that have happened without somebody hearing me first, performing live for them. At that point, I need to have the CD to thrust in their face - to say, “This music touched you, just a few minutes ago. Now here it is. You can take it with you.”
…Plus, what will I do for beer money if I’m waiting for the cheque to process from my digital sales?
Consider using the CD printing service at http://www.kunaki.com; you prepare the artwork, you upload the CD and artwork - but you can print 1 to 1,000 CD and for $1.75 per unit.
Very reasonable - for any artist (as long as you don’t mind following their specs). They even drop-ship to CD Baby for you, or to you for gig sales.
Well, of course iTunes let’s you hear only a 30 second preview for each song and it usually starts about 45 seconds into the song, so that’s not a good way to audition complete tracks, especially not when music supervisors are shopping to license tracks for their projects.
Michael
I trust your judgment on this one, although perhaps you should reveal your biases as (former, wah!) owner of CD Baby and obviously a recent partner with DiscMakers.
I Listen to my iPod in the car, NOT CD’s anymore and I see that trend proliferating more and more but you are right. We are not there yet, en mass. Do I see the writing on wall yes and it IS digital sales with hardware cards to sell at gigs, ala http://www.diskrevolt.com . For now, it’s still CD’s…However Derek…People want them for free and are hesitant to even spend $5 on them anymore.
Personally, I think you need both, even though you make more money on digital sales that selling CDs.
Many people do not have the money to subscribe to sirius or xm radio stations but many still buy CDs especially on Tuesdays when they know it’s new music.
- Poppa
http://cdbaby.com/cd/poppahiphop
We load our music, videos, PDF’s and other media onto flash drives. The larger the drive the more media. We sell them at concerts, and create special versions for radio/internet promotions and provide to industry insiders, tour sponsors, and media reps.
Most media folks just request a link to our streaming downloads and online promo materials. But we try to be sweeter.
Booking agents and others are also provided a secure online access to special material not freely available.
Then everybody else goes to the website for the goods and for social functions.
Since we are DRM free and provide hi-res along with MP3/MP4 audio versions, can copy our tracks to IPOD or burn hi-q CD. So listen on your phones, or in the car, or on your PC/home media center, however you wish. It all leads to your heart.
We’re now also experimenting with digitizing some of our live shows and making some of the raw media available for purchase immediately after on flash drives. Then later, after post production sweetening and titles are applied, fans who purchased the live drives at a show can log into our website and download the updated version of the show at no extra charge.
CD’s are a now thing of the past but will continue to press/print and burn a few for those who want them. But just like my original Sony Soundabout, the original Sony Walkman, nothing lasts forever.
On the other hand… we are in early stages of experimenting with limited vinyl releases. First we need to rethink/relearn the art of mastering and the accountant needs to give a thumbs up.
It’s all well and good doing both, but CD duplication/replication costs money and the capital is required to begin with. It’s not about faith that the money will come back from sales, it’s about having the money there in the first place.
Having said that, I do not like the idea of selling MP3s. I’m talking specifically MP3s, not downloads as a whole. Why? To me, MP3s are the reverse of the progress that has been made in terms of audio fidelity. While we’re moving into 96kHz/24bit DVD-A, most people’s ears have been numbed to any difference by:
1. Bad overcompressed mastering.
2. MP3s.
That’s why my latest album, ‘Misanthrope’ is:
1. Mastered to K-14 standard (that means it’s roughly as “quiet” as a CD from 1990-1995, but with the frequency response of a modern record).
2. Available in LOSSLESS FLAC format from MusicZeit-dot-com, which I strongly recommend despite the fact that it is also available as MP3s of varying bitrates from iTunes, Napster, CDBaby, etc.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m not an arrogant “audiophile” or, in lack of a better term, a bit of an asshole (in the Dennis Leary sense). I don’t think the human ear can hear *much* difference between 44kHz/16bit and 96kHz/24bit, but certainly there is some noticable and appreciatable difference between CD Audio and, say, 64kHz/20bit. I always thought it would be great to have a physical CD-type format that was 64kHz/20bit. Perhaps even simmilar lossless downloads.
But my point is that the kind of people who listen to a lot of MP3s and not lossless formats or CDs (not to mention listening on those treble-tastic little earphones!) are the kind of people whose hearing has been mildly damaged to the point that they can no longer hear or are no longer aware of any difference between an MP3@192kb/s and a “true” CD, never mind between CD and DVD-A. So, the encoraged continuous listening to MP3s on cruddy little earphones is actually a bane on the audio production and mastering world.
Anyway, I’ll stop ranting now and go back to the original topic…
Given the choice, I would do both (as Derek says), but I can’t afford CD dup/rep. Maybe the money from iTunes will fund it?
Ironic, huh?
In the mean time, check out these:
MusicZeit (lossless FLAC!)
http://www.downloadplatform.com/leitmotif
CDBaby (VBR MP3)
http://cdbaby.com/cd/leitmotif2
iTunes (direct link to it)
http://ax.phobos.apple.com.edgesuite.net/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/browserRedirect?url=itms%253A%252F%252Fax.phobos.apple.com.edgesuite.net%252FWebObjects%252FMZStore.woa%252Fwa%252FviewAlbum%253FplayListId%253D277413867
PayPlay dot FM
http://www.payplay.fm/leitmotif2
Thanks.
Excellent article Derek!
You certainly know what you’re doing. We did have the idea of CD
production earlier and Mumbai, “invented the wheel”, so they say!
India, has some of the best resources in the world.
I always felt, just like yourself, that both were necessary, but never had the time to go into CD production.
My Partner always told me the same thing you did. But you know how it is when you’re the one man show…lol. You just DON”T have the time for things sometimes.
And I think after reading your article, the time has come. So you can say, that you and my Partner are heavily going to be held responsible for me going into CD production.
Thank you,
Best Regards,
Sajjid Manuel
Founder/Ceo
Frost & Fable Records [P] LTD
What about the enviromental impact of CDs vs. digital distribution?
The cd - or the vinyl or cassette or whatever it is - is a physical manifestation of the vibe of the band. I think the OBJECT either MAKES you want to investigate further and listen - or not. This is a time to cover your physical object in DNA - ANYTHING that makes it different that the ‘never touched by humans’ Purdue chicken farm cds that are out there………….
yeah
MA
I think I’m in agreement that you need both still. And really, why not take advantage of all your options. I don’t think you are self-competing by doing both. Here’s my anecdote: For my last solo side-project album I decided to post it for free on my website. There is also a paypal link there and I just ask nicely for people to throw a little money my way if they feel like it. Now it might seem obvious that no one would pay but it was worth a shot. Now here’s the conundrum. Yes, no one has sent me even a dollar for it. BUT it has ‘outsold’ most of my cdbaby cds by a factor of 10. So its out there and I have much more exposure than before, but I have made no money. I think this might show that unless you are a huge band like Radiohead you can’t give anything away for free. People will just take free things because they are free. Ok, that was a little off topic, but anyway…
So, I will likely kill the free download, press a cd, and go physical and digital through cdbaby like I always have.
I’ve distributed free EP demo CDs at gigs for a few months now. And after months of putting this on the side I’ve decided that this EP can also be put on sale and I *will* be able to sell it if I get my marketing right.
I’ve found that people love getting a freebie, a physical one at that too. At best they will listen to the CD, at worst they will get a nice and pretty coffee cup holder that will still do a bit of advertising for the band. So I think CDs are not all gone yet.
My band’s cds are finally on the way to cdbaby
“What about the enviromental impact of CDs vs. digital distribution?”
What about the environmental impact of digital distribution vs. hard drives, flash drives, iPods, broken iPods, “once-off, drive to the beach CD-Rs that end up as coasters”, free 1 GB MP3 players from Office Depot that are so cheap they end up in the landfill….
[...] whole post is here: http://sivers.org/dd-only [...]
Derek - Great post and I love the story. It reflects exactly what I’ve seen at my company. We basically rent audiobooks to corporate clients. (We send the physical cd a la Netflix.) So we get asked all the time about ‘do you offer a MP3/download version?’
Our answer has always been ‘No’ - because we feel the CD lets everyone in a company participate, not just the 15-25% who have mp3 players. Besides the fact that (just like your iTunes story), people who listen in the car often prefer the CD over the hassle of the iPod. It’s easy to get caught up in the ‘everyone has an ipod’, when in reality there are a ton of people who don’t.