The Future of the Music Industry Is Here
August 4, 2008 by Eric Hebert
Filed under Marketing
So says grindcore band Berzerker. They recently left their label and like true metal, they gave ‘em the finger and are now on their own. I love this video they put together to announce to the world their departure, not because they are doing anything crazy or revolutionary, but because the guy rips his face off at the end (who doesn’t love that?)
Derek Sivers brings up an interesting point - Should you go digital only? I’m always talking about going digital and how you don’t need the CD and what not, but he does make some valid points about addressing your credibility.
I agree that yes, having a pretty CD does make one more credible. What I think works best is going digital first if you don’t have the loot to get your CD’s pressed, and working that angle to fund your album production. Because yes, many of us DO listen to CD’s (especially in the car) and the medium is very much alive and well and will be for a long time.
Smashing Magazine takes a look at 35 Beautiful Music Album Covers. Continuing on the “cd isn’t dead” rants, artwork is sometimes overlooked when it comes to going digital. Even if you are just going digital or are only doing a limited run of physical albums, the artwork is still important. I constantly find myself telling bands to get some original artwork for their album, not only to make it stand out a bit, but so they have something for merchandise! Check out these classic covers for some inspiration.
I’m purely digital. But I don’t focus on selling digital content per se, but rather access to a members-only area with a variety of video but also forums, and more interactivity between myself and the community.
To me it’s about perceived value. A cd might have more perceived value than an mp3 with some cover art, it’s a tangible product, etc. But in the digital world you can create higher perceived value through experiences between you and your fans which you can charge them to access.