Physical Music Sales Advice

[Pinball]

Hi, any advice on where best to sell physical CD's?

The two I know of are CD Baby and Bandcamp. We're not expecting to sell that many but do want to offer them.

All advice greatfully recieved.

[oldslapper]

Gigs & website/social media, if you're prepared to take orders Ed.

Gigs definitely.

I've only used CD baby for download sales.

[Pinball]

On 11/03/2018 at 20:06, oldslapper said:

Gigs & website/social media, if you're prepared to take orders Ed.

Gigs definitely.

I've only used CD baby for download sales.

Thanks, I was hoping to find someone who would print on demand.

I'm working on a concept album so really want to sell it as a complete piece of work rather than individual tracks. If I could set something up then we could concentrate on promotion. Driving sales is the key I reckon. I have been to loads of gigs where people are giving them away as they can't sell them.

[TorturedSaints]

nimbit.com will also sell physical merchandise, although we've never used this.  It's likely to be relatively expensive for small numbers of CDs.

[BigRedX]

Gigs. 

From experience all the bands I've been in have sold far more CDs/Vinyl/Cassettes at gigs than all our on-line sources put together by a factor of about 20. Make sure that you have an attractive merch display set up with the price of your products clearly marked and someone to stand there and serve people all the time, because your main selling time will be immediately after you have finished playing, when many bands are too busy putting away their instruments and/or clearing the stage for the next act. Every minute at this point in the evening when there isn't someone on your merch table is potentially another sale lost.

For on-line sales use Bandcamp, and have the links clearly marked on all your social media pages and your band website. If you've got the skills make a merch page on your band's website too, although I've found that more people prefer to buy on-line from somewhere like Bandcamp even if the same products are cheaper on your website.

You only need to have your CDs for sale on line in one place. Don't use anyone who wants to take actual copies of your CD for them to sell. IME you'll never see your CDs again or get any money for them, and you certainly won't get as good a deal as Bandcamp let alone selling them from your band's website. For digital downloads and getting onto the streaming services whichever Aggregator gives you the best deal for your projected sales. I use CD Baby and Catapult. 

[BigRedX]

20 minutes ago, Pinball said:

Thanks, I was hoping to find someone who would print on demand.

I'm working on a concept album so really want to sell it as a complete piece of work rather than individual tracks. If I could set something up then we could concentrate on promotion. Driving sales is the key I reckon. I have been to loads of gigs where people are giving them away as they can't sell them.

Print on demand doesn't work for CDs because the production process is too complicated (especially compared to books where PoD works very well). If you really don't think you can justify the cost of a run of 100 manufactured CDs, then maybe do the PoD demand yourself at home. Buy a decent inkjet printer that will also print directly onto CDs (Canon do them for under £100) and a cake of printable CDRs. 

Edited March 13, 2018 by BigRedX

[Dad3353]

21 minutes ago, Pinball said:

Thanks, I was hoping to find someone who would print on demand...

Can you not do this yourself..? Duplicate a dozen CDs, get a dozen crystal cases, print out a dozen labels and CD inserts and you're done..? When stocks go low, print out another batch. Of course, if sales take off massively, there's still time to get a more 'pro' approach, but until then... No good..? 

Edited March 13, 2018 by Dad3353

[BigRedX]

Having had another thought about this, I'm reluctant to suggest DIY print on demand unless the OP has some serious graphic skills. 

For me and I suspect a lot of people who buy physical product, one of the main attractions of this over simply getting a download is the packaging. So unless your creative skills are up to designing something extra special and then being able to produce it perfectly yourself every time someone orders a copy of the CD, I'd be tempted to leave this to someone who can do the job properly.

For me a CDR in a jewel case with a home printed cover an insert simply doesn't cut it as a desirable item. Besides I know from experience that cutting and creasing tray inserts by hand to fit perfectly in the jewel case base isn't the simplest of jobs.

[Dad3353]

10 minutes ago, BigRedX said:

Having had another thought about this, I'm reluctant to suggest DIY print on demand unless the OP has some serious graphic skills. 

For me and I suspect a lot of people who buy physical product, one of the main attractions of this over simply getting a download is the packaging. So unless your creative skills are up to designing something extra special and then being able to produce it perfectly yourself every time someone orders a copy of the CD, I'd be tempted to leave this to someone who can do the job properly.

For me a CDR in a jewel case with a home printed cover an insert simply doesn't cut it as a desirable item. Besides I know from experience that cutting and creasing tray inserts by hand to fit perfectly in the jewel case base isn't the simplest of jobs.

Allow me to politely disagree. Much of the attraction is in the event itself, not the display of wares (although it may not harm to have professional graphics...). 'Home-made' does not have to be totally bad, nor totally polished, I'd say. Certainly, some may be put off by really bad 'artwork', but if the only option is ordering five hundred (and having four fifty unsold...), it's worth a punt. It's worked for bands here in France; I know of several that 'brew' their own, and have done myself, on a very modest scale. And 'No, I don't think you'd like my 'artwork', either..!' 

[ambient]

Bandcamp, gigs and social media.

I had CD-Rs printed and just burn them with whatever album people buy.

My last album was on cassette which sold really well. The company that did the cassettes does CDs too for a very good price, including artwork.

[ambient]

A lot of people, depending on the genre that you’re in, like the artisan approach. I handmade a stencil for some CDs a couple of years ago, and used spray paint.

[BigRedX]

11 minutes ago, ambient said:

A lot of people, depending on the genre that you’re in, like the artisan approach. I handmade a stencil for some CDs a couple of years ago, and used spray paint.

But even if you are going for the artisan image do it well and it look like you've put some effort into the look of the product as well as the music. I have a copy of the original Kid Carpet "Sh!t Dope" EP which comes in a CD "wallet" made by folding up a piece of wallpaper and sticking typewritten bits of paper to it. As an artefact, it looks fantastic and completely matches the home-made from toys feel of the music on it.

OtOH I have several very obviously home-made CDRs from unsigned bands that are just cheap and nasty with no ideas or effort gone into the presentation. Unlike the Kid Carpet CD I probably won't bother keeping any of these when I complete my next round of uncompressed digitisation of my music collection.

Edited March 13, 2018 by BigRedX

[ambient]

18 minutes ago, BigRedX said:

But even if you are going for the artisan image do it well and it look like you've put some effort into the look of the product as well as the music. I have a copy of the original Kid Carpet "Sh!t Dope" EP which comes in a CD "wallet" made by folding up a piece of wallpaper and sticking typewritten bits of paper to it. As an artefact, it looks fantastic and completely matches the home-made from toys feel of the music on it.

OtOH I have several very obviously home-made CDRs from unsigned bands that are just cheap and nasty with no ideas or effort gone into the presentation. Unlike the Kid Carpet CD I probably won't bother keeping any of these when I complete my next round of uncompressed digitisation of my music collection.

I always include a thank you card too, and original artwork photographs.

People seem to like recycled where possible, sleeves etc.

[Pinball]

Lots of useful stuff here top refer too.

We are already on Music Glue : https://www.musicglue.com/theangrybadgers/

 

That llooks like it has possibilities and is easy to use.

We've also done our own thing in the past with good results.  Many thanks!

[skidder652003]

how about vinyl? Expensive but great!

https://www.discmanufacturingservices.com/vinyl/prices

[Lozz196]

We sell a good few CDs at gigs, and a good few on-line. It`s one of those things where if you put the effort in by gigging wherever you can, you increase both the crowds that have seen you, and your on-line presence. I know a good few bands that moan that they don`t shift gear, but they only play within 20 miles of home, and the same venues all the time. No matter how good their material - and in some cases it`s really good - without generating an audience the sales are unlikely to gather or continue.

Also re selling times - BigRedX is spot on about immediately after you've played, and having someone to do this for you, but another great time to sell is at the very end of the night. Don`t pack up early after your set and go home, many people wait to see how many beer-tokens they have left at the end of the night to make their purchase - if you`re already on the motorway you lose out on those sales.

Edited March 14, 2018 by Lozz196

[BigRedX]

17 hours ago, ambient said:

I always include a thank you card too, and original artwork photographs.

People seem to like recycled where possible, sleeves etc.

Those look great. Proper well-thought out presentation.

Unfortunately, too often, home made means chopped out with a pair of blunt safety scissors and crappy obvious recycled images where the design is mostly about being able to get all the information as big as possible in the available space.

[BigRedX]

Some questions for the OP that may help to tailor the advice more specifically to his needs

1. Is this for The Angry Badgers or is it a solo project?

2. Are you going to gig the songs? And if so will you be doing the complete album from start to finish?

3. What packaging do you have in mind for the album?

[Pinball]

2 hours ago, BigRedX said:

Some questions for the OP that may help to tailor the advice more specifically to his needs

1. Is this for The Angry Badgers or is it a solo project?

2. Are you going to gig the songs? And if so will you be doing the complete album from start to finish?

3. What packaging do you have in mind for the album?

In answer...

1. The Angry Badgers 

2. We going to gig the songs and would  like to play the complete album from start to finish but in most cases this won't be possible as we currently don't have that sort of following or gig opportunities. It is our first full album 

3. What packaging? Not sure yet as we aren't rich, we're doing stuff in house where possible but still have lots of costs and virtually no income. We have done everything in house before with an EP and were happy with the results...cost us about £2.50 per CD from memory.

Having said that we believe in the product and want something that we're proud of. We do get radio play of our existing stuff all be it on specialist rather than mainstream stations.

Money is probably going to be the main issue but I'm a believer in aiming high...otherwise what is the point!

[Pinball]

Just relauching this post in case anyone has any updates on thoughts. My Bands album is still in production but I have this and also a solo album.

It seems that the cost of producing CD's and covers is now quite low as a package but I still need to put them up for sale on line some how.

[Lozz196]

On ‎11‎/‎03‎/‎2018 at 20:06, oldslapper said:

Gigs & website/social media, if you're prepared to take orders Ed.

Gigs definitely.

I've only used CD baby for download sales.

Yep, gigging, and doing as many as you can, all over the place, is your friend. We sell a good load of CDs both at gigs and via our website. In my view without doing the gigs all over the place no-one hears you/knows about you, so you really reduce your sales opportunities.

[BigRedX]

On 14/09/2018 at 22:02, Pinball said:

Just relauching this post in case anyone has any updates on thoughts. My Bands album is still in production but I have this and also a solo album.

It seems that the cost of producing CD's and covers is now quite low as a package but I still need to put them up for sale on line some how.

Bandcamp.

IME there isn't any point putting them up elsewhere. I have Terrortones CDs up for sale on both Bandcamp and on the band's own website. Since they went up for sale on Bandcamp I have sold only a couple from the website, and I'm seriously thinking of taking the website merchandise page down, since it is twice as much work to update both sites every time the postage changes and Bandcamp has it's own "shopping cart" which you really need to have if you are offering more than one product for sale.

[Pinball]

Thanks, it sounds like "Bandcamp" and selling when out "Gigging" are the best ways to go. 

[BigRedX]

If you want to get your music up on iTunes, Spotify etc. then you'll need an Aggregator service as well.

And never underestimate to importance of gigging - not just for selling your CDs at the gig but also for advertising in order to sell CDs and downloads on line after the gig. 

Back again with The Terrortones 95% of of music merchandise income came from selling CDs and vinyl at gigs, but also once the band stopped gigging the on-line sales of both physical product and downloads has dropped off to almost zero.  In fact in the last 2 years we have sold 1 LP.

Also as a "dry run" for putting out the first Terrorises single as a digital release, I put up a compilation of recordings I made with my band from the late 90s. Despite the fact that "back in the day" we had a decent sized following and before we split were getting a lot of record label and management interest, and that apart from a couple of tracks none of the music on the compilation had been previously available; we have not sold a single download. Not one. I get about $1 each month from streaming but that is it.

[Pinball]

6 hours ago, BigRedX said:

If you want to get your music up on iTunes, Spotify etc. then you'll need an Aggregator service as well.

And never underestimate to importance of gigging - not just for selling your CDs at the gig but also for advertising in order to sell CDs and downloads on line after the gig. 

Back again with The Terrortones 95% of of music merchandise income came from selling CDs and vinyl at gigs, but also once the band stopped gigging the on-line sales of both physical product and downloads has dropped off to almost zero.  In fact in the last 2 years we have sold 1 LP.

Also as a "dry run" for putting out the first Terrorises single as a digital release, I put up a compilation of recordings I made with my band from the late 90s. Despite the fact that "back in the day" we had a decent sized following and before we split were getting a lot of record label and management interest, and that apart from a couple of tracks none of the music on the compilation had been previously available; we have not sold a single download. Not one. I get about $1 each month from streaming but that is it.

You hit the nail on the head there. I know from experience that putting material up there on it's own is a waste of time becuase no one other than your close cirlcle, will find it and it will just sit there. My expectations are realistic. The recordings and physical CD's are really there to as promo's in order to see how it goes.

Gigging and selling albums + Bandcamp will do for my promotion purposes. The other thing I can do is to ensure that web pages are up to date and in good order. You have to drive yourself down this musical highway! OMG I feel a song coming on