A Business Model Involving Free File Sharing
from the I'll-take-a-stab-at-it dept
John Paczkowski, who writes the always excellent Good Morning Silicon Valley came up with a great idea earlier in the week. He started the "Great Recording Industry Business Model Contest" where he asks readers to try to help the recording industry out a bit, since they can't seem to innovate their way out of the hole they've been digging. So, in exchange for suggesting business models that actually embrace file sharing, you could save the recording industry and potentially win a SiliconValley.com t-shirt. I'm always up for any contest that might lead me to winning a t-shirt, and I've been working on a longer piece detailing business models that embrace "free", so I figured I'd write up something quickly. It's the third entry in the bunch, and you can read it at the bottom of today's GMSV issue (or, simply click on the "comments" or "read more" link below, since I've reproduced it here). Now, a couple things, while it's based on something I'm working on in more detail, I really did just scribble this out in a few minutes and send it off to John. Also, I know someone is going to respond with "but, but, but, this model is worse for the recording industry than what they have now, so they'll never embrace it." So, here's the answer to that before we even get to it: that's the wrong comparison. The comparison is not to the system we have today, but to where the system is heading. As it stands, CD sales are rapidly decreasing and file sharing is increasing. No matter what is happening with the various lawsuits, the trend is clear. So would you rather go down with the ship, or pick up a rising business model on the upswing? It's a classic disruptive technology curve, and those that don't embrace new models will discover that their old models simply don't exist any more, no matter how much they like them. Those that do embrace the new models and do a good job building a business around them will find (just like so many cases of disruptive technologies before them) that the new market turns out to be much bigger than the old one.Hi John,I'll throw my hat in the ring with a "free music file" business model. Admittedly, this model can work somewhat with your own idea, but I think it's a combination like this that will eventually catch on.
I'm actually working on a longer article that details all this, but a quick summary of a potential business model. The fact is, when you're dealing with digital goods, you can't sell the music as a "good" -- they're not goods in any sense. So, you have to sell services or other tangible goods. And, if you're selling a service, you never sell past work, you're always selling future work. So ... with that in mind:
* Bands start out the old fashioned way, playing local shows. Building up an audience. They record a few songs (cheaply, thanks to inexpensive digital recording equipment) and use that to get some attention beyond local venues. They're encouraged to offer the songs as free MP3s and even *want* people to put them on file sharing networks because it gets them attention. They begin to realize that the music file is simply a promotional item for the fact that they make good music. Buzz on file sharing networks is important.
* If they get that wider recognition, they start touring more broadly, playing larger venues. They take the door money, and they sell some merch. Some people will still want CDs, especially if they can be offered cheaply ($5?) and include additional things such as liner notes and lyrics. Notice that Steps 1 and 2 are still the same as they are now (other than if you're completely manufactured by the recording industry).
* Now is when things get more interesting. You start to offer a "service." You might call it a fan club, but that has connotations. Let's call it a "subscription" to the band. When the band is still young and small, the subscription should remain pretty cheap and flexible. Say, you let people pay $10/year (less than the cost of a current CD), and they get benefits: direct contact with band members, early access to recordings, ability to request songs at shows. Give the fans their own special RSS news feed so they can be alerted every time the band has a new song for them to hear. Members also get discounts on tangible goods. T-shirts for 25% off. Actual CDs (with bonus features -- movies, games, who knows what) for less than anyone else can buy them. Easy access to recorded concerts right after each show that they can download also would be great.
* The band grows even more, and expands the fan club. They're playing larger venues, so they reserve the best seats for their members. Members get backstage passes. Maybe even the chance to win a concert in your backyard or something like that. The fan club membership prices rise (though not to ridiculous levels) as the band gets larger. Preferably those fans who joined early get grandfathered in at lower prices (incentive to support young bands).
The bands are now making money from (a) concerts (b) fans who are "subscribed" to their service and (c) still from selling tangible merchandise. Fans get to directly support the bands they like. The actual music can be enjoyed by a wider audience. Digital music files are seen as promotions, and thus a band is more likely to get a wider audience, meaning more people joining their fan club. No, not everyone will join, but so what? Not everyone buys CDs now.
If my choice is to buy 12 $18 CDs a year (one a month, say) or support 20 or so bands at $10/year getting all those extra goodies, guess which one sounds more appealing to me? I'm still spending about the same amount, but I'm getting much much, much more, as are the musicians, themselves.
Now, again, this cuts out some of the industry -- but it doesn't have to entirely. Promotions are still needed. A savvy promotional campaign (understanding the nature of using free MP3s as a promotional tool) would still help. Concert promotions are still important. Setting up tours. Setting up higher quality recordings. All of that. What's no longer needed is quite the same amount of CD distribution. Contracts would, of course, need to be restructured, since the industry now gets all their money from CD sales and bands end up with most of the touring money.
Mike Masnick
Techdirt
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No Subject Given
All they need to do is to start charging subscriptions for full downloads from their catalog. (Except they probably don't have their full catalog in electronic format)
I'd pay $5 month for access to everything.
That's probably too little for the record companies though. People would probably pay $10 per month for unlimited access. Even if that were to bring in too small an amount they could just have subscription tiers.
Don't analysts love subscription based revenues anyway? Isn't that where everything else in life is going?
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i want to be a actress
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P.S.- In my, admittedly, short life, I have found that most people who brag about being attractive, are typically not-so.
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Re: tried out magnatune?
One issue I have been dealing with is the issue of revenue sharing for subscription-based business models that are offered by many as the best immediate solution.
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London view
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Everybody is Happy!
I would personally enjoy the premium seating at concerts idea. Maybe the band could even give the fan subscribers the chance to win an all inclusive package for two to one of their concerts.
Fans get what they want (P2P); musicians get what they want ($). Everybody is happy!
http://allwaysmusic.modblog.com/
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Everybody is Happy!
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Everybody is Happy!
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Pfft!
Sorry, but that business model of yours is pure fantasy.
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Re: Pfft!
It won't be long before there aren't many people writing good music either, because they won't be able to afford to. Being a musician is just a worthy a profession as being a doctor, lawyer, journalist or programmer. Why is it people go to art shows but would never dream of asking the potter to give away his work for free? Why should indie musicians be expected to give their music away for free?
I know the argument "music is in the ether, it should be free" but we performing songwriters have to pay our bands, pay for the sound tech, pay for the recording (not EVERYONE is a recording engineer, and shouldn't be!), pay for the promotion and advertising, packaging, merchandise, website hosting, demo's and duplication, association fees, and...oh...some actually take lessons and go to school to learn this, and that isn't free either!
Even PAID downloads don't pay. I had over 1065 plays and downloads last month through Itunes, Rhapsody and Music Match. I got paid a whopping $22.00. That's less than .02 per song. Volume wise, that's equal to selling 88 of my CD's for 25 cents a piece!
In the last two years, I've seen a considerable drop in the quality of both venues and music. Most live music venues have closed their doors, or switched to DJ's. Some places even started requiring the artists to BUY tickets to sell!
Many of the really good established artists in my city refused. The garage bands and amatuers took over. The quality dropped. People stopped going to live shows, so more and more venues started reducing the pay scale. Last year, I played a FOUR hour gig for a lousy $250.00, in an area I'd never played before, and I had to pay my band. They didn't want to hear original music, they wanted a juke box. I decided I'd never do that again. Now, for live acoustic original music in my large city, there are only four venues that offer reasonable pay, and they are all ticketed venues. They won't book an artist more than three times in a year, and the artist has to sign a contract agreeing to NOT PLAY anywhere for less money within a 30 mile radius for 1-3 months!! But they are also required to be able to pack a minimum of 50 seats. How does one build a following if one is not allowed to play in the area they are trying to build?
Most venues have discovered that they can get a college age band or beginner performer to play for free and bring tons of friends for one night, and since there are hundreds of beginners with tons of friends, they don't even have to book the same person twice in a year. Indie festivals are notorious for not paying artists much. Even the National Cherry Blossom festival doesn't pay artists, AND doesn't permit them to sell CD's or merchandise!
There is no easy answer. We created this monster, and now the listening public expects to get their music for free. Audiences are shrinking, venues are closing, and we are right back to the same situation where the only ones NOT making any money are the creators of the music.
So, how do we performing songwriters make money with our music? We sell t-shirts. Yeah, that makes sense. lol
Nikki
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Re: Re: Pfft!
Get worked up because we musicians dont have an active union, we dont have a big budget to get heard in the media and we dont have many people left who can be bothered standing up for us.
We are falling victim to bad attitudes and, even worse, NO attitudes. Most people just accept that music is free and dont even consider that it should be otherwise.
Sure, giving away music is great promotion - maybe i can be the most popular man in the world who is still living below the poverty line.
So thanks, Nikki, for kicking ass on behalf of your peers :)
-mark
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pldmksuoz zpkxhtw
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Minggl offers several of these today for free
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Payscale for live bands in Chicago area
Please let me know as soon as possible.
Thank you,
Tonette
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re: nikki
In the future, music will no longer be a tangible good that is bought or sold. (you don't have to agree with me, but thats where things are going) Instead, a lot of music will be used as advertisement. For example, Chevy uses a famous song that everybody loves in their car commercial, why? because people will hear it and pay attention, and it sticks in their mind. The same thing would happen when i hear a "badass" song, I would be proud to buy and wear the bands t-shirt.
The nice thing about this change is that Artists will no longer be able to put out a song and just make money from it. They will have to be more accessible, and more creative. Finishing the song will be just the beginning. (not that its the end now, but you get the idea) This will be much better for the fans in the long run.
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Re: re: nikki
The way you described the future of music just makes me want to stop providing music for the public. Clearly, there is no respect and appreciation for what we do. The public doesn't deserve music if they are not willing to pay for it. We all know that people will pay for something they value and according to your comment, people don't value music anymore.
That's fine. Songwriters, composers and other musicians will get the message and stop producing music, because they do need to eat and won't have time to fool around with thieves! How insulting that they'll pay for a t-shirt, but not our music. How insulting!
If advertising companies pay for our music, then that's what we'll devote our time to. Screw the public! They've sure screwed us!
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business administration
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Missing the Point!
We need to focus on rewarding our fans. We don't just want fans but good fans. Brilliant fans. Fans that talk their head off about how awesome we are and use words that make us sond amazing. We want those fans to come and join into our network as fast as possible. Why would we want to penalize them for their fanaticism? We want to reward them for it in a way that will force them to talk more...
So the whole idea of paying subscriptions for contact is outthe window. Contact is a reward to diligent fans who do better promotion than we could dream of. The dollars have to come from all of their friends... If they are really such true fans then they can convince their friends to spend mega-bucks on us because we're just THAT COOL! They will be better salesmen than we will ever be. We need to empowe them to convince people to pay us money. Do that nd we'll have a good business plan...
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