Marillion Takes The Next Step And Gives Music Away For Free

from the excellent dept

Last month, we wrote about the band Marillion, noting that for many years they had adopted one of the business models that we've advocated: getting fans to pay upfront for the creation of albums by giving them something worthwhile -- and it's worked wonders for the band. Over the years, they had built up a huge mailing list of fans, and used that list to help generate plenty of revenue to produce new albums. However, we did note that it was a little disappointing that the band didn't take it to the final level of making the actual music free, to help generate a bigger mailing list of more fans enabling the band to make even more money.

I doubt that we had anything to do with it, but just weeks later, that's exactly what the band is doing. It's giving away its latest album for free (I'm not sure, but I'm assuming it was produced in the same manner, meaning that it's already been "paid" for). And the band is planning to use the free music to try to continue to build up that fan list, that it can continue to promote its scarce goods to. Hopefully it works out for them. They seem to have combined many of the different elements: getting people to pay for scarcities (new music, CDs with extras, concerts, fan club memberships that provide benefits, merchandise, etc.) and cultivating "true fans" and now using the music to build up that list. My only tiny (tiny!) critique is that if I were them, along with the free music, I might offer different "levels" of potential support, a la Jill Sobule, Kristin Hersh and Trent Reznor. Either way, it's great to see another example of a band embracing where the market is heading.
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Filed Under: business models, free, marillion, music


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  1. identicon
    Eric the Grey, 11 Sep 2008 @ 5:39pm

    Never heard of them.

    Of course, the stations I listen to, when I listen to the radio, play "classic rock" which probably leaves them out.

    I'll have to check them out and see if I like them. This type of advertisement can only help.


    EtG

    link to this | view in thread ]

  2. identicon
    The Miataman, 11 Sep 2008 @ 6:42pm

    Re: Never heard of them.

    It's what we used to call "progressive" rock. If you like Yes or early Genesis, you'll like it.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  3. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 11 Sep 2008 @ 9:39pm

    going to check them out

    Thanks Marillion

    link to this | view in thread ]

  4. identicon
    Angry dude, 11 Sep 2008 @ 9:41pm

    *Rant here*

    *Insert nonsensical ad-hominum rant here*

    link to this | view in thread ]

  5. identicon
    Justin, 12 Sep 2008 @ 3:23am

    Music Business Models

    Tamara Lewis has adopted many of these ideas (MP3's on her site, fans help pay for creativity, etc.) Her mailing list is growing and it consists of people who are fans and like her music.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  6. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 12 Sep 2008 @ 5:12am

    Re: *Rant here*

    You're really diluting his brand.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  7. icon
    PaulT (profile), 12 Sep 2008 @ 5:14am

    Re: Never heard of them.

    I would have thought they fit into "classic rock", since they were most successful in the 1980s. Depends on that station's definition though.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  8. identicon
    Lisa Creech Bledsoe, 12 Sep 2008 @ 6:37am

    Re: Never heard of them.

    You have now! Which is sort of the point.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  9. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 12 Sep 2008 @ 8:46am

    i wouldn't call a DRM-ed mp3(or wma) free music

    link to this | view in thread ]

  10. identicon
    *angry dude, 12 Sep 2008 @ 11:46am

    Re: *Rant here*

    D'oh!
    Looks like my rant script crashed. Guess I'll have to tweak the code a bit; ...you stupid punks.

    link to this | view in thread ]


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