Record Label Gives Fans A Reason To Buy

from the targeting-the-collectors dept

Thu, Oct 9th 2008 7:44pm — Mike Masnick

Yet another example of a small indie record label that actually understands the importance of giving fans a reason to buy, rather than just assuming that if they put out music, people should just buy. This example, sent in by reader Fitte Prins, involves a small heavy metal record label in Chicago that puts out a variety of limited edition vinyl records in beautiful packaging, with the idea of attracting collectors who like the vinyl artwork almost as much as the music itself. It certainly wouldn't work for all record labels, but it's a recognition that there's a lot more to offer than just the songs.

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Filed Under: fans, music, reason to buy, record label, vinyl

7 Comments

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Relonar, 9 Oct 2008 @ 8:31pm

Wow, great timing. If I buy music these days it is never specifically for the music alone. I have a small set of vinyls that I just started getting into collecting. I have had others that ask me why I buy them instead of CD's.
And I give just that answer: I could get the music in 'lossless' CD quality quite easily, but the vinyl isn't something that is as easily reproduced and limited editions or great artwork seem to give some 'value' to the item beyond the music.
I also get to browse through some more independent labels that aren't spammed on the radio too much, but thats a different discussion.
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Ryan, 9 Oct 2008 @ 9:02pm

Vinyl is great, but they might be more successful, and more helpful to the bands, if they did like Saddle Creek records and offered MP3 downloads of the music with the purchase of vinyl, so you can collect the designer vinyl regardless of whether you have a record player and still enjoy the music. Also, the point made about how you don't have to buy a new record player every year? That's because it's an obsolete technology. That is a horrible analogy to use. This isn't a record label giving its fans a reason to buy, this is a record label giving fans of vinyl a reason to buy.
So, this is great for people looking to collect, but it doesn't help bands when the vinyl albums are just acting as decorations, if not just sitting in a pile in a milk crate in the corner of your bedroom like most people I know who "collect" vinyl.
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Nico, 9 Oct 2008 @ 10:12pm

You'd be surprised at how much of this kind of thing goes on in the metal underground. Many of the labels that produce limited vinyl pressings of new albums will split the pressing into "pedestrian" versions and "diehard" versions, the latter of which may come in clear or coloured or marblised vinyl, with a fabric patch or a poster or something otherwise impossible to obtain. Southern Lord are probably one of the biggest labels in this space, and probably manage to survive on the profits of the "diehard" pressings alone - although they're extremely involved in many other income channels.
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lisa, 10 Oct 2008 @ 1:13am

Ryan -- many records DO offer a free mp3 download with purchase of the record. I think thats pretty sweet!

It is a thing that many labels have been catching up on. My boyfriend and I own combined about 400 records and I can think of quite a bit that actually came with an MP3 CD or download of the record :)
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Twinrova, 10 Oct 2008 @ 4:04am

Innovation: +1 Consumer response +1
Wow, everyone's winning here. Those who want the vinyl can get it while others don't have to in order to get the music.

Nice.

Now let's just hope the "model" doesn't flip on the consumer by forcing them to buy the vinyl to get the music, especially if the "bonus" on purchase is getting tracks not available on CD/MP3 availability.
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Anon2, 10 Oct 2008 @ 8:36am

Nothing new
Nothing new about this -- Cameron Crowe set up his own indie label to do that ten years ago.
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Hamish Cashinella, 6 Mar 2009 @ 6:04am

VINYL ART AND SOUND COMPARISON TO CD
Okay vinyl artwork is really cool especially anyhting from HAWKWIND or DIO however i decided to do a vinyl vs cd test i assumed cd would pawn the ancient media how wrong was i.

I Used and old 1964 johnny Cash 45 rpm Ring of fire vs the 2006 cd remaster and Boy did johnny cash sound so much more realistic ad clearer on vinyl then cd now i use a jvs top notch high end stereo system digital the cd sounded good of course. Now for the fun part on the record was played on a 1965 garrard mk2 which was one of the cheapest record changers in the day tis machhince is over 40 years old and the sound sounded so good so much more like being there.

So ever since then i buy my music from ebay and local record stores of course i still buy cd only for my car or convienence purposes HAVE YOUR SAY do a test see what happens
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