Coldplay Giving Away Free CD At Shows And Free Downloads
from the that-evil-free-stuff dept
A bunch of folks have sent in the news that Coldplay is doing a promotion whereby they'll be giving away a free CD at every live show and will also make the tracks available for free download on the band's website. The album itself is live tracks recorded during the current tour. As the band notes:"Playing live is what we love. This album is a thank you to our fans - the people who give us a reason to do it and make it happen."It's great to see another well-known band learn that "free" can have quite a bit of value, though this does seem a bit more gimmicky than any well-thought-out strategy. Giving away a physical product is nice, but expensive, and unlikely to be a difference maker for those going to shows. Still, it is nice to see a band not freaking out about free and looking for more ways to actually connect with and reward their fans, rather than trying to punish them like some others.
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Filed Under: cds, coldplay, connect with fans, free, music, shows
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it's not gimmicky
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Re: it's not gimmicky
i do however advocate free music but i dont think this is necesarrily advertising for a commercial gain
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Re: Re: it's not gimmicky
1. Go to gigs
2. Buy Merchandise
3. Go and buy other albums
4. Tell even more friends and repeat steps 1 through 4.
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Re: Re: it's not gimmicky
*knock knock* Helloooooooo McFly!
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Re: Re: Re: it's not gimmicky
This is a free CD, but the tracks are live recorded during tours. Not the studio recordings people prefer. Not only that, but this is the kind of thing that makes people loyal to a band and makes the fans want to buy all the music they don't have once they get the free nibble.
Take a free economics course. Ok, McFly?
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Re: Re: Re: Re: it's not gimmicky
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Logistical Nightmare
What about setting up a few bluetooth stands around the concert arena. Interested fans can rock up and download which ever songs from the concert they wanted. Having enough Bluetooth capabilities to keep up with demand may be less costly than recording, mastering, pressing, printing and distributing physical CDs.
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Re: Logistical Nightmare
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Re: Logistical Nightmare
I'm not sure what the average Coldplay concert size is, but it's not like you're trying to send someone to the moon...that was a logistical nightmare.
If Coldplay is any good live, then people will wait (and pay even). Having people pay might actually mitigate some of the annoyance of waiting. Hell at the prices they charge, why not just include a recording of the concert in the ticket price. If you want a copy, you wait, if not, just go home.
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What's an Auto Tune?
Until I see them in concert, I believe Death Cab for Cutie will continue to be a better band.
Only time will tell.
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They better give away a CD for free
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Hmmm...
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Helllo McFlllyyyy
Before the final two songs of the evening, they announced that they would be giving away the free CD as concertgoers left the building. The ushers handed CDs out in an orderly fashion--I don't think this would have happened with, say, Slipknot fans.
The average age at the concert was about 35, making much of the audience above the age that's unlikely to download the MP3 album from the band's website. Now, if this was a band that played to younger crowds, a physical CD wouldn't have been an appropriate giveaway...but it seems they know their target demo.
I don't think that they are "advertising for no reason"--they are providing added value to the concert experience. As others pointed out, a live CD isn't likely to stop someone from purchasing a studio recording of the same songs.
--
Andrew Shaffer
http://www.orderofstandrew.com
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Free Cold Play Album
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