Smashing Pumpkins Latest To Embrace Free Music... With A Reason To Buy
from the really-free dept
It looks like another "big name" band is recognizing the power of free. The Smashing Pumpkins have announced that its latest album will be released entirely free:Each song will be made available absolutely for free, to anyone anywhere. There will be no strings attached. Free will mean free, which means you won't have to sign up for anything, give an email address, or jump through a hoop. You will be able to go and take the song or songs as you wish, as many times as you wish.And quite an album it will be: the band is working on releasing 44 songs. The idea is to release a song at a time starting around Halloween (the band is just starting to record them now) until all 44 songs are released. But, the band is also offering up a "reason to buy" as well:
We will however sell highly limited edition EP's (of 4 songs each times 11), and details of how those EP's will be made available are still being worked out. Because the songs themselves will be free, the EP's will be more like collectors items for the discerning fan who will want the art itself, along with the highest possible audio quality available. The EP's will be more like mini-box sets rather than your normal cd single. We may also offer other variations for sale, say for example a digital single with a demo version of a song. The commitment that is most important is the one I'm making to you: that the music of 'Teargarden by Kaleidyscope' will be available for free to everyone. All 44 songs: free for ALL.Sounds cool to me. Give away the music for free, connect with those fans, and then give them a reason to actually purchase something physical and scarce that's much cooler than just the music. Great to see another "big name" figuring all this out as well. And, before people say that the band can afford to do this because it's already huge and well known, most of the artists we discuss doing this sort of thing are small artists, who do it to establish themselves to get attention. Claiming that this only works for one type of artist is an increasingly naive statement. Smart musicians of all sizes are recognizing all of the opportunities that using the music as a free promotion presents.
When the entire album is finished, it will be compiled into a deluxe box set which will also be made available for sale. Those who have bought the EP's need not worry, as the box set will not be a recompilation of the limited edition pieces.
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Filed Under: free, music, reason to buy, smashing pumpkins
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Good Idea!
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Ooh, ooh, me first!
Does that sound about right?
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Kanye West should do something like this
Oh wow! Speak of the devil. Looks like we have to interrupt this post for a very important message--
http://bit.ly/4LDWW
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um...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/index.html?curid=505674
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good to hear
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Re: Ooh, ooh, me first!
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Does anyone even remember them
Mikee your stretching it to make your point....
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Re: Ooh, ooh, me first!
"If this works, it will only be because [THE SMASHING PUMPKINS] are [NAMED AFTER SOMETHING JUVENILE DELINQUENTS DO ON HALLOWEEN]. A band that was instead [NAMED "STEALING EASTER EGGS"] could not replicate [THE SMASHING PUMPKINS]'s success. If, on the other hand, the results turn out discouraging, then obviously that acts as a general proof for all bands that the model doesn't work."
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Re: Ooh, ooh, me first!
Almost. Next time try throwing in some baseless and completely irrelevant insults and/or accusations against Mike. "Idiot", "Puppy-hater" and "Communist" are all excellent choices, but I encourage you to experiment and find your own! Perhaps you could throw in an accusation of being a Ghostbuster, or being in league with Satan himself. Anything that will bewilder your audience enough to give you the illusion of making sense.
But you're off to a great start! The RIAA would be proud (but only because they're too dense to realize this is all sarcasm)!
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This actually makes alot of sense
I mean really, this eliminates pirating all together. Who would still want to go and pirate the ep song, but the douches of society?
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Re: Re: Ooh, ooh, me first!
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Re: Re: Re: Ooh, ooh, me first!
"You have no ability to respond to debate when you're wrong"
What great orator has the ability to respond to debate when they're WRONG? Difference of opinion on the other hand...
"When mommy stops sucking on your tits, try the outdoors"
Mommy sucking my tits? You didn't do so well in biology, did you my friend?
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Re: This actually makes alot of sense
(Advice from a medical professional...in case you're wondering.)
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Re: Does anyone even remember them
As they used to say in my youth...Bingo!!!
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Just read the billycorgan blog ....
"That sounds really nice? ... but I don't personally understand why Billy would give away 44 songs for free. I mean, billy needs to eat too, right? And I want billy to eat. And it's his sweat and blood that went into the music, no? I guess I just don't understand the music industry anymore. Fans should neither demand free music, nor should artists supply it, at least not on such a vast scale as 44 songs."
so I pointed them here .... Big Ole GRIN ... I love this site ....
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Re: Re: Re: Re: Ooh, ooh, me first!
"You didn't do so well in biology, did you my friend?"
I thought I was the only one who caught that....
Either that or he thinks your a girl and your mommy likes little girls in that special way....
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And another one...
Free music will give me a reason to stick around and keep listening to them. It's a great business decision. Glad to see more and more bands are finally figuring it all out and connecting with fans. That's how a heard of animals becomes stronger. Leave the weaker ones behind while the stronger ones lead the pack to safety. The best bands will eventually succumb to this or a similar business model.
---- IN FACT!! Can Techdirt make a list of all *safe* bands that are embracing these new models? I'd like to see a list on the techdirt.com website labeled something like "List of safe bands!" ----
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Re: Does anyone even remember them
I still think this is amazing news though.
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Re: Ooh, ooh, me first!
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Re: Does anyone even remember them
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Re: Does anyone even remember them
also, the 'big name' bands from this century are beholden to the mafIAA and probably can't even DREAM of doing something like this until their sentence, um, indentured servitude, um contract expires.
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Re: Kanye West should do something like this
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ambient
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