(Article) Music is not free
This is a subject that has been flying around a lot recently. Music is not free.
The internet is one big misconseption in terms of music. As soon as the light went out on many record shops, people automatically assume music is for free when it is on up on the net....who told you that?.
The only way you get free, if its illegal, or if a label is giving away a free download to promote an album or a remix. If course some bands give their music away for free
This, an mp3 is less than a cup of Coffee viral picture going around the net, is also a form of mis information. Mp3 is not as good quality as cup of coffee( Depends on the blend), Wav is. Want to support the music you like more, buy the wav files
Music costs money to make. No matter which we you look at it, It costs money to buy software, probably equipment, but it depends what you are recording. Thats usually a demo, depends who has the skills to multitrack.. In many cases, bands go into studios with engineers and then the mastering process, which costs money
Selling music
New Usb, is one of the most recent examples of this. They closed and then reopened with a no business model in place. They totally reorganised everything and now charging for services and have reopened the other half of the site, which is basic non paid version. No matter how much people want to, you can have all services for free, its just not possible
Now a musician
Then there is selling music. This is the biggest issue for many years in the music industry. Digital music has, in a way, clouded peoples judgement. First of all, like a said in a previous blog, Wav files are the original version of a mixed down track. There are also vinyl, CDs and perhaps DVD, depends on the material you have, but that costs money up front...but what it wrong with that??
When you upload you music to a website for sale, you have to promote the hell out of it, unless you have quick following. All websites charge something, either monthly or yearly or per sale. so the artists has to make money to cover that
There is also the matter if gigging. This takes transport, fuel,, packing and unpacking equipment. It also depends how far the gig is. It takes money for a musicians to do many things
The cost of music
An mp3 is 99p. a Wav is £1.99( In may cases)
Vinyl £1.99 to £5.99.singles .its a hard copy and its pressed so you expect to pay a little extra..common sense
The reason mp3s cost less, is there us no physical distribution, although digital music can easily be stolen
Hard copies or merchandise, depends where you go, are CDs and vinyl. These have to be physically distributed. Unless you nick a copy from a shop or hijack the truck, harder to steal
When was the last time you went into a shop and bought a record? Many people are still able to because shops are still open. Many have not and this is where online comes in
If you discover a band, either through my shows or someone else and you like it...don't take the piss and nick it, be respectful and buy it. Even a WAV is only £1.99, which is the price of the average 7" single If you can by the merchadise, the more the merrier :)
I saw a great thread on a label Facebook regardinging delivery prices to a European country. If you want a new product trasported from A-b, via mailorder, it costs money. I can never understand the fasination with online sales. Ita a great idea, but many a time you end up paying more for your item as the cost of delivery is on top. I see people moaning about it on the thread. I all i can see, if you don't want to pay for the delivery, you could have supported your local record shop
Thanks for reading
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