Media pal veres CD Baby

[ShandiSinnamon]

thanks for telling me about media Pal - but dosn't CD Baby do the same thing and for less of a cost? just wondering - shandi

[RonOnGuitar]

Hi Shandi!



Hope you and your mom are both doing well -



Your question seems to have gotten lost in all the postings!



You can get a lot of opinions from folks here on the merits of the different OMD (online music distributors), they can give personal experiences. One might give a thimbs up to "Z", but another might give a thunbs down to "Z".



My thinking -



I don't know that it's a "X versus Z" evalution that is the always the best criteria, though it is wise to consider that factor. I'm thinking that a person should look at what her/his goal is - actually, "goals", plural. Initial goal and the end goal.



First, I would look at "how am I presenting myself"? As a writer, performer, producer - or a mix of some/all of the above? I know I'm preaching to the choir here, lol - you have already great deal of experience and are much more knowledgable than do I on that aspect!



But the dynamics of OMD have radicially replaced the marketing & promo of & for artists. The major labels seem to still be clueless on that score.



I believe you and I are pretty much contemporaries and can readily recall where it took a combination of knocking on doors, PR, performances, agents, songpluggers and luck to even get a horrible contract with a minor sub-label of a major label. Some contracts would still even include a 10% "allowance for breakage" which hailed back to the early 1900s when records were fragile cylinders. Quite a few did break in transit duringng the bad transportation of those days. But the point is. as you know, most artists didn't make money for along time after deduction for advances and clauses such as "breakage". In fact, most artists ended up in the cut-out bin and came away owing the label money.



Of course, even with a good deal with a good company, an artist had to get airplay. Even before the market wasn't as dominated by corporate playlists, that could be pretty tough.

But sometimes a local DJ would like a tune, give it a spin and it might catch on. Of course, there was also the quasi-payola some local label reps might employ - legal freebies, tickets, drugs, a night out on the town (hooker included) and the radio station manager/DJ would do the "one hand washes another" by liberally mixing in the label's releases on their playlist.



Then there's distribution, PR, etc - so on & so on - blah blah, woof woof and maybe the recording would sell.



Okay - all of that being said, the good news is that you can take it all of that and toss it in the trash, lol! The internet changed the whole ballgame and as I sez, the major labels still want to apply their old, non-functional paradigm in today's music industry.



And if people can buy make, promote and buy music online, that does away with a lotta honchos jobs in the labels, PR, ditribution, etc. and they ain't to happy about that!



So, it's wide open for you and other musicians to use the internet, with a minimal dependence on the establishment and the suits.



And I think the core of your question is "which way is the best?". But I'd expand to as many options as only your imagination can limit, instead of "A vs. B".



But in concrete terms, looking at MediaPal vs. CDbaby, you can look at some numbers:

CDBaby has costs associated with each CD you distributed via it. I think it's $US 35.OO(?) per CD and there are probably other optional add-ons. You have to manufacture the CDs at your own cost and mail them to CDBaby which stocks them for you and they mail them out if/when someone orders one.



The artist's cut is higher with CDBaby than MediaPal. MediaPal has an even 50/50 cut, I believe with CDBaby 75-85% goes to the artist. So in just numbers you would balance out a straight 50 % vs. a higher cut where you have to provide thee finished product for sale. (The biggee labels can't/won't match even 50 points - no wonder they have to be dragged kicking and screaming to sell directly online at a competitive price!)



But here's where I think the initial-end goal considerations would fit in.



1.Is the initial goal to establish oneself by offering "my best stuff" - mostly individual songs - to see how it flies and then build on that? My impression is that MediaPal is better suited for that scenerio.



2. Or is the initial goal the same as the usual end goal - the artist has a rep, a finished product and is looking to sell CDs? If so, CDBaby, would seem the best of the two options.



My (IMHO) analysis: If the artist were Madonna, she would likely go with #2(CDBaby). She's established, can easily handle the costs of production and like most everyone, prefers getting more money, rather than receiving less. People already know her and even if most of the CD is crappy, folks will buy it for the one cut they like. And her hardcore fans will buy anything, collect bootlegs, etc. as all hardcore fans do.



If the artist is Joe Average, who's had some success, maybe some college airplay and does weekend gigs, I think Joe might go with #1(MediaPal). Put out 3 or 4 of his best songs -individual MP3s sold on his own page via an OMD - see how it goes, tinker a bit if needed and build on that. And possibly make a few bucks in the process.



So I've went a very long way (LOL) here of saying what works for one person won't always work for another. It depends on how they primarily view themselves (performer, writer, arranger, etc.), their status now, where the ywant to be in the short term and what their long-term or end goal happens to be.



Also, unless one is contractually exclusive to one OMD, there are quite a few options for promotion and distribution. Someone may be happy with an affiliation with OMD "A" exclusively, another artist might prefer to be aligned with every OMD as is possible.



There are pluses and minuses for both of these approaches, but I've waxed philosophical way too much here already, hahaha! I'm sure other's can share their views and experiences much more clearly and concisely!



best of all wishes, Shandi!

[shandi]

Thanks so much for your thoughts. When I finish this new CD which I am very proud of; I know that promotion will be my biggist hurdle and it is a big mystery how to accomplish that. I will just have to do allot of homework. I've heard that CD Baby also has the automatic downloads same a mediapal, and that to me, is the best because no cd's must travel through the mail. But I guess alot of people still want the whole package with CD cover and liner notes. I'll keep watching the postings here and learning and getting my internet bearings - thanks allot -shandi



www.shandi.org

[bbchris]

Wow Ron!! You always amaze and inspire me! Shandi - I couldn't say it any better than Ron!



Marketing/Promotion is fun and can be very easy. Being creative is the best way. Sit down with friends after your CD is finished, listen to it and allow everyone to freely brainstorm ideas of how to promote it - WRITE EVERYTHING DOWN (even the silly/crazy/impossible ideas). Review them the next day and keep the ones that gets your juice flowing. Write them down on a new list and write next to them - WHY they would help promote your album/you. Once we have a reason WHY we must do something, as humans; our brains will then look for the HOWs to do it.



Keep us posted!! We could always have an online brainstorming party

|Blah Blah|Thinking Out Loud|Jane Eliz||Talk Soup |

[RonOnGuitar]

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I know that promotion will be my biggist hurdle

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Yeah, when they anaylze the whole process, an artist can see which area(s) s/he's strong in already and which area(s) s/he may need to tune up. We all know people who are good writers, but not good singers - Bob Dylan probably would get nowhere today starting out as a performer! --- But you have experience and writing & performing are among your strong areas! Distribution has always been an iffy thing for indie record cos./artists since the beginning of time. I remember one concert I attended where the performer said something like "it's okay if you brought in cassette recorders to record and pass along tapes to friends, it's the only way I can get good distribution." hahaha!

Quote:

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and it is a big mystery how to accomplish that.

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In addition to the input from the fine folks here, here's a few links that may be of interest, Shandi.



OMD:s HOST SERVICES & WEB SITES 4 MUSICIANS



"Dude, Promote Yer Music For Free"



Also, many folks are understandably uncomfortable "tooting their own own" in regards to promo and distribution. That's where I've always thought having a "Dr. Jekyll" falsefront to "hide behind" is handy. This so as to avoid the "John Doe Presents A John Doe Production Of A John Doe Song As Performed By John Doe on John Doe Records" syndrome.



That's fine for indie purists who shun "the system" and will buy only individual MP3s made by indies-only. But I believe if it extends into the perefery of mainstream pros: the PR people, labels, producers, A&R, etc. see the "John Doe by John Doe" and instantly think "oh - another vanity pressing/label", judging the book by the cover. Something like a "United Zenith" label (which is actually all John Doe) sometimes helps slip past the "vanity detector".



I write reviews (using a pseudonym) for DEMORAMA, which has reviewed only unsigned indie people & bands for some years now. We get some some very slick looking CDs that are awful musically and some amature homemade CDs that yields some of the best stuff a person could hear!



But for the music buying public outside the indie area, the perception & image (the book cover) is a big factor - as you said:

Quote:

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I guess alot of people still want the whole package with CD cover and liner notes.

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Definitely! And some people like myself even still long for LP album covers - can you imagine appreciating the "Sgt. Pepper" (for example) cover art on a CD jewelcase if that were your only exposure to it? LOL! Not to mention the nifty album inserts that sometimes accompianied the LP? Ah, well....



One more link, for free (or paid) PR dist service:



PRWeb



Feel free to float any questions on specific online distribution issues since many people here have both the positive and the horror stories to tell!



Keep a goin', Shandi!

[shandi]

Thanks Chris - I will do the brainstorming thing and welcome back. I'll check out the board and see what you had to say about Australia

and

Ron - thanks again. I earmarked all these sites and will study them. And I've saved all your ideas and thoughts to my hard drive .

I am producing this myself, paying for it myself, doing all the artwork myself and have to promote it myself so you couldn’t be more right about the john doe business hadn't thought of coming up with a fake name to act as a front to be the promoter, and that probably is a good idea. The savvy people, I'm sure will see through all that, but even for my own mind , (traditional artist mentality with lack of business acumen), It may help me be more bold if I'm pretending to wear another hat completely with another identity.

I quit writing and singing for ten years, so it really is a milestone for me to be back in the groove again.

I am going to contact some of my ole record business associates, mostly managers that I have worked with, but I don't want to depend on them. And I know from experience that they only want to jump on board after there has been so significant action and response

Thanks for your support and the good ideas.

You give forums a good name.

bye for now,

shandi



www.shandi.org