What should I do: CD or mp3 (actually read the first post)?

[purebloodtexan]

Re: What should I do: CD or mp3 (actually read the first post)?

Except that the cost for mp3s is minimal if you want to sell it and completely free if you want to distribute it, not to mention much easier distribution.

If you give away CDs for free, you're losing time and money because of the cash it takes to buy the materials and produce the discs. If you offer your album with a digital booklet, they'll still get the same images, but you won't have to put in any extra time or money. You can have the same quality, and if they so strongly desire your product in physical form, you can offer that on demand. That way, you don't spend any extra money.

If you distribute the album online via mp3, you have the advantage of free promotion and advertising. A friend who has a friend will give it to a friend. Friends hundreds of miles apart can share things. Joe in California can send your album to Bob in New York, who can burn a disc and play it at parties there. You can put it on shareware sites and forums, and it's an exponential effect. When you limit yourself to physical form, you're limiting quantity and exposure, slowing the awareness of your product down, and wasting time and money.

So sell/offer forms for an mp3 transaction, but offer CD's if necessary?

[OrganisM]

Re: What should I do: CD or mp3 (actually read the first post)?

So sell/offer forms for an mp3 transaction, but offer CD's if necessary?

Yeah, have an digital download set up, where they click on a link to buy the album and then download it. Next to the digital download link, you can put another link that offers a physical copy instead, which they can purchase and receive in the mail. When they click and download the digital version, you don't have to do anything. They'll automatically get their product, and you'll automatically get the money deposited into your account. If they ask for the physical copy, you can make one as soon as the order is processed and have it shipped to them. That way you only spend as much money for physical copies as there is demand.

You can even offer the digital downloads in several different formats. You can also offer mp3s in different compressions, so if they want high quality, they can have the 320kbps. If you want full and completely lossless quality, just give them FLAC format. It's easy enough to do and is wiser for the reasons I've previously listed.

Hell, you can even walk around with a USB thumb drive and carry the songs on it so that you can put it on peoples' computers when you're out and about.

But buying and producing a bunch of CDs with the hopes that you can give them to somebody and they might consider listening to it is a waste.

[nubbin149]

Re: What should I do: CD or mp3 (actually read the first post)?

The only time i would Use CD's to be honest is when people ask as Org said. OR when you're out at parties, or shows. Keep about 5-10 Demo's on you at all times. With your Name / Website on them .. Remember not to hand them out like candy. Only hand them out to someone you've invested enough time into. Because more than likely people won't listen to a CD that someone just hands them. They've got to know who you are and what you're about. Once they've taken an interest in you as a person then they can take an interest in your music and have a much higher probability of enjoying it as it's "A friend of theirs" as opposed to some random dude handing them a cd.
It is slow at first, but then eventually enough "friends" have your cd and will eventually tell their friends about it. And believe me, a friend reccomending your music is always going to hold more weight then some random guy.

But you should still do both, offer a zip/rar of your songs either in MP3 or FLAC or maybe even both. MP3 is fine for the casual music listener but FLAC is almost necessary for the vast number of Audiophiles out there.

Hope this helps a bit.


TL;DR
Keep cds on you at all times. Make Mp3's available.