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ivan@stellysee.de
| From | Ralph Alfonso <ralph@nettwerk.com> |
| Subject | sales down - just my own thoughts |
| Date | Fri, 7 Nov 2003 16:56:33 -0800 |
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it's been a very frustrating year.
frustrating for small labels such as myself especially.
retailers are taking longer to pay for product or not at all if they
can return it in time or pay and then return it anyway. If retailers
were to pay for all the outstanding product I have out there, I could
pay a lot of bills and jump start my activities in a big way, but that is
not happening.
there's an avalanche of product and less and less physical record
stores to deal with it.
Ironically, there has never been such a cornucopia of great music coming out.
as much as there is shite from the majors, there's a lot of shite from the
indies also. But that's nothing new, really.
There is no hero or villain or magic solution.
Downloading does not really affect us in our situations.
Bruce Brodeen is dead on in what he's saying.
I've been seriously looking at the micro-pressing scenario in the last week as
I gear up for 2004 releases.
The tried and true will always apply for a new artist.
Good record + advertising + playing live + promotion = sales.
Good record = word of mouth = sales.
Emphasis on good record.
200-300 sales on a 1000 pressing kind of covers your mfg costs.
It's a given you'll never get your recording costs back on this level.
Maybe you should make less but then you don't have promos to send out.
It's frustrating and different for every cd.
There's been some behind the scenes of some of us labels ganging up
resources to get better deals/cut costs. I think this is the way of the future.
Bullseye and myself have been doing this on the dave rave record and
other things in a casual way, and trying to guide our acts to act as
on the ground
information gatherers on tour and do old-fashioned promo (visit
record stores, etc).
I call it hand to hand combat.... old school is still the best school
and can be adapted
to all situations.
A clear vision will get you through.
and maybe a day job, too. :)
All food for thought.
I feel good about the future.
ralph alfonso
Dig that crazy Bongo Beat!
Visit my web site
Http://www.bongobeat.com
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