Why I Now Have Free Downloads
In pondering my answer to the the one question, I came to the conclusion that, going forward, my music should be free for anyone who wants to try it.
Hear / Like / Buy
It’s not that I don’t want you to spend money on my music - quite the contrary - but rather that I think you need a chance to enjoy my music for a while before you will even consider tossing me a few bucks. Among other things, I came to this line of thinking after I picked up reading Andrew Dubber’s New Music Strategies blog. In Thing 2, he makes a very prudent point about the fundamental principle of music consumption: first you hear the music, then you start to like it (or not) and finally, only if you like it enough, you’ll want to spend money on it. I cannot fault you for being like that - I am exactly the same.
A Substitute For Radio
Radio is how, in the days of old, people discovered new music for free. Nowadays, thanks to the internet, it is just one of the many means by which you can find new music. For me, as an artist, this just means that radio presence is not what makes or breaks my career. Lacking airplay, I can choose to offer you free downloads as a substitute.
But wait, didn’t you have full length previews already? That I did. But, quite frankly, I don’t believe that hearing an entire song - or even all of my songs - just once when you happen to chance upon my music page is enough to make you a fan of my music - I need to be on your iPod. I need you to hear Hold On To Your Dreams so many times that you cannot get it out of your head ever again (welcome to my world). I need you to think that maybe you’ll buy a ticket for my next show or that you want to add one of my CDs to your treasured collection.
Maybe Not
Maybe you’ll never think any of those things. Maybe you’re one of those freeloaders who doesn’t want to pay for music ever. Maybe you are simply not a fan of my music. That’s alright. If you are not a fan, I don’t even want your money.
So go ahead, download my music and see if you like it - it’s free!
Claire Apr 12, 2008
Sound logic, Jim. Thinking on all the CDs I own, and tickets to concerts I’ve bought, I was definitely ‘immersed’ in the music first, via radio and television. Once I had/have a liking for an artist, I’m a pretty loyal paying customer!