For those of you needing shirts printed and are concerned with the use of chemicals in standard shirt inks and solvents, I´ve quit working with Plasticol inks a while ago due to the harsh chemicals used in both the inks themselves and the cleanup.
These inks are incredibly toxic to both make and print with.
I´m now printing with an ink called Permaset which is an Australian company using 100% water based inks with equal quality as its harsh alternative. I´m now set up for printing up to 4 colours on fabric with perfect registration.
I´ve also stopped printing on any clothing that is not produced in North America. Although these shirts end up costing a bit more they´re made with fair wage standards and more locally produced than alternative cheaper companies.
if you´re interested in having clothing printed by a conscious printer contact me. if you´d like to read more about the inks themselves go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fbxgvrxysyA
for cd cases I´m now printing exclusively with stumptown printers cases which are 100% recycled materials and technolithe papers which are also 100% recycled(post consumer and pre-consumer recycled)
email daygristle at hotmail dot com for quotes and inquiries
View some of his poster design work at GigPosters.com
I think this is important. It may not take off, but the opportunities inherit for USB drives and music is significant in my opinion and certainly worth exploring.
Together they offer a means of tying the digital world to the real world. Tying retail purchases to social networks and fan clubs. They could be used to take fan clubs in new directions - a WillieLive USB bracelet to fan club members could entitle you to free downloads of all future concerts. Or what about VIP access for fans that show up wearing said bracelets?
I should note that all I REALLY care about is the music. I don’t care about the cover art [I have never bought a CD because it had a “cool” cover], I don’t even care so much about the liner notes, although I do miss them at times. But one could easily produce a Digipak like package with an included or even glued in booklet, but instead of a plastic tray to hold a CD in place, there is a tray to hold in a USB drive. And of course the booklet and art would also be included on the drive as high quality PDFs [?] from which the art and liner notes could be synced up with your music player/collection. The ideas/opportunities = endless.
A Few Ideas
While the idea of MP3s and lossless files [and whatever else they wanted to include: videos, websites, pictures etc.] on one format appealed to me initially [USB drives = better MP3/FLAC delivery device vs. CDs IMHO], I was more interested in the potential of USB drives tied to kick start some innovation WITH music.
Many venues/bands/labels have offered USB recordings of live concerts on your way out of the show. That’s a start. But what about coming in? What if having bought a previous live show USB drive, you plug it into a reader on your way in and get a discount on admission [or at the time of ticket purchase] for future shows.
What if when you get home you plug in the drive and it launches a website only accessible to fans with a connected drive in place [almost every idea like this will be hackable – but we are exploring these ideas in a happy-carefree bubble of fake reality]? That site can offer anything the label or artist wants to share.
My biggest plan for USB drives extends that even further and ties it into a fan club, and at the next level an entire social network. What if venues or at least bands with laptops performing at them – have a USB input for members of a shared social network that one ups Facebook’s events – beyond simply stating you intend to be there, show up, plug in briefly and ….well you can get creative here, do they just get (fan) points, some benefits, free music, all the above?
All my potential concerns or fears regarding USB drives and connecting to social networks and fanclubs was erased when I read about a VISA experiment. In Korea, where “digital became dominant years ago” you can now use a USB Credit card. While I certainly do not know the particulars about the set up I am confident that if what they have is good enough for credit card transactions, then a similar set up will handle any security concerns related to any ideas in this post.
I have also seen business proposals for USB based shopping lists: users compile a list using software for such purposes onto a drive, take it to the store and plug it into the shopping cart display unit. Customers then get directions to items in the store they need, are offered coupons, and even recipe suggestions [up selling other products] for items they have on their shopping list. Combine such a service with the VISA USB drive and they can pay with the drive as well at the checkout. What types of related ideas could be used to encourage retail purchases in the music industry?
Delegate Passes/All the Info You Need - for festivals/events – that provide USB drives at registration which you then plug into systems that can update you over the course of the event [and that would of course include music from artists part of the event]. All print materials – focusing on greening aspects important to many festivals/events today, could be regularly updated when plugged into internet connected system w/show/venue changes etc.Take it a step further and develop a weekend command center for festivals into the drive. Twitter control, profile updates, http://sched.org/, maps, all the line-ups and everything else you need. Events could offer deals for fans that use the drives while also saving on costs for some print materials.
NIN used USB drives as a tool in the ARG promotion of Year Zero and I see countless ways to further embrace USB drives in future ARGs and marketing campaigns.
Positives, beyond ongoing use/experiments from bands and labels noted below, for USB drives and music include:
Current Usage
While the format is still mainly in the realm of major level artists, you can find artists, and labels, at all levels exploring their use. Locally the only act I am aware of thus far is Shelter With Thieves.
Some Music USB Drive examples:
The biggest downside of USB drives currently is their cost. Other issues not addressed include do fans want countless drives kicking around? Can’t be any worse than the useless CDs I have now can they? At least I could give the drives to friends and they could use them for other purposes, or you keep them in their nice Digibooks until you need them to get a discount to go to a show or need access to a members only section of a site – for which such perks could help such drives retain some value.
Getting back to costs - there is no guarantee such drives will replace CDs, in the coming months and years we should definitely see more labels and artists experimenting though as costs for drives continue to fall. In the end, consumer response will eventually dictate what role USB drives have in the future of music but if those in the music industry can not offer anything worthwhile or interesting….
In meetings this weekend with bands it all came down to this:
What are your goals?
Depending on your situation it may refer to simply goals with your music, but odds are if you want a career in music you will also have to consider all aspects of your life - at least in the short term [and by short term there I mean anywhere from the next 2-5 years].
It is hard to know if you are making progress if you don’t know where that progress should be taking you. The idea of releasing one album and selling out the pressing is a great goal and one almost any band that releases an album has. But it is such a small part of your band’s bigger, long term picture that if you don’t know what comes next or how the first release will help you build to the next step it is almost pointless [I am assuming you plan on doing this with some seriousness for as long as possible].
I recall reading a survey that polled a good majority of America’s richest people - the most common shared trait amongst them was that a large majority, I believe it was over 80% had written down their goals and/or plans to achieve them.
In my post M|E: An equation showing how FREE can = $$$ I noted the equation David from Digital Audio Insider posted:
(A x B x C) - E = D
A = the total # of people who acquire the work
B = the percent who actually pay for it
C = the average amount each person pays
D = the total revenue received
E = promotional and marketing expenses (not to mention recording, mixing, and mastering costs)
If I gave that equation to a number of bands I would bet my right pinky finger that the majority of them would start with A and likely base that number on the physical copies being pressed, maybe with some downloads added in, and proceed from there.
But where you should really start is with D. That’s your goal. In a four piece where everyone has agreed making $25k a year from music is enough to make them happy? Then your D is at minimum [have to account for expenses as well] $100K.
But in knowing you have a target of $100K you can tweak the other numbers as you go, monitering how close you are coming to your goal.
Quick example using live performances only as your revenue:
If your band reaches the point where you know you can receive a guarantee of $1000/night, you know based on selling no recordings or downloads or merch, you would have to play a 100 shows in a given year.
From there you could breakdown all revenue into a 100 units of a thousand for benchmarking your progress, so every 100 CDs sold for $10 is one less show you need to play.
Summary
- Brainstorm with your band on goals/consider personal goals as well
- Come to agreement with all band members on goals going forward - then write them down
- Determine measures for measuring your progress
-
Get to it
- Adjust accordingly
- Repeat
Title is a comment taken from Digg.com regarding the newest Nine Inch Nails`record
Nine Inch Nails presents Ghosts I - IV, a brand new 36 track instrumental collection available right now. Almost two hours of new music composed and recorded over an intense ten week period last fall, Ghosts I - IV sprawls Nine Inch Nails across a variety of new terrain.
Trent Reznor explains, “I’ve been considering and wanting to make this kind of record for years, but by its very nature it wouldn’t have made sense until this point. This collection of music is the result of working from a very visual perspective - dressing imagined locations and scenarios with sound and texture; a soundtrack for daydreams. I’m very pleased with the result and the ability to present it directly to you without interference. I hope you enjoy the first four volumes of Ghosts.”
And if you don`t want to buy it or even download it from the official site, but prefer to get it via your usual torrent site, well it is already on private torrent sites. The best part being how clear it is who put them there.
The site is currently UP, but from another comment, pricing details:
FREE DOWNLOAD
Ghosts I - The first 9 tracks from the Ghosts I-IV collection available as
high-quality DRM-free MP3s (320kbps LAME encoded, fully tagged) including complete 40 page PDF. Also includes the digital extras pack - various wallpapers, icons, and graphics tools for your computer, website, profile, etc.
$5 DOWNLOAD
Ghosts I-IV - All 36 tracks in a variety of DRM-free digital formats (320
kbps LAME encoded, fully tagged; FLAC Lossless; Apple Lossless) including a 40
page PDF. Also includes the digital extras pack - various wallpapers, icons,
and graphics tools for your computer, website, profile, etc.
This version is also available from the Amazon MP3 store.
$10 2XCD SET
Ghosts I-IV - 2 audio CDs in a gatefold digipak package with a 16-page
booklet. To be shipped TBD. Includes immediate DRM-free download of the
entire collection in same choice of formats as $5 Download option. Download
will include the 40 page PDF and the digital extras pack - various wallpapers,
cons, and graphics tools for your computer, website, profile, etc.
This configuration will be released to retail in North America (April 8), Australia (April 5), the UK (April 8), Japan (April 5) and most European territories (April 8).
$75 LIMITED EDITION DELUXE PACKAGE
Ghosts I-IV - Hardcover book holding 2 audio CDs, 1 data DVD of all 36
tracks in multi-track format (in .wav files readable by Mac and Windows), and
Blu-ray disc featuring stereo recordings in high-definition 24 bit 96Khz with
exclusive slide show. Includes immediate DRM-free download of the entire
collection in all formats and with all extras mentioned above. Also includes
48-page hardcover of photographs by Phillip Graybill and Rob Sheridan.
Discs and art book both housed in fabric slipcover.
$300 ULTRA-DELUXE LIMITED EDITION PACKAGE
Ghosts I-IV - Contains all elements from deluxe package, along with
exclusive 4XLP 180-gram vinyl set, and two limited edition Giclee prints
available exclusively in this package. Disc book, art book, and prints are
all housed in a fabric slipcover. 4XLP vinyl set comes in its own fabric
slipcover. INCLUDES immediate DRM-free download of the entire collection in
all formats and with all extras mentioned above. LIMITED TO 2500 PIECES,
NUMBERED AND PERSONALLY SIGNED BY TRENT REZNOR.
M|E = Music and Entrepreneurship
While entrepreneurial aspects of the music industry have been a focus on my blog since I started I am aiming to make them more explicit going forward. Exploring business model options and simply getting musician readers thinking of themselves as entrepreneurs will be two main aspects of such posts. So when you see M|E expect a more business/entrepreneurial slant on things.
To start off though before exploring new models, here is an equation that summarizes the current landscape quite nicely:
(A x B x C) - E = D
A = the total # of people who acquire the work
B = the percent who actually pay for it
C = the average amount each person pays
D = the total revenue received
E = promotional and marketing expenses (not to mention recording, mixing, and mastering costs)
The equation comes from David at Digital Audio Insider. He explains it in more detail and provides some context as well and you should definitely take a minute and have a read.
Then keep it in mind when you are planning your next release and how you can tweak any of A. B or C because as noted:
In theory, the beauty of the equation is that — if all else remains the same — any increase in A, B, or C, however small, results in more D.
Keep the equation and more importantly the idea behind it in mind when planning but read the post to see the catch.
