Members backtoblue Posted August 15, 2011 Members Share Posted August 15, 2011 The other thread re: USB thumb drives got me thinking... I think download cards, i.e. a business card-sized card with a unique code and a url on it, would have several obvious advantages over USB if we're considering alternatives to CD. Several sites like CD Baby and Bandcamp offer services to make the cards for pretty cheap. Actually with Bandcamp, they will generate the codes for you and you can just print them yourself if you want. I would think you could still offer extras like videos and PDF liner notes, etc. along with the download. Do any of you guys do this, and do you actually sell any? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators daddymack Posted August 15, 2011 Moderators Share Posted August 15, 2011 We considered that idea a while back... seemed like more of a giveaway item though, rather than an 'income stream' item.Actually, I am looking at the scan code app for smartphones at the moment for something else, but thinking it would be useful for linking to band stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Poker99 Posted August 15, 2011 Members Share Posted August 15, 2011 Sell is the keyword in this thread. Its in italic for a reason in the OP. lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members backtoblue Posted August 15, 2011 Author Members Share Posted August 15, 2011 Actually, I am looking at the scan code app for smartphones at the moment for something else, but thinking it would be useful for linking to band stuff. Are you referring to QR codes? I've been putting those on our gig posters to link to our home page, but have thought of linking them to a free mp3 download or something like that to see how many people will actually bother to scan it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators daddymack Posted August 15, 2011 Moderators Share Posted August 15, 2011 yes, sorry, QR codes, couldn't remember wtf they were called this morning... they are becoming fairly commonplace tools to attract iPhone/iPad/Android users...which I am not...and since these are the same people who won't dare complain about crappy audio, linking low end mp3s this way makes sense... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members richardmac Posted August 16, 2011 Members Share Posted August 16, 2011 Yeah, I love how bandcamp allows you to print your own codes, because you could get very creative with them if you want. They give you 200 free codes to generate to start, and you can buy more for a mere 3 cents per code. And I didn't notice THIS change, but they now give you 200 free downloads per MONTH. I don't think it used to be that way? Or maybe it did, but I think that's very reasonable and very cool. So here's what I'm thinking. I am totally sold out of my first two CD's, but I have a bunch of my last (3rd) CD still. I could do one of these ideas: 1. Buy my 3rd CD and get a download card to download my second CD for free. 2. Let people know that if they leave a tip, I'll give them a download card to download my 2nd CD for free. Something like a sign that says "Leave a tip, download a free CD." The point would be to try to increase tips in the tip jar. 3. Do the same idea but make the download a single song instead of a whole CD.4. Dream up some really catchy thing that people would want, and include a valid download code on each one. See below.5. Bring a bunch to each gig and just randomly hand them out on breaks to people you spot who are really paying attention to you when you're playing.6. Benefit idea. I'm doing a show in November for the families of soldiers who lost a loved one in any of our recent wars. I could write and record a military tribute song, print up about 200 download cards for it, and give them to the show providers to sell for $1 each, and let them keep all of the profit. It wouldn't cost me anything (well, maybe lost sales, plus the 3 cents per code) and it would be pure profit to the show provider. It's a win all around. For idea #4, it would be cool to sell something like a fake license to do something, such as a license to do back rubs or drink as much as you want or criticize something. Actually my first idea was a license to conduct breast exams, but there have been too many creeps who've tried that in real life. Like the doctor who went door to door offering free in-home breast exams. And wasn't a doctor. But something clever. Maybe a "The Right To Say That" card. If someone says "What gives you the right to say that," one could pull the card out of their wallet and say "THIS does." I'm just talking off the top of my head, but you get the idea. Anything that could be printed on could be fair game - posters, bumper stickers, fake silly licenses, anything. I'm thinking about this because I played a gig the other night and had the WORST customer to tip ratio that I have ever, ever had. I normally do pretty decent, but it was a bad night. So I started wondering "What could I do to increase tips?" The nice thing about download cars that you make yourself is that you get 200 for free and then they're only 3 cents each, which might as well be free. So it's practically 100% profit. If you have 100 CD's made for 2 bucks each, and you sell them for an inexpensive price like $5, then you're making $3 per sale. But you could sell the download card for $3 and make the same amount of money. Or how about this idea - Sell the physical actual CD for $10, and the download card for $5. Maybe the $5 card might look like a good buy next to a $10 physical CD. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators daddymack Posted August 16, 2011 Moderators Share Posted August 16, 2011 Yeah, I love how bandcamp allows you to print your own codes, because you could get very creative with them if you want. They give you 200 free codes to generate to start, and you can buy more for a mere 3 cents per code. And I didn't notice THIS change, but they now give you 200 free downloads per MONTH. I don't think it used to be that way? Or maybe it did, but I think that's very reasonable and very cool. So here's what I'm thinking. I am totally sold out of my first two CD's, but I have a bunch of my last (3rd) CD still. I could do one of these ideas: 1. Buy my 3rd CD and get a download card to download my second CD for free. 2. Let people know that if they leave a tip, I'll give them a download card to download my 2nd CD for free. Something like a sign that says "Leave a tip, download a free CD." The point would be to try to increase tips in the tip jar. 3. Do the same idea but make the download a single song instead of a whole CD. 4. Dream up some really catchy thing that people would want, and include a valid download code on each one. See below. 5. Bring a bunch to each gig and just randomly hand them out on breaks to people you spot who are really paying attention to you when you're playing. or make it like a contest...at the end of the set say: if you can tell me the first song I played, I'll give you... 6. Benefit idea. I'm doing a show in November for the families of soldiers who lost a loved one in any of our recent wars. I could write and record a military tribute song, print up about 200 download cards for it, and give them to the show providers to sell for $1 each, and let them keep all of the profit. It wouldn't cost me anything (well, maybe lost sales, plus the 3 cents per code) and it would be pure profit to the show provider. It's a win all around. I like that idea, Richard For idea #4, it would be cool to sell something like a fake license to do something, such as a license to do back rubs or drink as much as you want or criticize something. ... Maybe a "The Right To Say That" card. If someone says "What gives you the right to say that," one could pull the card out of their wallet and say "THIS does." I'm just talking off the top of my head, but you get the idea. Anything that could be printed on could be fair game - posters, bumper stickers, fake silly licenses, anything. well, not 'get out of jail free'...that's been done I'm thinking about this because I played a gig the other night and had the WORST customer to tip ratio that I have ever, ever had. I normally do pretty decent, but it was a bad night. So I started wondering "What could I do to increase tips?" Play better? Play better songs? The nice thing about download cars that you make yourself is that you get 200 for free and then they're only 3 cents each, which might as well be free. So it's practically 100% profit. If you have 100 CD's made for 2 bucks each, and you sell them for an inexpensive price like $5, then you're making $3 per sale. But you could sell the download card for $3 and make the same amount of money. Or how about this idea - Sell the physical actual CD for $10, and the download card for $5. Maybe the $5 card might look like a good buy next to a $10 physical CD. well, a sale is a sale, but what is your cost on the physical CD vs the dl? That $5 is a big gap to let go... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members 3shiftgtr Posted August 17, 2011 Members Share Posted August 17, 2011 Great ideas here. Gonna steal some!!!! My experience is that the demographic of the audience will determine what gets sold. I did some gigs end of last year and beginning of this with a funk band that sold a cd in a cardboard pocket (minimal art, front cover, back cover) and a download card together. When they ran out of download cards, their sales didn't change. Not that they sold more than 10 or 15 on a great day. I got some download cards for the fusion band and sold maybe 3 in 2 years. And we sell cd's at virtually every show. So we gave em away. I have a bud on the road doing the country cover thing and he does casinos and bigger clubs. When he ran out of cd's last year, and while he was waiting for the dupe house to finish their run, he for a couple of weeks, tried to just sell download cards. Told me he couldn't sell em. Mind you, he mostly sells to tourists. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.