Comments on: May sales http://colortheory.com/sales0509 electronic indie piano pop Mon, 08 Mar 2010 22:22:43 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Brian Hazard http://colortheory.com/sales0509/comment-page-1#comment-113 Brian Hazard Thu, 04 Jun 2009 23:10:08 +0000 http://colortheory.com/?p=936#comment-113 As recently as two years ago, I took in $600/month consistently, with little promotion (since I had nothing new to promote). Hopefully I'll see another little bump when <em><strong>Second Thoughts</strong></em> digital sales filter through to me. While I'd like to at least break even, I can't complain - I've got an audience and the freedom to do what I want. Maybe the money will follow, maybe not. As recently as two years ago, I took in $600/month consistently, with little promotion (since I had nothing new to promote). Hopefully I’ll see another little bump when Second Thoughts digital sales filter through to me. While I’d like to at least break even, I can’t complain – I’ve got an audience and the freedom to do what I want. Maybe the money will follow, maybe not.

]]> By: Todd Durrant http://colortheory.com/sales0509/comment-page-1#comment-112 Todd Durrant Thu, 04 Jun 2009 14:29:40 +0000 http://colortheory.com/?p=936#comment-112 Actually, that fits right into the pattern everybody else is seeing. From the standpoint of a store, a new release sells "hot" for about 3-4 weeks, then drops to a trickle. That's the pattern these days. The few people who are into buying CD's jump on it as a new release. Then unless there is something else happening to create momentum, the party is over. I even see that with new releases from bands like Apoptygma Berzerk, Camouflage, VNV Nation, you name it. The physical sales window is very short now. Digital may keep the pace up a bit longer, but creating some kind of lasting momentum is tough. Freebee digital saturation stunts the fight for momentum. I think you'll generally see a great first month or two from physical sales, then it will look like a drop for a month or so, and then you'll start to see payments for those early digital download sales (takes a while to get through the payment chain) so it will go up again, and then drop to a steady trickle. The way I see it, the only way to create a momentum that can keep sales more "steady" is to keep a steady chain of new releases. That turns everything into a discussion of format and pace. -Todd Actually, that fits right into the pattern everybody else is seeing.

From the standpoint of a store, a new release sells “hot” for about 3-4 weeks, then drops to a trickle. That’s the pattern these days. The few people who are into buying CD’s jump on it as a new release. Then unless there is something else happening to create momentum, the party is over. I even see that with new releases from bands like Apoptygma Berzerk, Camouflage, VNV Nation, you name it. The physical sales window is very short now. Digital may keep the pace up a bit longer, but creating some kind of lasting momentum is tough. Freebee digital saturation stunts the fight for momentum.

I think you’ll generally see a great first month or two from physical sales, then it will look like a drop for a month or so, and then you’ll start to see payments for those early digital download sales (takes a while to get through the payment chain) so it will go up again, and then drop to a steady trickle.

The way I see it, the only way to create a momentum that can keep sales more “steady” is to keep a steady chain of new releases. That turns everything into a discussion of format and pace.

-Todd

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