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Rename is doing a sort of subscription album. They’re not the first, not by a long shot, but they are the first in the synthpop scene to do this.
Some positive observations –
1. Most synthpop releases sell less than 500 copies. With this they sell to about 115 die hard fans, the ones who would have picked up the CD anyway, but get a premium for it. Instead of about $5 a sale they get about $55 a CD sold. Not bad.
2. And they get to make the album, press it, all at not cost to them. And key is there is no upfront cost, no credit card interest to pay etc.
3. It certainly has generated some buzz (i.e. – uhm, this blog!)
Some not so positive observations –
1. My impression is, and tell me if I am wrong, is that they are going to get $250 from Joe Smith and then record a song called “Joe Smith.” Not a song dedicated to Joe Smith (like others doing this scheme have done), but the actual song will be about Joe Smith. Pretty cool if you are Joe Smith, everyone else? Not so much.
2. In my mind music is about art, in the broadest way possible. Especially at this level where you don’t make real money. Art means different things to different people, but having someone pay you money and then say – write a song about this one thing – that’s uh, not art, it’s commerce, it’s Britney Spears territory. Now I know that patronage is an age old way to get art made, and often the patron would direct the artist to paint or sculpt something directly, but this feels different.
3. Ok, but, you can say, the band is still making music their way, it’s not like they are going to do a country song if Joe Smith likes country. True, but this leads me to my third point – by catering soooo much to fans are they going to Trekkie themselves (yes I just made that up, © 2009 me)? That is, will they appeal only to the people who already like them and not try to expand at all? Where is the incentive to chase new fans (however hopeless that is these days)? They made their money up front – Frankly they will come out of this (if it sells) just slightly ahead- why bother pimping the album when there is no reason (beyond fame, etc.!)
In short. I think it’s a trap. This particular idea. I will say that I have been watching these ideas (particularly the Jill Souble one) and have an idea to try it with Spray. Say $30 gets you the 3 Cd limited set, a T shirt and all of the digital singles that will come off the album…
I like something like this better because it does not tie the artist down at all yet it still gives the fans the feel of being on the inside.
Still, when all is said and done I wish Rename the bets of luck.
Spray
"Queen Of Summer" (mp3) from "Children of a Laser God"
(Ninthwave Media)
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