logo
Steam Powered Studio is a
listener sponsored
music studio.

Sponsors get access to
all the music
we've recorded here.

About the studio:

sammy

 

Musician Sites:

Jeff Gibble

J Mundok

Craig Wise

Olds Sleeper

Old Time Liberation Front

Robert Bobby

The Gadjo Playboys

Joe Ellis

Blind Joe Death

Doug and Dave

R&B Studios

Jefferson Pepper

Great Big House

Hot Club du Jour

Inca Campers

John Terlazzo

Crossing North

Eric Athey

Claudia SanSoucie

Art Wachter

The Innocence Mission

Tom Witmer

Octavia

D.C. and Company

Rhyne McCormick

Bill Nork

Sweet Nancy Productions

Zan Cantwell

 

Music Related:

File Sharing and Copyright

David Barrett's Voluntary Payment Plan

Red Ferret

Pretty Much Amazing

Just Plain Folks

Drums Etc.

WFMU

The Music Snob

Music For Everyone

The Freesound Project

Relive the 80's

Whole Wheat Radio

Miraj

Legit Sound

Right Coast Recording

Abbeyville Road Studio


 

Humor Me:

Roadside American

Gizzards and Gravy

 

RSS Icon


July 02, 2009

How the music industry can beat "free" (my recent post at PC World).

I think rights holders (artists or record companies) CAN beat free and eat free's lunch. They have a lot of things free doesn't have, mainly a connection to the artist, but also extensive catalogue, consistent file quality, and if done correctly, superior convenience.

But (boo-hoo) they'd have to actually give the music away (with minimal friction, ie, advertising, sign-up hassles, etc). Like they haven't been giving it away for years. Who ever buys music that they haven't already heard? It's called radio, and the majors not only dominate it, they fall over themselves trying to give their songs away on it. In fact, they pay a lot of money to give their songs away on radio, truth be known.

So, in exchange for a valid e-mail addy or mobile number, listeners get music for free, instead of anonymously listening to it on the radio. Hmmm. How can I monetize millions of valid e-mail addresses and cell numbers? Beats the heck out of me!

OK, so now you've got grateful fans of your music. I guess you have a band site, right? Well, there's a door there, and you can't get in that door unless you buy a band subscription- or sponsorship, as I call it. What's inside the door?

I can't possibly imagine what sort of exclusive, time-sensitive content you could create for your fans! I can't imagine what sort of ticket discounts, early purchasing opportunities, live streams, t-shirts, yadda yadda yadda you could offer...

It's a bit like the monkey with its fist firmly clenched around the nuts in the jar. It can't pull its little paw out again, but it won't let go of those (song file) nuts!



 
Featured Song:

#31
Kenny Gross
The Taking


mp3  or  ogg

4:01
 
the sponsometer

Spons-O-Meter
 
Support the Studio via:

Or write us for other arrangements...

Steampowered-at-yahoo.com

 
images logo
 

Features:

Sponster


Repairing a Kurzweil piano key.


Repairing a Tascam Porta-Two.


rant03:
the End of an Era.


 

Steam Powered Videos:

Save to Serve Her
Dinosaur Wagontrain
Mad Romance
 

Studio Archives:

June, 2009

May, 2009

April, 2009

March, 2009

February, 2009

January, 2009

December, 2008

November, 2008

October, 2008

September, 2008

August, 2008

July, 2008

June, 2008

May, 2008

April, 2008

March, 2008

February, 2008

January, 2008


 

Steam Powered Swag:

keeping time
Jeff Coleman's
Keeping Time

mouse pad
Stuff from Cafe Press