Tuesday, March 11, 2008
How does Indistr work?
So when we saw our friend, Josh Finck's previous video work, we knew we wanted him to break-down the Indistr process to the general public. I asked him if he'd mind making a "stripped down" version of how Indistr works, and he said, "no problem". Here's the end result, which we ended up using last month at the local WYCE 88.1 FM Jammie Awards. Thanks Josh! Off to SXSW!
Friday, March 7, 2008
How to make $750,000 overnight! Trent Reznor's a genius!
Ok, so I'm a bit late on this, actually I'M not a bit late on it, just this post is a bit late. I've been wired to my computer over this release for the last 2 weeks. Trent Reznor has done it again, after the digital-only release of the Saul Williams album, "The Inevitable Rise and Liberation of Niggy Tardust", Trent Reznor has come swinging at the forefront of the music industry releasing a new NIN album. Saul's album was released a few months ago with 2 options for the fans, they can either download it for free, or they can download it for $5, which is a higher quality MP3 file. After a few weeks, Saul had sold 28,322 copies for $5. That's $141,610, which is not bad for a donate-able $5 MP3.
I'm not even a NIN fan, but I respect them, and more importantly, I respect what Trent Reznor is currently up-to in the music industry. So with this new NIN album,"ghosts", the fans can purchase it five different ways, they can download it for free (they only receive the first 5 tracks), or pay $5 for a full-length, high-quality MP3 download, or pay $10 for a double-disk set, or pay $75 for a deluxe-edition package (comes with a DVD, Blu-ray, hard cover slipcase, etc), or if you were really early, you could've bought the $300 Ultra-deluxe limited addition package, which is now sold out, but came autographed with a bunch of goodies.
The thing that strikes my attention and interest to this release is because it's stirring up the industry, the labels, the fans, the critics, which I think is great, because it's new to everybody. It's just like when Radiohead freaked everyone out last fall.
However, I think the best part about the release of "ghosts" is that Trent Reznor does a very fair job of releasing this album by leaving multiple options to the fans in the way they'd like to purchase/not-purchase it. Why not? It's 2008, the music industry is still not figured out, and Trent Reznor is (in my opinion) the leader at current innovation to the music industry. I think more artists need to start taking notes from him, especially artists that have left major labels.
Hey Trent, how about you let your fans decide how much your music is worth on the next album by giving them a "Name Your Own Price" option? There is a site that offers it for independent artists already, it's called INDISTR!
I'm not even a NIN fan, but I respect them, and more importantly, I respect what Trent Reznor is currently up-to in the music industry. So with this new NIN album,"ghosts", the fans can purchase it five different ways, they can download it for free (they only receive the first 5 tracks), or pay $5 for a full-length, high-quality MP3 download, or pay $10 for a double-disk set, or pay $75 for a deluxe-edition package (comes with a DVD, Blu-ray, hard cover slipcase, etc), or if you were really early, you could've bought the $300 Ultra-deluxe limited addition package, which is now sold out, but came autographed with a bunch of goodies.
The thing that strikes my attention and interest to this release is because it's stirring up the industry, the labels, the fans, the critics, which I think is great, because it's new to everybody. It's just like when Radiohead freaked everyone out last fall.
However, I think the best part about the release of "ghosts" is that Trent Reznor does a very fair job of releasing this album by leaving multiple options to the fans in the way they'd like to purchase/not-purchase it. Why not? It's 2008, the music industry is still not figured out, and Trent Reznor is (in my opinion) the leader at current innovation to the music industry. I think more artists need to start taking notes from him, especially artists that have left major labels.
Hey Trent, how about you let your fans decide how much your music is worth on the next album by giving them a "Name Your Own Price" option? There is a site that offers it for independent artists already, it's called INDISTR!
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Name Your Own Price!!
So, after numerous hours of hard work, along with the INDISTR team plucking away at ways to stay on top of innovation in digital distribution, we are please to launch the "Name Your Own Price" feature on the site.
The launch of this new feature leaves INDISTR artists with more opportunity to connect with new fans, launch albums more often, all while leaving the control of consumption 100% in the fans hands. Artists can continue to upload music and bundle into albums as they have in the past on INDISTR, but now they'll have a new option when setting the price they want to charge for the album: letting the public decide. Their fans and supporters can name the price they'd like to pay for the album right on the artist's page and then checkout as they normally would. Fans and supporters are even shown the exact amount the artist will make from their purchase. The trend of giving the consumer more say in the value of music is becoming more and more popular in the music industry - now we’re giving that option to the users, both artists and supporters, on INDISTR.com.
If you're wondering what an album may look like with this feature, here's a couple examples:
As many have noticed lately, many artists, including Radiohead, Saul Williams, etc. have been releasing albums in non-traditional ways, and here at INDISTR, we thought it's only fair to give our artists and fans more freedom when selling and buying independent music.
We hope you enjoy the use of this feature, and as always, we love hearing your feedback and thoughts.
Enjoy!
Thursday, February 21, 2008
2008 Jammies now available for download!
The 2008 Jammie awards! A quick wrap-up and performance free for
download!
Even if you've never heard of our lovely little-big city of Grand
Rapids, we'd like to let you know we've got quite the bourgeoning
independent music scene...or maybe I should just say music scene in
general and not limit it to just independent. To prove that point,
we've got the annual Jammie Awards here in town thrown by our favorite
non-profit public radio WYCE 88.1. This year, despite the crazy-out-
of-no-where blizzard we had, was pretty awesome - 18
bands/artists showcased their talent, the beer flowed, the crowd loved
it, and I can't think of a better place to throw it than the recently
renovated Wealthy Theatre here in town. You name the genre, and we
had it. Seriously good stuff.
We were fortunate enough to have sponsored the event this year and part
of that sponsorship was being able to host for download each of the
artists live performances which can be found below...for free.
Some, but not all, of these artists use INDISTR as well, so if you find
something you like be sure to search around the site a bit to find
their full albums available for sale.
Enough typing...let's enjoy some music:
Bless You Boys
Blue Moon Blues Band
Breathe Owl Breathe
Brian Vander Ark
Cedar Rock Basement
Ensemble Al-Asdeka
Four Finger Five
Jesse MacIntosh
Karisa Wilson (1)
Karisa Wilson (2)
La Famiglia
Lux Land
Nobodys Darlin
Ralston Bowles
The Icicles
The Lynn Thompson Band
The Red Sea Pedestrians
Tinkers Tea
Truckstop Cobras
Depending on the browser you use - you can either click these tracks
directly or you may need to 'right-click' and then save.
download!
Even if you've never heard of our lovely little-big city of Grand
Rapids, we'd like to let you know we've got quite the bourgeoning
independent music scene...or maybe I should just say music scene in
general and not limit it to just independent. To prove that point,
we've got the annual Jammie Awards here in town thrown by our favorite
non-profit public radio WYCE 88.1. This year, despite the crazy-out-
of-no-where blizzard we had, was pretty awesome - 18
bands/artists showcased their talent, the beer flowed, the crowd loved
it, and I can't think of a better place to throw it than the recently
renovated Wealthy Theatre here in town. You name the genre, and we
had it. Seriously good stuff.
We were fortunate enough to have sponsored the event this year and part
of that sponsorship was being able to host for download each of the
artists live performances which can be found below...for free.
Some, but not all, of these artists use INDISTR as well, so if you find
something you like be sure to search around the site a bit to find
their full albums available for sale.
Enough typing...let's enjoy some music:
Bless You Boys
Blue Moon Blues Band
Breathe Owl Breathe
Brian Vander Ark
Cedar Rock Basement
Ensemble Al-Asdeka
Four Finger Five
Jesse MacIntosh
Karisa Wilson (1)
Karisa Wilson (2)
La Famiglia
Lux Land
Nobodys Darlin
Ralston Bowles
The Icicles
The Lynn Thompson Band
The Red Sea Pedestrians
Tinkers Tea
Truckstop Cobras
Depending on the browser you use - you can either click these tracks
directly or you may need to 'right-click' and then save.
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Please hold tight for your free 2008 WYCE Jammies download!!
We should have this free download up in the next couple of days, and for all of you Grand Rapids locals, we'll be sure to have WYCE (88.1) make on-air announcements about this.
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
INDISTR 10! Interview with Derek "Dminor" Young!
Derek "Dminor" Young resides in sunny California and has a portfolio of beat-making which includes work for clients such as:
Othello, Supastition, Styles of Beyond, Lovespirals, Muneshine, Emilio "Raks One" Rojas, MF Grimm, Louis Logic, and many more. Dminor also runs www.waxreform.com out of Los Angeles, CA. Be on the lookout for some great production from him in 2008.
1.Let’s start from the beginning, when and where did it all start? And with who?
I started my professional recording career at 7 years of age. I used to do local talent shows and an agent saw me perform and immediately got me a gig with companies like Disney, Warner Bros., and others.
2.If you had to describe your sound in one sentence, what would you say?
I love Hip-Hop and Soul music. This is the byproduct of that.
3.Name 3 artists that have inspired you as a musician.
Stevie Wonder, J Dilla, Marvin Gaye
4.What do you see in the future for music, with all of the outlets available for exposure, along with the current Internet craze?
Music will be free. People have become so accustomed to downloading music illegally that there will have to be a complete change of business or change in the way people listen to music before consumers will start paying for it again. In the meantime, artists trying to catch a break should focus on songwriting. It’s easier to get a royalty check if you wrote that hit song.
5.What can we expect to see from DMinor in 2008? Any big plans?
Hopefully the completion of my full length, Supreme Goodie. Additionally, my production team, Wax Reform, will be releasing a digital EP. Production from Illmind, M-Phazes and Presto, vocals from myself, Muneshine, and Emilio Rojas.
6.What has DMinor been listening to lately?
I’ve been spending far too much time picking apart J Dilla’s “Donuts”. He was obviously a huge source of inspiration for me as a producer and I really study how he’s made records over the years. Now that he’s gone, I feel a bit like a student without a teacher.
7.Your thoughts on independent music and if it’s possible to be successful through these means of distribution?
Independent music is where it’s at! I think there will always be people who want to experience the unwrapping of a CD, the reading of liner notes, and the sharing of music with their peers. Especially if they found a new artist that none of their friends have ever heard of.
The real question is how do you personally measure success? Are you successful if you sell 1000 CDs? 100 CDs? 10 CDs?
It’s a question that each of us need to ask ourselves. I think artists can make decent money, and live off their music. But it only lasts for so long.
The biggest problem that indie artists have is that they are unable to promote themselves outside of their area. So while you may be big in Los Angeles, no one knows your name in Nevada or Arizona.
8.If we can’t find you playing a gig or practicing music, where might we expect to find you?
I’ve featured on other peoples songs more than anything else this past year. So you can find me doing that while you wait for my new joint. A few notables, “Silhouette” by Othello, “Imagine That” by Muneshine (prod. by Pete Rock).
9.How many shows do you play a year? What’s the atmosphere typically like?
Zero. I hate doing shows, with a passion. My perfectionist complex really kicks in when I perform live. There’s too many variables, too many things that could go wrong, so I try to not do gigs anywhere.
The last show I did was in London at the Tin Room…it was a tough crowd. I just got the impression that they weren’t feeling me, but then realized that UK audiences hold their applause until the end of your set. Ha!
10.Lastly, your thoughts on INDISTR.COM?
I think it’s a great spot for people to get some recognition for their craft. I’m glad you guys dig what I do. It’s important for artists to feel appreciated, and you’ve done that.
Othello, Supastition, Styles of Beyond, Lovespirals, Muneshine, Emilio "Raks One" Rojas, MF Grimm, Louis Logic, and many more. Dminor also runs www.waxreform.com out of Los Angeles, CA. Be on the lookout for some great production from him in 2008.
1.Let’s start from the beginning, when and where did it all start? And with who?
I started my professional recording career at 7 years of age. I used to do local talent shows and an agent saw me perform and immediately got me a gig with companies like Disney, Warner Bros., and others.
2.If you had to describe your sound in one sentence, what would you say?
I love Hip-Hop and Soul music. This is the byproduct of that.
3.Name 3 artists that have inspired you as a musician.
Stevie Wonder, J Dilla, Marvin Gaye
4.What do you see in the future for music, with all of the outlets available for exposure, along with the current Internet craze?
Music will be free. People have become so accustomed to downloading music illegally that there will have to be a complete change of business or change in the way people listen to music before consumers will start paying for it again. In the meantime, artists trying to catch a break should focus on songwriting. It’s easier to get a royalty check if you wrote that hit song.
5.What can we expect to see from DMinor in 2008? Any big plans?
Hopefully the completion of my full length, Supreme Goodie. Additionally, my production team, Wax Reform, will be releasing a digital EP. Production from Illmind, M-Phazes and Presto, vocals from myself, Muneshine, and Emilio Rojas.
6.What has DMinor been listening to lately?
I’ve been spending far too much time picking apart J Dilla’s “Donuts”. He was obviously a huge source of inspiration for me as a producer and I really study how he’s made records over the years. Now that he’s gone, I feel a bit like a student without a teacher.
7.Your thoughts on independent music and if it’s possible to be successful through these means of distribution?
Independent music is where it’s at! I think there will always be people who want to experience the unwrapping of a CD, the reading of liner notes, and the sharing of music with their peers. Especially if they found a new artist that none of their friends have ever heard of.
The real question is how do you personally measure success? Are you successful if you sell 1000 CDs? 100 CDs? 10 CDs?
It’s a question that each of us need to ask ourselves. I think artists can make decent money, and live off their music. But it only lasts for so long.
The biggest problem that indie artists have is that they are unable to promote themselves outside of their area. So while you may be big in Los Angeles, no one knows your name in Nevada or Arizona.
8.If we can’t find you playing a gig or practicing music, where might we expect to find you?
I’ve featured on other peoples songs more than anything else this past year. So you can find me doing that while you wait for my new joint. A few notables, “Silhouette” by Othello, “Imagine That” by Muneshine (prod. by Pete Rock).
9.How many shows do you play a year? What’s the atmosphere typically like?
Zero. I hate doing shows, with a passion. My perfectionist complex really kicks in when I perform live. There’s too many variables, too many things that could go wrong, so I try to not do gigs anywhere.
The last show I did was in London at the Tin Room…it was a tough crowd. I just got the impression that they weren’t feeling me, but then realized that UK audiences hold their applause until the end of your set. Ha!
10.Lastly, your thoughts on INDISTR.COM?
I think it’s a great spot for people to get some recognition for their craft. I’m glad you guys dig what I do. It’s important for artists to feel appreciated, and you’ve done that.
Thursday, February 7, 2008
Please be sure to come see us at SXSW
We will be providing beer and snacks for anybody who is interested. Oh yeah, and we'll be playing music from INDISTR artists at our booth, so please be sure to hit us up if there is something you'd like for us to play while we're out there!!
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