What to do when free music loses value
Wait! Since when does free ever have any value?! That question/statement of disbelief is a blog topic in of itself. In fact here’s a good blog post on tech dirt.
Here are two creative ways to deliver free and get that value instead of just training your fans to expect something for nothing.
Example 1 is fully explored in an excellent article on the Tune Core blog. Here is the run down.
This band Fanfarlo solved the “get people to my music” problem with well connected management that hooked up a mention in an email blast to the fans of Sigur Ros. Here is how they solved the “free” music vs. value problem:
They did it by offering free streams, then a full album download that was *almost* free. $1 for the whole record is pretty close to free.
But the real value add was that they told everyone that it would only be free for a limited time. The value is that by being an early adopter a fan can save five bucks.
This has also has the effect of creating urgency. A fan is thinking…”do I really want to spend a few minutes to dig out my credit card for a dollar?” But then they listen to some songs and the song are good (IMO) and so they’re now thinking…”If I don’t do it now, I’ll probably end up doing it later. The record is good…so what the hell $1.”
Here is another idea that involves actual free music as in no dollars paid.
A quick diversion- there really is no “free” anything. That’s why we “spend time” and “pay attention.” Right?
So when you go and give away a “no dollar download” (see not free just not for cash) – ask your visitors to “pay” you by tweeting, posting the link to facebook and generally telling their friends.
Now you’re trading something of value (your music) with something else that has value (marketing/audience building).
The most simple version of the above is just offering a song (or songs) in exchange for the visitor’s email address. The value is your ability to market back to that fan. But why not also encourage some sharing in exchange?
Once you hit critical mass, you could even offer the option. Pay for this song/album/etc with a few dollars, or pay nothing but spread the word after you get the goods.
Some people will of course download and not share but don’t worry about those folks. Some just honestly wanted to try out your music and they decide your sound is not for them. Others are just lame but if you do it right, you still have their email. You can still work on getting those people to pay for a ticket to a show.
Here is the link to Fanfarlo. The $1 record is long gone, but you can still enjoy a free stream.
Got a problem that needs solving? Suggest a topic for a blog post by leaving a comment. Or ask me on twitter by including @jasonkadlec in your tweet.
