Vinyl Prices Hit Unbelievable Highs

The price of vinyl is continuing to soar, with many new records costing upwards of $40. Used vinyl prices are also hitting unbelievable highs. Here we look at some of the most expensive releases sold in 2017. _____________________________ Guest post by Bobby Owsinski of Music 3.0 The price of new…

4 Top Items Missing From Your Merch Table

In the current music economy, a robust merch section is key when it comes to making money on tour. While t-shirts and albums are obvious, we here look at four important but commonly overlooked items that are must-haves at the merch table. ________________________________ Guest post by Hugh McIntyre on the…

Discs To Digital: The Strange History Of Music Formats

While streaming has become the dominant form of music consumption, the road to get here was a complex and varied one. Here we look at the history of the physical music formats, dating back as far as the 1870s, and how it led us to where we are now. __________________________…

Discog Sold 10 Million Units In 2017, Names New CEO

Sales on the Discogs Marketplace rose 20% to top 10 million units in 2017. Vinyl sales grew 18% to 8 million, the user-built music database and online a catalog announced today. Key sales trends for the year include: Cassettes were the format showing the most substantial growth at 29.54% CDs…

How Free Music Giveaways Make Money Over Time

Given everything that the music industry’s been through, it’s understandable that the word "free" can often evoke a negative reaction when dropped in music business circles. That said, however, judiciously applied giveaways can yield decidedly positive results in the long run. _______________________ Guest post by Ben from Subreel To some…

Bandcamp Reports ‘Stellar’ 2017, Indie Revenue Up 73%

Bandcamp marked its 6th straight year as a profitable company in 2017 with revenue and usage on the indie music platform rising by double digits across multiple categories, including the sale of physical goods. Industry wide, physical goods sales fell 20% last year. ______________________________________ Bandcamp is reporting a record year…

Music Streaming Growth vs. Music Sales Decline [CHART]

Music streaming has changed how people discover and consume music forever, as well as rejuvenated the recorded music industry after years of decline. But its growth came at the expense of a vital income stream for artists and labels – music sales in the form of both physical goods and…

5 Extreme Album Packaging Ideas

When it comes to selling physical copies of your album, packaging is king, with many records having been sold based on looks alone. Here we look five artists who took packaging to the next level when preparing their music for sale. ______________________________ Guest post by Bobby Owsinski of Music 3.0…

Discogs Scores New $2.5M Investment

Online music database and vinyl marketplace Discogs has raised $2.5 million. The additional funding comes from former Warner Music Group board member Jörg Mohaupt, who will join the company’s board of directors. Mohaupt is also head of Technology, Media and Telecommunications at Access Industries, and serves on the boards of…

Music Consumption Trends and What They Mean

As we dive into 2018, it’s important to take a look back at some of the music consumption data from last year which shows an unsurprising bump and streaming, as well a rise overall. ___________________________ Guest post by Bobby Owsinski of Music 3.0 As we enter into the new year,…