While musical integrity is often (as it should be) an artist’s number one priority, musicians still need to make money, and there’s no reason that same integrity can’t extend through to the merchandise they sell. While higher quality merch may typically mean higher production costs, there are ways around such…
Category archives: Retail & Vinyl
5 Quick Psych Hacks For Improving Your Cover Art
While we like to think artwork doesn’t define an album, it is an opportunity to create something which compliments the themes and emotions expressed on the album and, best of all, compels a potential listener to purchase it. Here we look at five psychology hacks for upping your album art…
Record Stores Follow Black Friday with Small Business Saturday Exclusives, Sales and Events
[UPDATED] The team and growing network of indie stores behind Record Store Day are celebrating both Black Friday and Small Business Saturday this weekend with an extensive array of exclusive releases, special sales, in-store performances, signings and events. Most exclusives (extensive list below) debuted on Black Friday. On Saturday, Record…
Streaming Breathes New Life Into Older Record Catalogs
As the rise of the streaming industry continues to alter the ways in which listeners consume music, we’re starting to get a better handle on what some of these changes look like. One change that’s been a benefit to artists is the revivification of their older work, or "catalogue" material,…
Millennials Are Changing The Music Industry: Here’s How
Millennials are thirsty for music and are constantly immersing themselves in at every opportunity, to the point where it is fundamentally altering the music industry, impacting both traditional retail sales of music and digital streaming. __________________ In this latest post from MusicThinkTank, Daniel Matthews explores the dramatic effect which millennials…
Kanye West’s ‘MP’ Format and The Future Of The Album
While Kanye West has certainly had a knack for staying in the news of late, one item that didn’t see a lot of air time was the controversial hip hop figure’s popularization of the "Medium Play" or MP album format. Here we examine what the state of "Ye" means for…
How The EP Killed The LP Star
Shifts in the music industry have precipitated a new rapid fire format of music release, with artists constantly creating new music and releasing singles rapid-fire. In addition to other changes, this shift has caused the EP to begin edging out the LP as a dominant format of music. _____________________________________ Guest…
There Is A Key To Reaching Millennials
One of the great marketing challenges of the modern age lies in getting through to the coveted millennial demographic. In this piece we look at what the results of a survey turned up, including several actionable insights on what millennials value most. __________________________ Guest post by Fred Jacobs of Jacobs…
Could This Company Be The Last To Distribute CDs?
While the CD has hung on longer than some might have guessed, it’s decline has been steady. That said, some are still turning a profit from this outdated form of music. Here we look at Alliance Entertainment, the largest wholesaler of physical music in the US. _______________________ Guest post Bobby…
Could This Company Be The Last To Distribute CDs?
While the CD has hung on longer than some might have guessed, it’s decline has been steady. That said, some are still turning a profit from this outdated form of music. Here we look at Alliance Entertainment, the largest wholesaler of physical music in the US. _______________________ Guest post Bobby…