Choosing a format for self release (twss)

[codetocontra]

Going to drop a new album real soon. Don't know what to do. What are y'all's thoughts about releasing music on certain formats these days. Is making the effort for physical formats worth it? Is digital only fine enough? Would you buy one format over the others? Is it best to offer multiple formats ?

My thoughts:

Digital only - This is all I have done so far for my solo music. Just one of millions of people contributing to the noise out there in the mess of online distribution. Somehow a few people found me anyway, but not many. There does seem to be a stigma with digital only stuff, as if a musician doesn't take their music serious enough to have physical. Buying digital isn't my favorite but I do it once in a while.

Cassette tape - Was planning on doing a cassette release. Guess I worry most that if I order 50 I will be stuck with 42 left. I have enjoyed supporting other friends and ILFers music on a tape format. Still have two tape players in the house. Not exactly a great format but the nostalgia is strong from someone who used to buy tapes in the 80s. I like it to have something in my hand, to appreciate the art and liner notes while listening.

CD - I just don't care about CDs anymore. Most people don't. They are cheap enough like tapes to make though. But with most cars and computers not even having CD players anymore this format is dying hard.

Vinyl - totally cost prohibitive and not worth it for my digital recordings. Maybe for my band in the next year if we record on to tape, but waaay far away from that. I enjoy supporting bands with vinyl purchases the most.

[Heraclitus Akimbo]

I like doing tapes, but for me it mostly depends if you're playing enough shows/running into enough peeps to sell them face to face. (Mailing 'em out is too much of a time/money drain for my liking.)

If you have a good home deck, you can home dupe super-short runs of stuff (and/or make more copes on demand) — combined with a trip to a local print shop to get some sharp j-cards printed you can keep unit cost pretty low.

Generic object + bandcamp code is also a way to go if you're just looking for something to have as merch + a nod to "having something physical". For a couple things this year I got some photos printed to sell with download codes... then people can put your album art on their fridge! Even if you get prints on nice, proper photo stock, the cost per print isn't much, and you can sell 'em for $3 or $4 (or more if you think you can get it) and make a bit of money.

[Dowi]

I grew up with CDs, and even if they seem to be dying, i still have some sor fo affection with that format, even if i buy vinyl most of the time.
Also, CDs are quite cheap, so we always print at least a couple hundreds of those when we have a new album out, and if you play live there's always somebody willing to spend 5$/€ for a fancy new CD, so you usually cover the costs without problems.

VInyl is cost prohibitive, it's cool as hell, but we did it only because we had some labels helping us with the printing of those, and still i'm not wure it was a smart idea, because the minimum number of copies was really high so, now that we have slowed down all the touring thing, we still have two full boxes in our rehearsal room.

[friendship]

Vinyl - Cost prohibitive but would consider if I were signed to a label who could front the manufacturing costs. Then again is there a point pressing digitally-recorded music to vinyl? I'm sure someone has answered this question but the scenario has never come up so I haven't looked into it.

CD - Massively regret having CDs pressed. Enormous waste of money.

Cassette tape - Horrid, I'm not young enough to think this format is a cute throwback. I only remember my precious Nirvana and Metallica dubs degrading rapidly and sounding like shit.

Digital only - The only way I will do it anymore. I no longer buy the argument that a digital-only release is a signifier of the music not being serious enough, especially since top 40 acts are getting signed through their half-baked Soundcloud demos and IG posts and shit. Nobody cares. Yes you're throwing your work into a vast global catalogue where it will never be seen, but that's the hellworld we live in now.

[retinal orbita]

I have never paid for a digital download. I need something “tangible”. That’s just me.

Here’s my ranking of formats:

CD: I don’t really buy a lot of CDs anymore unless I’m invested enough in the artist to grab one, rip it and then store it in a plastic tub in my basement. That’s commitment!

Tapes - win/win in my book. Low runs, easy to include a digital download card and cheap. Lots of interesting packaging ideas. Nice to be able to support an artist but you don’t need to spend $30 on a record. Like hey I love you, but I’m not IN love with you?

Vinyl - expensive, costs a shit ton to mail, takes a million years to make, maybe cursed? I like records a lot and I buy too many of them but for smaller artists it’s a gamble.

Lathes - expensive but fun, you only need to make like 10 , makes you seem super kvlt.

[Achtane]

Generic object + bandcamp code is also a way to go if you're just looking for something to have as merch + a nod to "having something physical". For a couple things this year I got some photos printed to sell with download codes... then people can put your album art on their fridge! Even if you get prints on nice, proper photo stock, the cost per print isn't much, and you can sell 'em for $3 or $4 (or more if you think you can get it) and make a bit of money.

I think this is a good idea. The only reason I would buy a physical format anymore is to show support for the band, but tapes IMO are a retro-cool fad now and the worst-sounding option (noise and kvlt metal jams excluded), vinyl is usually too expensive for my broke ass, and I don't ever listen to CDs.

But a cool physical object I will buy every time. It's the best of both worlds for me.

[D.o.S.]

It really depends on what you like having loitering around your home. Tapes are cool, lathes are cool (but not ideal for fidelity, obviously), but I would just do what makes you happy/what you can get someone else to front.

I mostly buy digital these days, unless it's something I can't find online

[codetocontra]

Interesting perspectives. Think I am just going to do digital only because it is hard enough to be motivated to share the music with the easiest way possible. The whole point is just to share my recordings, so free digital is great.

The DIY printing method would be feasible if it weren't for sheer self doubt and, again, motivation. Won't be playing shows live by myself so don't need merch. Maybe I could make a dozen for local friends. Probably won't. It really does become an existential crisis.

[Gone Fission]

Since musicians only make money from merch, anyway: Sell merch that comes with download codes?

I grew up with cassettes omnipresent and don't get the comeback. Vinyl I get but manufacturing cost. And unless you're doing something special with packaging, there isn't much to be said for CDs anymore. So why not go for "universal donor" format of download and focus any sales on shirts and stuff? Maybe bonus or alt version tracks with the merch if you want to give away the main version.

[frodog]

With good mastering/duplication tapes can sound amazing. I have some that sound like shit though, but at least they come with download codes 98% of the time. LPs are superior but expensive to press. For the most part I listen to digital tho, it's just more practical. 320kbps works fine for me.

I do like having a physical lyric sheet and artwork, I feel that elevates a release and helps a lot for context/insight into the band.

[O Drones]

Digital, but I do like the unique object idea and will definitely be stealing it

[coldbrightsunlight]

Yeah I agree that physical object idea is brilliant. I'd much rather buy something unique+download key than any physical music playing media.

But then again I'm already in the camp that's very happy to pay for purely digital music with no objects.

I don't think I've bought a physical CD/tape for years but I buy digital albums on bandcamp all the time.

[voerking]

i must be weird, because i still buy cds & even have a release coming out soon on cd. they're handy, durable, cheap to make, sound exactly like the sound source, and are fun to listen to on road trips. i am old, though.

[$harkToootth]

i must be weird, because i still buy cds & even have a release coming out soon on cd. they're handy, durable, cheap to make, sound exactly like the sound source, and are fun to listen to on road trips. i am old, though.

I'm with you. I do this. I still burn CDs and make mix cds as well. I got really into them again in 2011 or something when I was working out... I didn't want to have a million things to pick from with music so I found (did not buy... literally found it... like a toad) an old boom box and cranked out albums at a time. Recently, I have acquired (did not find) a car with a CD player so I use CDs a bunch. Thrift stores have old ones for nothing now. People are always giving them away. I kind of like how immediate yet intangible (meant "valueless"... I tried to look smart... not good...) they are. For my burned CDs... if I lose it... whatever... I'll get another. Then I have a bunch of my favorites on CD (a ton of YES, SWANS, T. REX, JAY REATARD, TOBACCO etc.)

I do like tapes too. Got a ton of noise / power electronics tapes. I used to love vinyl but THANKFULLY something saved me where I realized I just did not want to lug around that stuff. I won't even accept free vinyl anymore. That said, they're reissuing all the early HAUNTED GRAFFITI LPs and that is... tempting to say the least.

@code - I would do it as digital but offer a limited run of some physical media. A lot of cult VHS shops do this when they restore a new (old) movie. They have a batch of like 25 or so to appease the people that want it on that medium.

May I please ask some questions?
Are you trying to make a profit?
Are you trying to build a monetary gain in general off music?
Or is this more of an artistic endeavor? If it is for artistic reasons... do what you want! Have fun! (Except vinyl.. that's just too much money to get a limited press... don't do that to yourself).
If it's the other two, have you done your market research? Not so much around media in general but any sales figures of your own. A. Who bought your last release? B. How many people were at your gigs etc. Then from that, you need to think about the other "P's" of marketing 101 etc.

TLDR I'm pretty much with Heraclitus Akimbo. It has to be worth what you want to get out of this. Perhaps I'm missing something but I didn't pick up what that was in the OG post. It could be 1 of 3 things.
1. Make money off music (Profit - this is different from #2)
2. I have a product I put labor into, and if you want that product I expect a fair wage. (If this, this ties into my ramblings above)
3. Artistic purposes

Probably typos. Did not proofread. EDIT: I proofread once and made an edit. Any errors from here out are because I'm a dumbass.

[codetocontra]

This thread should prove valuable to anyone thinking about releasing their own music when considering formats. With 4 valid formats to chose from it isn't much of a surprise that people all have different preferences. Not sure I had my pulse on what other people's opinions were until now.

My goal of releasing music is just for me, to prove I did something related to artistic expression, etc. Not monetary. Just wanted to consider tangible objects if people would appreciate paying for those instead of just digital. But, getting people to just listen is hard enough, let alone pay. That said, hoping my band will record and put out an LP this year but we will at least play shows so it is a bit different approach.