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ToasterBoy
Feb 6th, 2006, 03:42 PM
Okay, I'm just putting this out there into the ether, just because it's an idea that is working for us and may work for other folks as well. This may or may not work for your podcast. Again, I'm just putting it out there.


We've found a way to make money* selling downloads of our shows. THis is how we did it.

1. Make a CD of your shows. For us this is easy because we make CDs of each season. You may have a longer, free format, type of show where this won't work. in that case make a best of CD, much like Dan Klass did. At any rate, at this point just make one master CD.

2. Go to www.CDBaby.com Sign up as an artist and list your CD with them. THis will cost you a one time $35 charge. Then, also through CD baby, purchase a UPC code (unless you already have free access to one). This will be a one time $20 charge.

3. Go to www.DiskFaktory.com and pick a CD package that works for you. We chose the 100 CDs with 1 panel inserts. Design your artwork, slap in your UPC code and send it all off to them. In a week or two you'll have 100 CDs to sell.

4. Send some CDs off to CD baby. This will put them on CDBaby's store and make them available at a bunch of other online retailers (Tower Records and Best Buy). We get random sales from people just browsing CDBaby. One or two a month.

5. Sign your CDs up for Digital Distribution via CDBaby. This will make your CD available at Music Download sites including iTunes, Rhapsody, Napster, etc.

Over time this works. People will find your CD though iTunes, or wherever and download it. There are folks who know nothing about Podcasting and will still check out and buy your tracks.

We signed Dr. Floyd up with CDBaby and while the tracks haven't hit iTunes yet, they have hit a few other places and we're already making some money (and this is for stuff we have for FREE DOWNLOAD on our site already)!

Anyway, it's just a thought. It worked for us. Dan Klass is doing it. Might work for you!

I am not getting paid by any of these companies, these are just who I used. You may know of different or cheaper ways to do this stuff. I'd be glad to hear it!

Grant

*I'm not saying we're making millions. we aren't. But we do get some regular income from this method.

womengrow
Feb 6th, 2006, 04:01 PM
Good for you, guys! I really like the Radio Adventures of Dr. Floyd - as does my daughter. Congrats on starting to get some return on your labor.

For another possible route and a print on demand service that hooks into Amazon.com. try http://www.lulu.com/

Another print on demand route for CDs is http://www.cafepress.com/cp/info/, which may be worth a try since a few shows already use it for merchandizing.

Steve Pinder
Feb 9th, 2006, 11:24 AM
I love new ideas, but why would someone buy it when they can download it for free?

Now,..the best of sounds interesting, if it's mixed well and packaged professionaly.



IMHO

Steve Pinder
www.karatekast.com

ToasterBoy
Feb 12th, 2006, 02:20 PM
I love new ideas, but why would someone buy it when they can download it for free?

Well, for one we put extra rare stuff you can't get for free. Also, there are people who don't know about podcasting who will just stumble onto your show by browsing iTunes or one of the other download services and buy your show. We sell a bunch of CDs/DLs by people just browsing.

Grant

kinkysex
Feb 13th, 2006, 03:17 AM
Just what I've been looking for. Cheers!

thehalfshow
Mar 22nd, 2006, 08:31 PM
Cool! I was thinking about that when I heard Dan Klass talking about what he did. What does packaging cost? And how many shows do you put on a CD because we only have 8 shows right now?

WyethDigital
Mar 22nd, 2006, 09:47 PM
Actually, I think I heard on This Week In Podcasting, that CDBaby may be exagerating their ability to get someone into iTunes. that may be why you're not showing up in their music store.

I also know from experience with a Hip Hop group I shot a video for, that just because CD Baby says they'll get you into iTunes, doesn't mean they will. These guys have been signed with CD Baby for over two years, and they haven't been in iTunes at all (despite getting encouraging sounding messages from the folks that run CD Baby).

That said, I don't think CD Baby is a terrible deal. If you were to pay for full ownership of a UPC bar code, it could cost you hundreds of bucks, and a crapload of paperwork. So they have their uses. But they also promise a little more than they can deliver.

Eric

mediamogul
Jun 14th, 2006, 12:53 AM
This is a great idea! Thanks for posting it. I was planning on doing a "best of year 1" type of CD. This seems like a simple process. I do something similar with a documentary film i produced on Custom Flix http://www.customflix.com/Store/ShowEStore.jsp?id=207501 and its a nice little source of extra income.

Thanks again!

AmericanCliche
Jun 14th, 2006, 09:34 AM
As a recording artist with two albums available through CD Baby, I can say with 100% certainty that CD Baby does have the pull to get you into iTunes. The caveat being that you need to 100% own your music. That means if you're a hip hop or electronic act that your music can't contain uncleared samples. You mentioned it was hip hop group having an issue. Is there a possibility that the samples are an issue?

In addition to my music being featured in iTunes, CD Baby was able to get me into over 30 other online music stores. CD Baby is as good as it gets for independent artists trying to distribute their own content.

Just my opinion...

-Scott

WyethDigital
Jun 14th, 2006, 06:46 PM
As a recording artist with two albums available through CD Baby, I can say with 100% certainty that CD Baby does have the pull to get you into iTunes. The caveat being that you need to 100% own your music. That means if you're a hip hop or electronic act that your music can't contain uncleared samples. You mentioned it was hip hop group having an issue. Is there a possibility that the samples are an issue?

In addition to my music being featured in iTunes, CD Baby was able to get me into over 30 other online music stores. CD Baby is as good as it gets for independent artists trying to distribute their own content.

Just my opinion...

-Scott
It may be that they didn't own all the tracks they laid down, but it all sounded pretty original to me. These guys have musical talent besides being able to rap -- in other words, these cats can sing. Well.

The issues they've had in with CD Baby getting them on iTunes may be more to do with their tech savvy and how active they really are with it...

Eric