In just over a month, Shep and I will be speaking at a Self Publishing Fair at +Derby QUAD.
We will be talking about netaudio and digital distribution in oppostition to the music industry and how rising technologies can affect how musicians are able to self-publish.
For me, the concept of netaudio is intrisically based on the notion of value; that is to say, how much value a person places on the product. In the last few months I have been closely analysing the sales statistics of Bitnormal releases. As a netlabel we aim to make our releases available for a nominal price (that includes free!) in order to give the user the option of having the audio for nothing or choosing to support the label by offering a nominal fee. But does this model work? Is it self sustaining?
It is important to remember that audiences do not invest in music as a stand alone construct. They invest in the aesthetic of the artists themselves. This is a matter of semiotics. That is to say, the meaning that audiences derive from the sounds and the images associated with the artist.
It interests me then, that some things sell more than others.
What is it that drives audiences to invest time and money into an artist and what kinds of choices exist in the gap between streaming audio online and clicking that download button?
I have written a few words on the topic of value and aesthetic before but today I am wondering if there are any new words to say...
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