Donovan Banks

I see so many bands these days giving out free music online. While I like the idea of free anything, I have to wonder where the product comes from. Where does the money come from to produce it?

Copying music is free, as free as it gets. All you need is a computer. You don’t need to design album art, get CD’s printed, packaged and distributed. I guess the trick is getting people to actually download, or copy with intent to share, your music.

I can see a reason for doing this. One can easily assume that people don’t want to pay for music. We hear a lot of talk in the press about how the downloading of music is hurting the industry. Then we hear the artists saying that they don’t mind, it is getting your work out there. The idea of millions of adoring fans is a great driver for many a musician. Having people sing along to your music at a gig is a great idea. You could be the next big thing, talked about by everyone, mentioned on every top blog; your songs could be on every celebrity’s iPod. You’ll be a star!

But you’ll be broke.

How will you have recorded your massive single? Who will have paid for your studio time? You could record at home, even with free software. Will it be good enough? It takes a massive amount of skill and effort to get a big studio sound out of a small home setup.

Do you think that these same people, who don’t want to pay for your music, will want to pay to see you perform? Will they pay to buy your branded hoodie? Who will hire you to play at their venue if the audience you attract, don’t want to pay for anything? How will the club make any money? Who will buy the beer? The same people who won’t pay for your music?

What if you get big enough to attract sponsorship from a large corporation? Do you expect this same audience, who don’t want to spend, to spend on your partnered brand? You may be attracting a crowd, but you’re not attracting a very good one. I don’t really see the point in being rich and famous, if you leave the rich out. Then you are merely infamous. Let’s leave that to serial killers.

I think the most disappointing factor about a band that gives their music away, is that they clearly don’t value their own product enough. Why would you make a product that you believe is not good enough to ask money for? There are many people who would pay $1 for a single on iTunes. It is an easy transaction. These same people would pay a few more dollars for more of your singles if they like it. They will also buy your merchandise, pay to see you perform and support your sponsors.

Why do bands think their product is so worthless that they have to give it away? I immediately think the band themselves don’t like the music. They don’t think they are worth someone giving them money for making it.

Have some pride in your craft. Make great music, believe in it and sell it. If it is good enough you could sell 100, 000 singles worldwide. If you get 60cents per single you have made $60, 000 dollars. If 2% steal your music, then there will be a further 2,000 copies of your song out there, but you have a wad of cash so you don’t have to care.