Another online Christian Music store is going out of business...

We want to get our album into the hands of people that want it, but our shotgun approach may not be the best way to do it.  I am curious what you guys do and where you think the industry is headed.

DIGITAL STREAMING.

Only hardcore music lovers even buy physical product.  Some folks buy MP3s, but streaming is where the industry is.  Having your content whenever you want it is where the industry has been heading and now is.  As a musician, though, you will get paid even less through streaming media with the way that the major labels get most of the money from royalties.  So, you keep making CDs and download cards that fans can buy at shows.  If you autograph them at the show, it makes it even more of a collectible for that fan.

Other than that, there really isn't a place to go now.  You might want to do a short vinyl run as folks seem to be collecting those again although I don't understand why.

The chances of selling CDs is dramatically lower when digital formats are also available. That's why, for my current project (Orationem) I have EXCLUSIVE CDs releases and one EXCLUSIVE download/streaming release. (ie: there's no CDs available for the download release, there's no downloads available for the CD release)

Best decision I've ever made as an artist and (CD) sales are good.

alldatndensum wrote:As a musician, though, you will get paid even less through streaming media with the way that the major labels get most of the money from royalties.

You're wrong. Lets talk just about YouTube for a second.

Depending on your content and how you monetize your account, you could actually make a LOT more money than with CDs. Being that YouTube is a VIDEO channel (and king of streaming media) you'd really have to make a music video to get an insane amount of views, but you could still amass quite a bit from an audio track.

If its good.

This link has some good information regarding making money from (YouTube) streaming
http://www.pennapowers.com/how-much-do-youtubers-make/

This is one of many possible averages, but big picture, an artist with a monetized account is looking at $18 for every 1,000 views you get.

Let me put this number of views into perspective. Years ago, I made a homebrew PSP game. I made a video of the gameplay and uploaded it to YouTube. Posted on ONE PSP forum and had almost 3,000 views in a couple hours.
...and I'm a nobody.

Naw, if you got the means and the talent to make good music content via streaming videos (YouTube), you'll be raking in the cash. It doesn't surprise me at all that streaming is now king.

You can see links to the Christian Metal Shops I have listed on the link section of www.metalforjesus.org

Here is the direct link Christian Metal Links

ThomasEversole wrote:...too bad Amazon wants you to pay $39.99 a month to sell there.  

Really? That's the first I've heard of that. I have an Amazon Seller account and I have my Repossession: A Christmas Album CDs for sale through there and I don't pay any monthly fee, although as with all other sites they take a small percent of sales.

As for where I usually find music though I recently have been getting away from physical media (although I always swore I wanted to have CDs) and I try to buy digital on Amazon or iTunes when possible (digital is usually slightly cheaper and saves space in my office now).

No one playing metal is gonna make a living from streaming original music they wrote.

Temple of Blood wrote:No one playing metal is gonna make a living from streaming original music they wrote.

No one playing metal is going to make a living from it full stop let alone music in general.
Music takes from more than gives that's why I sold my stuff just waste of time and endless heart break sucks you dry and you get nothing back in return. I love music though.

Temple of Blood wrote:No one playing metal is gonna make a living from streaming original music they wrote.

No band will ever make any money if it never makes a show of force.

Throne of thorns wrote:

Temple of Blood wrote:No one playing metal is gonna make a living from streaming original music they wrote.

No one playing metal is going to make a living from it full stop let alone music in general.
Music takes from more than gives that's why I sold my stuff just waste of time and endless heart break sucks you dry and you get nothing back in return. I love music though.

I'll one up you. It's more heartbreak when you realize that after so many years of effort along with accepting and that one isn't even a very good musician either.

Maybe these "christian" metal music stores are dying because "Christian" metal is dying...Huge amounts of "Christian" bands these days hate being "Christian" and are moving away from it...