I just received an email from a UK record company, Edition Records, which offered this inducement:
Pre-order the new DSQ album in return for a credit in the liner notes.
DSQ are giving you the chance to participate in the making of the album in return for a credit in the liner notes. They are offering three levels of contribution starting at £12. At the higher levels you will receive much, much more for your support.
Perhaps this isn’t very different than sending money to a public radio station to support its programming and getting one’s name read aloud over the air, or writing a check to get a PBS totebag. In fact, it harks back to the old model of print publishing, where a privately-printed book could be sold only to a number of readers willing to subscribe and thus underwrite its costs.
I post this to offer evidence about what we all know to be true — namely, that jazz groups and jazz record labels have a hard time of it and find it necessary to resort to ingenious measures. What’s next?
3 responses so far ↓
Jason Parker // June 22, 2009 at 11:47 AM
There’s lots of folks doing things like this, including myself. I ran a “micropatronage” campaign for my new CD and raised enough money in $10-100 donations to pay for all rehearsals, recording session, engineer photographer and all musicians for my project. It’s the way of the future!
ArtistShare was a big influence on my project, as was Ashley Morgan.
To see how I did it check out http://www.jasonparkermusic.com/new-jason-parker-quartet-cd
Agustín Pérez // June 22, 2009 at 6:38 PM
Michael
Check http://www.artistshare.com/home/default.aspx
It has developed this kind of projects to a higher degree. Maria Schneider, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Jim Hall, Chris Potter or Bob Brookmeyer, to name a few first-rate musicians, are working on this financial environment.
Regards,
Agustín
Joe Phillips // June 26, 2009 at 1:13 PM
While I also raised a good sum in small donations to help pay for my first CD in 2003 (http://www.numinousmusic.com), when I was ready to record my most recent CD, a much larger project of 25 musicians!, I decided to do it the old fashioned way-I saved until I had enough money to pay for it myself. While saving meant I had to wait a number of years, it also meant I didn’t need to rely on others to make my recording happen. Like most artists I am not wealthy, but I do feel if my music and vision is worth it, why should I expect others to put money into it? I should be expected (and want) to put my own money where my mouth is. While I do agree that establishing a fan base willing to donate is quite important (and I certainly will ask for donations again in the future) I feel that I need to find more ways to financially do my part (beyond the writing, organizing, booking, etc.) and not totally rely on others (think of where are those that invested all or most of their money in Madoff).