Do you think it matters more...

[SheisMySin]

Explain to me how that is then.

A blank recordable CD costs what, a buck or so?

Now add the whole music process.

Are you saying that whole process, and everything that goes along with it, is only worth a couple of extra bucks per CD?

It does not make sense.

 

[skeptik]

You're not paying for all that shit. Otherwise, CD prices would vary greatly, since some bands use an extravagant amount of money in the studio, whereas others use very little.

 

[Nico]

Cost of CD pressing (artwork printing, CD duplication) for a lot of 1000 CD's is $6000. $6 per CD, just in manufacturing alone. Possible $2000-4000 in studio fees, that the label may or may not have paid for. Then you've got promotion on top of that...

What's the problem? You're paying for the physical medium, essentially.

 

[skeptik]

That's, of course, the expense paid by independent pressings...it doesn't cost nearly that much to actually produce the CD And I doubt that major labels pay $6 per CD.

 

[SheisMySin]

>>>>You're not paying for all that shit. Otherwise, CD prices would vary greatly, since some bands use an extravagant amount of money in the studio, whereas others use very little.

Bro,

You are on the right track, but keep thinking. The label signs bands that are success, and some that are duds. They aren't going to charge more money for one artist over another...hence they need to make up for the costs they eat with the bad ones. All the costs that go into signing, and recording a band that sells nothing has to get eaten. That "cost" gets rolled into the CDs you buy on the good ones.

Scott

 

[skeptik]

Keep thinking that, and keep thinking that CD prices are reasonable.

 

[Nico]

That's, of course, the expense paid by independent pressings...it doesn't cost nearly that much to actually produce the CD And I doubt that major labels pay $6 per CD.

Indeed, I'm working within the confines of underground pressings, which I was led to believe was the general topic of discussion, since 100,000 CD pressings aren't really an issue for the likes of us.

 

[skeptik]

I'm not even sure what the hell the topic of discussion is anymore.

 

[SheisMySin]

>>>Keep thinking that, and keep thinking that CD prices are reasonable.

Umm...okay...let's see...

DVD's cost $18 - $23. You watch a movie once or twice, and then it usually sits on your shelf.

Trip to movies - $7 - $9 for one person. 2 hours of entertainment.

How much is a pack of cigarettes? $4 or so? (not sure, I don't smoke).

The price of a Zoo ticket is $15.

So really...

Considering a good metal album gets played WAAAAY more than 2 hours, and is something that incites feelings of rage, sadness, etc etc...gives us inspiration and escape...how cheap do you really want it to be when you compare it to everything else in the world??

Scott

 

[Erik]

Cost of CD pressing (artwork printing, CD duplication) for a lot of 1000 CD's is $6000. $6 per CD, just in manufacturing alone.

What ABSOLUTELY FUCKING TERRIBLE rip-off companies do you deal with anyway? I can get 1000 CD's INCLUDING a 4-page booklet, full colour covers & inlays, print on the CD, and jewel case done for $2000, and keep in mind that's in SWEDEN and Sweden is more expensive than almost every country at almost everything. And as others have pointed out, prices decrease RAPIDLY with increasing print runs.

For example, if I were to increase the print run of CD's as described above with the same company from 1000 to 2000, the price would decrease from $2 per CD to $1.40. Current CD prices in mainstream outlets are abso-fucking-lutely INSANE, don't be deceived to think anything else. If $20 is so fucking reasonable, why can underground mailorders (that's RETAIL) sell CD's for $9 and still make a profit?

 

[SheisMySin]

>>>Current CD prices in mainstream outlets are abso-fucking-lutely INSANE, don't be deceived to think anything else. If $20 is so fucking reasonable, why can underground mailorders (that's RETAIL) sell CD's for $9 and still make a profit?


How about this...

Out of all the CD's ever made...how many CD's do you think a record store can stock? Uh...like..0.000001%, right?

They stock what sells, obviously, which means even less space for them to sell other artists. How do they decide what music they sell? Obviously they have deals with labels and such...kinda like paying a toll to get their CD's in a store.

Well that price also gets rolled into the cost of your CD. Along with 50 other things. The salary of the freaking secretaries answering the phone get paid from music sales.

Good job, you've established it's cheap to MANUFACTURE a CD...nice work. We already all knew that. Now put some more thought into what all goes into the making of a CD, and maybe you'll see the bigger picture.

Scott

PS - Underground mail orders don't have as much overhead, duuuur....so of course they can sell it for cheaper.

 

[Erik]

That's not important. If the label spends $8 per copy of the CD and sells them for $10, that's a pretty tiny profit margin.

You fail to understand the mechanics of underground record labels. What every small metal label does is not buy wholesale, but trade their own releases (which they make for $2 or less a pop) for other labels' releases, and then sell those. So you spend $2 on something, which you swap for something else that you can sell (because an UG mailorder gets more attractive the more different releases they care) for say $8-10. Profit margin: say $5-8 after paying shipping of your stuff to the person you traded with.

EDIT: suppose the artist got money from the label to record the CD. That's a dollar or two off the profit margin, of course, but that's kind of beside the point in this post

 

[skeptik]

I really wish you would stop acting like you actually know what you're talking about instead of stringing along a necklace of assumptions. You really have no idea what you're saying.

 

[SheisMySin]

Interesting info Erik....trying to process it.

 

[Erik]

How about this...

Out of all the CD's ever made...how many CD's do you think a record store can stock? Uh...like..0.000001%, right?

They stock what sells, obviously, which means even less space for them to sell other artists. How do they decide what music they sell? Obviously they have deals with labels and such...kinda like paying a toll to get their CD's in a store.

Well that price also gets rolled into the cost of your CD. Along with 50 other things. The salary of the freaking secretaries answering the phone get paid from music sales.

This makes no sense. What are you even suggesting? That the labels PAY stores to carry their stuff? No, that's not how it works at all. Stores buy from distributors, and as you say, they buy what sells. If they don't sell it, the store takes the hit.

Good job, you've established it's cheap to MANUFACTURE a CD...nice work. We already all knew that. Now put some more thought into what all goes into the making of a CD, and maybe you'll see the bigger picture.

I never SAID anything about the bigger picture in that particular post, I just wanted to establish that $6 a CD for manufacturing costs alone is total bullshit.

PS - Underground mail orders don't have as much overhead, duuuur....so of course they can sell it for cheaper.

I thought we were in the fucking underground. You're basically discussing major label/RIAA company tactics, which do not interest me in the least. If you think that you're "supporting the artist" more because you're paying more for mainstream CD's, you're impossibly deluded. Read the fuck up before you spout ignorant nonsense that anyone with half an insight into industry mechanics knows is nothing but lie propaganda spread by the RIAA and friends. Here's an example of where your precious $20 goes:

http://www.negativland.com/albini.html

 

[SheisMySin]

You're right bro - music should just be fucking free.

Scott

 

[Wires & Waves]

You're right bro - music should just be fucking free.

Scott

ridiculous strawman = admission of defeat

 

[Erik]

You're right bro - music should just be fucking free.

Scott

Did I say that? I was pretty sure I was merely advocating SANE, UNDERGROUND type practices instead of the rip-off & extortion circus that is major labels, distribution methods and stores. But sure, since you are unable of comprehending an alternative to the status quo, feel free to bury your fucking head in the sand.

I hope you feel good knowing that the next $22 you fork out for some major label shit helps getting the record company millions of dollars and the band knee deep in thousands of dollars of debt.

 

[SheisMySin]

>>>I thought we were in the fucking underground. You're basically discussing major label/RIAA company tactics, which do not interest me in the least.

You are correct, I am not educated in underground small record companies. I will look into that more

Everyone is claiming that $15 prices are outrageous when they justify downloading...so obviously I thought they meant Cd's found in mainstream stores. If the price is only $8 - $10 bucks or whatever from mail order places, then why aren't people quoting that price?

Scott

 

[SheisMySin]

>>>Did I say that? I was pretty sure I was merely advocating SANE, UNDERGROUND type practices

What's a fair price of a CD according to you then? And how does it get distributed? Perhaps you have a reasonable site?

Scott