Opeth and the new age of record releasing...

[outerone]

Just wanted to get people opinion on what they think about the new age of record releasing and what the future of Opeth looks like next to it?

With bands like NIN, Radiohead, Smashing Pumpkins, Raconteurs etc. deciding to release albums by themselves or with less help from record companies it seems that it is paying off for both the bands and the fans. Fans get music faster and musicians actually see a good profit from this. Could Opeth go this route one day?

Granted that Opeth is not as big as those bands of course so those bands can enjoy such releases because they have a hudge following. But I think Opeth could benefit from something like this. If Opeth were to release their next album for around 5 dollars online and then in store at the same time for 10 or so dollars. This would create a buzz which could open doors to new fans of hard music. Plus the album could be released earlier, we wouldnt have to wait 4 freaking months for promo time.

If Opeth would of done that with the release of Damnation (which they to my knowledge didnt get paid for by the record company), they could of released it online as a special album and later also on CD.

Im not an expert on this new online music distribution, plus I still prefer CDs over digi files any day!! But I could see the band and fans benefiting from this new type of release and promotion. What do you guys think?

 

[chrisdoig24k]

FREE MARKET CAPITALISM! DEREGULATION!!! Fuckin' economic liberalism is the way to go my boys!

 

[dwoakee]

I have recently started converting all my CDs to MP3 and giving away those CDs which don't mean that much to me. I don't want to buy more CD shelfs. From now on, I'll buy all my music digitally, except for Opeth. So, because of this exception it doesn't really matter to me personally whether Opeth radiohead their music in the future. I'll wait for the CD anyway . (As long as CDs are produced, that is.)

In the long run, I think that no band actually has a choice in this matter. The future is digital sale. Heck, it's nearly the present.

 

[themaster]

Just wanted to get people opinion on what they think about the new age of record releasing and what the future of Opeth looks like next to it?

With bands like NIN, Radiohead, Smashing Pumpkins, Raconteurs etc. deciding to release albums by themselves or with less help from record companies it seems that it is paying off for both the bands and the fans. Fans get music faster and musicians actually see a good profit from this. Could Opeth go this route one day?

Granted that Opeth is not as big as those bands of course so those bands can enjoy such releases because they have a hudge following. But I think Opeth could benefit from something like this. If Opeth were to release their next album for around 5 dollars online and then in store at the same time for 10 or so dollars. This would create a buzz which could open doors to new fans of hard music. Plus the album could be released earlier, we wouldnt have to wait 4 freaking months for promo time.

If Opeth would of done that with the release of Damnation (which they to my knowledge didnt get paid for by the record company), they could of released it online as a special album and later also on CD.

Im not an expert on this new online music distribution, plus I still prefer CDs over digi files any day!! But I could see the band and fans benefiting from this new type of release and promotion. What do you guys think?

I think it would be good for Opeth maybe when this record deal comes to an end, the only problem is self financing tours and recording costs if you dont have loads of money.
Judy Tzuke has in the past asked fans to pre order and pay for new albums to help them afford to finish an album off to a better standard and i think it makes a smallish fanbase feel more part of the process. I also think it gets round the problem of torrents as people pay a reuced fee for an advance order.
But unless Opeth can scrape together several £1000 for recording licencing copyright and pressing costs this will be difficult, also Judy has her own Professional standard studio so each recording costs very little and the money she askes for in pre orders allows better studios to be used to record drums in or to mix in or for some session musicians. Opeth in my opinion would need a load of money to record an album at an Ok studio like they have been using as say 3 months lockout is probably £21000 or so and thats not covering mastering album art legal fees ect. then touring and this is a guess say 10 roadies including lighting guys and sound guys and a tour manager and a tour bus and a truck for the equipment. You would be looking at maybe £12000 to £15000 per week to tour Europe. The venue and promotor want thier slice of the pie and Opeth get whats left to pay for the tour. I think nice idea but not yet

 

[Iki-ilkkuja]

Yes, touring costs and Opeth aren't rich enough to cover everything.

 

[pyr0rrzzz]

I prefer something physical

 

[Gëist]

The future is digital sale. Heck, it's nearly the present.

I think labels will have to find something to convert the last old-fashioned music-lovers like me. Something to add to the simple mp3, to fill in the lack of artwork. And no, jpeg is not an alternative.

I hope Opeth won't give any album on the web... makes people think every band can do it...

 

[dwoakee]

I think labels will have to find something to convert the last old-fashioned music-lovers like me. Something to add to the simple mp3, to fill in the lack of artwork. And no, jpeg is not an alternative.

full ack. I've been thinking about that for a long time. Having a jpeg for the cover, plus the song titles is the basis but it is not enough. Something like a web-page or flash-movie to replace the booklet would be appreciated. Yet, it should not be too fancy. I'ld still like to be able to navigate it without having to think much about it.

The tagging could also be improved. There could be much more information, like musicians and instruments, composers, lyrics, production, engineering, mixing, thanks, liner notes etc.pp. for each song.

What is also needed is some sort of packaging, ie. multiple songs packaged together with artwork and additional information to form an album. ATM what you get is a bunch of minimally tagged MP3s plus a jpg for a cover. Sometimes you get a PDF booklet and/or an m3u (which I find pretty useless). Definitely room for improvement here.

 

[Albatros]

great thread!
It'll be nice if they did it!
Music in digital form is great!
ps. Cds are so fake! plastic shit! vinyl lps rocks! with nice big paper artwork!

 

[Black Session]

I'd like to believe that mankind will not become 100% dependent on computers to be honest ... although I use the internet to find music and news about music, I still prefer my music to be separate from online situations! so building up a cd collection is important for me, just like having a library and stuff ... internet will also never replace books for me.

 

[ever dying]

I think labels will have to find something to convert the last old-fashioned music-lovers like me. Something to add to the simple mp3, to fill in the lack of artwork. And no, jpeg is not an alternative.

How about PNG then?..

I would die inside when record companies decide to stop selling real copies of CD's..
But I doubt that will ever happen.. Have a look at Vinyl.. Not many stores sell them these days, but still a lot of bands release their music on vinyl..
I think that will be the same with CD's..

Maybe real popular bands/groups, with number one hit singles will only release online to make more money.. And Opeth is not one of those bands..

 

[Gëist]

How about PNG then?..

Nice one! :zombie:

I agree with dwoakee about the tagging. Last time I bought an album on the web, the info about the mp3s were wrong. Just an example, but this could (should?) be improved.
I also imagined extra videos (even with a portable phone or some basic material) of the recording... fan stuff!

I think CD will resist, there will always be people who prefer to have the album. The target will be different though, a bunch of dinosaurs/resisters, so maybe it'll lead to a new form of packaging, more expensive maybe, but different format, for example. More items inside, more...
OK, that's not realistic.

I really would pay more to get interesting special editions.

 

[Thonolan]

Sorry to say this but the day the music becomes completely digital I won't pay for it. I really need the physical album, CD, vinyl or whatever. I love good editions, booklets, artwork... and no, seeing it on a pc screen is not enough.

 

[Lothlorien]

i think its great that bands are seeing more profits on their own work, but i am pretty much completley against online releases. there is nothing better than getting a new cd and listening while reading along to the lyrics.

 

[Death_To_False_Metal]

I have recently started converting all my CDs to MP3 and giving away those CDs which don't mean that much to me. I don't want to buy more CD shelfs. From now on, I'll buy all my music digitally, except for Opeth. So, because of this exception it doesn't really matter to me personally whether Opeth radiohead their music in the future. I'll wait for the CD anyway . (As long as CDs are produced, that is.)

In the long run, I think that no band actually has a choice in this matter. The future is digital sale. Heck, it's nearly the present.

And what will you do when your Hard drive explodes into oblivion ?

 

[souperdv]

I think one aspect of owning physical copies that would be lost is when you have people over to your house or they ride in your car and they check out your music collection by thumbing through your cd cases. Great music conversations will be lost....

 

[Eternalnow]

I'd like to believe that mankind will not become 100% dependent on computers to be honest ... although I use the internet to find music and news about music, I still prefer my music to be separate from online situations! so building up a cd collection is important for me, just like having a library and stuff ... internet will also never replace books for me.

Well, until bands starts recording on some computer free device I think electronics and Computers in general will be a HUGE part of music.

Maybe they can record on water...

 

[Vivören]

they could of released it online

Could have.

 

[dwoakee]

And what will you do when your Hard drive explodes into oblivion ?

I have an external hard drive where I keep a backup of all of ms mp3s. And of the most important Stuff I make an additional backup on a dvd.

 

[FuneralPortrait]

The thought of exclusively owning music digitally makes me feel quite ill. Phyiscally ill. And angry. Furious even.

I'm a huge cd lover.

As long as there is a physical release to go alongside it, I honestly don't care if Opeth release online first. Preferrably at a high bit-rate, unlike In Rainbows. (Though admittedly it didn't suffer too much..)