Release an album - how?

[funsongs]

Just 'thinkin' out loud...'

Nobody's making/buying/selling CDs much anymore - maybe with the exception of traveling/performing artists who offer those along with other merch.
So - here I've got a collection of stuff we've done... with another pending, when Get To Heaven gets completed.

How might these get released? Is it still a 'thing' to put out album/collections?
Or just the 9 songs as singles? I do have a bandcamp account, too.

Just Bluegrass
https://soundcloud.com/funsongs-1/sets/just-bluegrass

[AlanHall]

just typing out loud

From a business / marketing perspective, what's the point of pressing and releasing an album? I've been reading for - seems like decades now - that physical media should be treated like the free swag that's given away at shows, as you indicated. A gimmick rather than a moneymaker. The media become a token of the musician's presence, considering any (or at least the lion's share of) listening by your fans will be done via streaming services. It's also a way to get visibility, by placing with retailers that would allow CDs to be displayed in their shops. Again, more of a gimmick to get eyes on your product rather than to move loads of CDs.
I made a 25-count run of an album in 2011, still have a handful left after giving most away. For what it's worth, my tactic was to leave a small stack of disks with the proprietor of any small artsy/underground shop I came across during business travels around the country (I am not and have never toured as a solo artist). Did it work? Can't say anyone ever called me out of the blue as a result to offer a recording contract

TL;DR: "things" are sure nice to have and hold, but for real market penetration the music needs to be on the WWW. I haven't seen any hard data, but my gut tells me that spotify is where you'll find most contact between aspiring artists and their listeners. Soundcloud, Bandcamp, and that ilk seem to me to be more artist-to-artist platforms. I have never turned to them to just listen to music.

[funsongs]

just typing out loud
"things" are sure nice to have and hold, but for real market penetration the music needs to be on the WWW. I haven't seen any hard data, but my gut tells me that spotify is where you'll find most contact between aspiring artists and their listeners. Soundcloud, Bandcamp, and that ilk seem to me to be more artist-to-artist platforms. I have never turned to them to just listen to music.

In stark contrast to all of that - a Mentor at the 2018 Road Rally, sitting next to me at the luncheon - stated he LIKED getting a physical CD (even if just as a souvenir, like you state);
but his point was - a welcome surprise to me, holding up the CD I handed to him - "This shows me that you did the work, and completed the task."
Maybe only other producers would agree with and appreciate his sentiment.

Good point noted, on the difference between the cloud & camp sites: while they appeal artist-to-artist... they're NOT the common platforms for folks hunting for and just listening to
NEW MUSIC.
As I am not a live-performer... those digital platforms really are my only hope and means for getting funsongs out on the airwaves.
I'm not likely to be like Chris... and get my '15 minutes of fame'... floating up in space with Captain Kirk!
"BEAM ME UP, SCOTTY!!"

Thanks for all your comments.
Cheers.

[AlanHall]

If your focus is on gospel/faith-based music (from what I've heard you at least venture into that territory) there's likely to be a local radio station that operates independently and plays 'your kind of' music. Also, church affiliations can bring a sort of captive audience to you. Whether any of that actually builds a fanbase, I don't know.
When I was living and playing in Athens, Ohio I noticed there was a huge folk/bluegrass community. The local bars would have live music quite often, and when they didn't, they were more than happy to play recordings produced by those local bands. This is an another possible outlet for music that's "pub-ready".

I think there's always been a segment of the broadcast and dining/entertainment venue industries that has resisted simply being a relay station for the corporate mainstream content. I'd like to think that it's expanding, as consumers want more artisanal/bespoke craft in their lives.

But I guess bottom line, "releasing an album" nowadays is going to be from a streaming platform. Physical product, if there is any, is a side venture. Judging the worth of making CDs is up to the artist.

[AlanHall]

I'm not likely to be like Chris... and get my '15 minutes of fame'... floating up in space with Captain Kirk!
"BEAM ME UP, SCOTTY!!"

Yep, that show was a wild one! Makes me realize that I can dream, after all

[cosmicdolphin]

I was about to say Amazon to an on demand CD service where they run one off if someone buys it but apparently they canned it earlier this year.

[AlanHall]

a Mentor at the 2018 Road Rally, sitting next to me at the luncheon - stated he LIKED getting a physical CD (even if just as a souvenir, like you state);
but his point was - a welcome surprise to me, holding up the CD I handed to him - "This shows me that you did the work, and completed the task."

That's a good point I hadn't considered. If the material is stuff that might appeal to libraries or music supes (or A&R folks), then having your best work on hand to shop out B2B is a great idea. The next logical step is to make the CD a press kit in its entirety, with enough info on it to define your musical vision, take an interested party to your website, yada yada. You've made me rethink the CD idea Thanks, Peter!

[irthlingz]

It is quite rare and difficult to make any significant amount of money through streaming/social media. You typically have to work quite hard over a long period of time to build an audience, and even then statistically you're likely to burn out after a few years.

This TAXI TV goes back to May, 2019, but is still relevant:

Insider's Guide: How You GET PAID for STREAMING in 2019 (ft. Bobby Owsinski)

They also talk (at about 48:55 in the video) about the possible conflict between licensing your songs for sync on the one hand and publishing through services like CD Baby or Distrokid or Tunecore on the other.

Others on the forum have mentioned that, to keep things clean and simple, they just keep the music they're submitting for sync completely off these other distribution/monetization platforms.

===
Michael

[Casey H]

"Releasing" an album nowadays generally means release to streaming platforms- Spotify, Amazon, Pandora, etc. You can release an album to all the major platforms with Distrokid. If you also plan to pitch the songs to music libraries, some considerations... Non-exclusives, no issue. Exclusives, it depends. Some are only exclusive as far as video sync and are fine with you releasing to streaming, selling downloads/CDs, etc. Others not. Also if you intend to pitch to music libraries, when you select which platforms to release to with Distrokid, I would not select any that are related to video (youtube, TikTok, etc.) as there *could* be conflicts with library deals. Of course, if you will not be pitching to libraries, you may want to do it all. Some have made money on youtube, TikTok, etc.

Don't expect to make much money of course. But at least the music will be out there. And you never know. Something could end up going viral.

Casey

[funsongs]

Don't expect to make much money of course. But at least the music will be out there. And you never know. Something could end up going viral.
Casey

Thanks, Casey...
as cliché as the saying is - it still holds true for me:
"I didn't get into music & songwriting because I wanted to make money."
I got into it... and have stayed with it... because it's how I'm wired, and creating music is what I enjoy doing with most of my awake hours.

Just getting new music OUT THERE - is the only means of finding out if anyone likes what I like and have created.
Every other opportunity grows from there, I think.
I've resisted even paying for a PRO account on Soundcloud - mainly because I'm careful with the limited funds, to only use them for creating the recordings.
Without that - there's nothing to share.

Cheers.