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Hi All,
One of the problems labels face is the long production times of soundtrack CDs—especially the more ambitious projects involving lots of music (like television series). They can take months or even years, during which cash is tied up in the project—it's a problem. In fact, at any given time, all of the labels have a great amount of money invested in master restorations, and when titles take a long time to finish due to any number of unforeseen circumstances (missing music, complicated rights, withheld approvals), it can be a huge problem—almost a crippling one, depending on circumstances.
I was wondering: what if labels used Kickstarter, as a way to more or less do pre-sales without them being literally pre-sales?
I asked one of the labels (I won't say which one) and they said they considered it but were concerned about negative reaction from collectors.
So I said, why don't I ask the message board? They said we'd be interested in reading the reaction—so I'm asking.
What would you think?
Lukas
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I think it could work under certain circumstances - but, if done, should indeed be employed on a case-by-case basis. Ambitious projects and small (1,000 run) projects might benefit the most, but it wouldn't seem wise to turn to Kickstarter for everything.
Additionally, in order for it to work, labels would naturally need to be upfront about their long-term plans in a manner not seen before. And that could be its own can of worms in regards to relationships with the studios and other parties, to say nothing of the collectors if funding doesn't work out.
It's sticky, but it could work under conservative measurement and the right conditions.
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Posted: |
Sep 26, 2013 - 12:41 AM
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By: |
Wedge
(Member)
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My initial post felt too long, so I'll just boil it down to the basics. This is an intriguing concept, and these are some thoughts/questions that occur to me:
1. Would this be a good idea for re-recordings of classic scores, that producers might otherwise be hesitant to take on because of the added costs of prepping manuscripts, contracting an orchestra, etc.?
2. It's worth remembering that Kickstarter has tiers (some limited, depending on the availability of "bonuses") and stretch goals. So, for example, $20 might get you the CD. $30 might get you an autographed copy. $50 gets your name in the booklet. $100 gets you a manuscript page, suitable for framing. $500 let's you pick a bonus track, if it's a rerecording. Pledge $5000 and Lukas Kendall will personally cook you dinner. And so on.
3. There are plenty of CDs out there that may not have sold well, but I'm nonetheless VERY grateful that they at least exist! These slow sellers are somewhat offset by unexpected hits or especially reliable titles. Will that continue to be the case if Kickstarter is the new model, or will producers be more risk-averse?
4. If a title fails to meet its Kickstarter goal, is that title off the table forever? Will any label ever take a risk on a "proven" non-starter? Speaking strictly as a fan and consumer, it would be very frustrating to have a Holy Grail release scuttled because it never garnered that last $500.
5. When calculating the Kickstarter goal amount, how would the labels factor in prospective bulk sales to other dealers? Or people who don't or won't use Kickstarter for various reasons, but who WOULD wind up buying the disc if it were an actual physical product ready to be shipped?
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Shoot. I can't even afford to buy most of the recently-released soundtrack CDs that I want, much less invest in hopefuls.
I have a feeling -- and I stress, this is just a hunch -- that the soundtrack crowd would likely rally around some magnum opuses, but not most of the more obscure or run-of-the-mill releases. (At least, not in the numbers needed. Everybody has their own personal wants, but there doesn't seem to be a huge amount of overlap.) And the latter might be the exact titles the labels need the help on.
I agree with both of these statements. I am also one that does not buy too many re-releases if I feel the score is well represented on a previous release. The re-releases are becoming a majority of what is being released today. There are also many titles that are being released that I have no interest in, so I would not see myself participating at this time.
Do the labels want to be continued asked when a project is going to be released? "I invested in the project and you said it would take this long and that time is past, where is the release?"
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