Earn Money Because Of Your Music, Not From It Part III

Radiohead, who released a free album last year, rocking out

Photo Credit: angela n.

The music consuming public has already shifted to the idea that your album is the base good which is complemented by your merchandise and gigs.

A Few Steps

Focus first and foremost on good music. Just because the economic value of your album can be reduced to increase demand, the quality cannot. Your album still needs to be just as good as it would have been 20 years ago.

Accept that this will not happen overnight.

Once you have good music, then you can begin creating a demand for it. Work to getting your music into the hands of anyone and everyone you can. Target influences specifically, these are people who are most likely to tell others. This is what I call planting the seeds of Organic Growth.

Accept that this will not happen overnight. You need to work to growing a fan base of people passionate enough about your music to tell others. The best way to do this, is to frequently engage them.

The less risk there is to the consumer, the more willingly they will be to invest their time and money into you. And therefore the easier it will be to create demand.

Finally cross promote. Your gigs and merchandise can only be effective compliments to your albums if people know about them. So employ tactful promotion of your complementary items. If you have a large demand for your albums you will require far less promotion as people will seek out this information, you merely need to make it easily accessible.

Have a read back at Part I and Part II to help you understand the concept. Also checkout Andrew Dubbers post Why Give Music Away For Free? if you wish you explore this method further (which I highly suggest you do).