Robben Ford Discussion

[iamthewalrus]

Here's an idea . . .
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iamthewalrus
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[GraemeD]

Hi

Aren't Subscription Sites normally paid for by Monthly Direct Debits ??

Don't want to confuse things but it makes more sense !

Graeme

[Aeolian]

Great idea. This puts the debate in real terms. What about a per-performance charge to download a live show? (Encoded with SCMS, WMA or whatever to prevent multi generation copying of course) $5, $10?
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[iamthewalrus]

RE the monthly, yearly thing payment issue: most sites I have seen, Dixie Chicks, Sting, Fleetwood Mac and others have a yearly subscription fee but I certainly have not seen everything! I think there remains a perception of popular musicians (and I would include Robben in this category) as either thoroughly well-off or so lucky to be "doing something they love" that money really shouldn't be an issue. Think about it, actors or sports stars won't roll out of bed for an appearance for less than 4 or 5 figures. How much do you think Beyonce made for appearing at the Grammy awards? ZIP. Sure, you can say she must have sold more records but most of that went directly to the label to recoup expenses. Why should musicians do their work for nothing? Why do we expect them to give stuff away?

Cheers!
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Knock knock.
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[BlueRunner]

As usual I'm going to be the contrarian. I won't pay a dime for an on-line subscription service. It's not that I don't think downloads and other benefits wouldn't be worth the money. It's just that I've got enough monthly and annual charges for stuff, plus other paid subscriptions.

Why should a musician put up a web site (complete with photos, appearance schedules, letters to fans, downloadable samples, etc.) for free? Simple. It's advertising. No matter Robben Ford's personal philosophy (and I'm not being sarcastic here -- I think he has a wonderful approach to how to live a life) he makes his living performing and recording, and the better access we all have to his concert schedules, news about his studio work for other musicians, and information about upcoming CD's (and where to buy old ones), the more he sells. And, in fact, he can sell CD's, DVD's, workbooks and videos right off of his web site if he wants (provided he has the deal set up with his publishers and record producers). (Tee-shirts, hats and refrigerator magnets, too, if that's what he'd like to do.)

How to pay for it? Robben and Anne are both very talented, in demand, and busy, but my guess is that they don't have a Rolling Stones-type budget for promotion and advertising. So one either keeps the web site simple (but up to date), or pays for it with linked advertising. Of course, I can't see Dumble or Banzai paying Robben for ad links, and if Gene Baker ever does it he'll probably find himself in hot water with Ernie Ball or Ed Roman, who apparently now own all of Gene save perhaps for a couple of changes of clean undewear. Maybe the folks who make Robben's great clothes? Or maybe whatever company makes whatever it is he uses to keep his hair from falling out so that he doesn't look like the rest of us 50+ guys? (Clearly, he isn't loaning any of it to Daved.)

And if I can't get concert schedules and other info for free? I live close enough that I can just drive up to Robben's and Anne's house some evening and toss pebbles at their dining room window until one of them comes out and tells me where the next appearance is. (Or have you forgotten Father Guido Sarducci's wonderful Saturday Night Live field report, in which at 3:00 a.m. in London he tossed rocks at an upper-story hotel room window, and then sang a wacky medley of Beatles tunes, all in an attempt to get "Paul-a McCartney-a" to come to the window for an interview?)
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[Daved]

[GraemeD]

Hi

Actually, and it's only my brief knowledge of subscription sites, but monthly sites usually raise more money !!

Someone asks me to pay 4-5 Dollars a month, I'm not going to worry too much about that !!.......but thats 48-60 Dollars per year !!

You will also attract the casual user who will commit to a monthly fee thinking 'I'm not sure I want to commit myself to 12 months on this site' !

Different Idea.

Regards

Graeme

[iamthewalrus]

Graeme - very good point on the monthly vs. yearly issue. As a practical matter this may make sequencing value-added content tricky but considerations of this nature are putting the cart before the horse. And BlueRunner, the concept of a subscription-based Web site does not mean the "free" site would go away.

The subscription-based site is an "emergent entity" in the sense that, at last, an extremely effective means of distribution is now absolutely in the hands of artists (the Internet) and the stuff they own that hasn't been easy and inexpensive to distribute, i.e., audio and video from live shows and such, is now easily distributed. Working musicians, for the most part, are 'leather to the pavement' entrepreneurs. Subscription-based fan Web sites are a way we can help our favorite artist earn a living - in exchange we receive access to content otherwise unavailable - to expand the list: interviews, chat, instruction, edited clips from clinics and exclusive merchandise.

Cheers,
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iamthewalrus
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Knock knock.
Who's there?
Control freak. Now you say "control freak who."

[GraemeD]

Hi

[BlueRunner]

Insofar as sales of live-show CD's is concerned, last summer's Grateful Dead promotion deserved a gold star. (Kids! Be the first on your block to collect all 60!) For what I thought was a really reasonable price the Dead very quickly turned around multiple CD sets mixed right off the concert board. If you missed them on Sunday, you could get the whole concert via FedEx by Thursday, and be totally amped by the time you got to their concert the following Saturday. I haven't seen any reports on how they did financially on the deal (and I didn't buy any of the CD's myself -- just spent the summer wearing out the grooves on my original vinyl of their first Warner Bros. LP), but it looked like a great concept. It'll be hard to resist, once the Derek Trucks Band starts doing it.
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- BlueRunner

[juspasinby2003]

If the site included brief but useful lessons from the master, including possibly lead sheets of Robben's recordings, I'd pay $50 to $100 per year for a subscription.

Is that too little?

[juspasinby2003]

Two words: "Breakfast Cereal" Add that to the available RF merchandise, and I'll go for $150 per year.

"All the best" to you each morning.

[elizabeth]

Ahhhh, this last post takes me back to several years ago, on the old board (RIP.) I suggested cereal and jammies...I would still buy them, in mass quantity.
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[kirk95]

[kohar]

Prince's website is $25 one time only fee. There you can download his music and also get concert tickets for better seats. I think there's chatboards and other features......I joined just for good seats alone, ha ha.