Although we have been told that albums are dead, no one ever buys CDs, the music industry’s future is based on Web 2.0 user generated technologies and all music will be created on the forthcoming iGuitar from Mac – we have made an album.
Yes, complete with cover art and a case that has things you can hold, like a CD.
Now maybe this is a grievous error and a waste of time and money; but it also looks pretty cool and sounds almost as good. While the music was done completely by Puppetbox – the art and layout had the help of a number of talented people.
So, I know a lot of folks ask this question but what do you, the devoted Puppetbox fan, think of CDs vs. digital only releases? Do you enjoy the extra info and design that comes with an album? Does the idea of vinyl excite you or confuse you?
Also, after much debate, research and even a bout of fisticuffs – we cryptically decided on a self-titled album. It is tempting to post the alternate titles we came up with, but…no. We still have our dignity.
You may be wondering when the public will first get a chance to hear/see/experience this work of art and the definitive answer is – it is up to iTunes. Yes it is true. Regardless of when the CD is physically available, there seems to be little point in “releasing” it until people can find it online.
If you are one of those people interested in online distribution – not everyone can have the luxury of being Radiohead. For bands that have no label backing or trust funds, there is almost always the need for a third party to be involved.
We use CDbaby for our distribution and they do a pretty good job of making the CD available for purchase. They also distribute the music to many digital download outlets such as iTunes. However, not having any kind of backing means 1) everyone takes and, 2) We are at the mercy of outlets as to when they post our music. We probably have lost most of you at this point, but again we are asking for input.
Is there a better way to get our CD to people and provide the option of downloads while not losing money?
Even selling everything directly from our website means setting up a “store” which is not free, and of course neither is shipping, as all you people in Europe who got the EP know.
Ok, we are not expecting answers to all these questions, although that would be awesome, but it gives you a look into the secret workings of Puppetbox and probably a lot of other bands stuck in this bizarre era of music.
