Time to reset the free music system, together

Independent artists (like us) have to cope with "the new world of free" that has taken over the music industry.
The value of music has become undefined, especially for smaller bands and artists.  Should we give away everything for free?  Should we give away nothing?  How do we do this?  I offer a suggestion, a way to slowly shift the expectations of music listeners.

Give away your new stuff, charge for your back catalog.  Simple as that.

Offer your fans your latest track or album for free but for a limited time.  If people think they can get your music forever, there's no sense of urgency.  They probably won't download anything because they can always do it later.   The best way for prospective fans to get interested in your music of for them to hear it again and again.  If it's on their iPod, you've got your foot in their door for future sales.

Here's what we're doing:

"Cancer Killing Gemini releases one new free song a month.... forever.  After 60 days, each song becomes back catalog and is no longer a free download.  Fans who stay in contact receive all our new material for free, forever.  As time passes, the back catalog grows.  Fans who join next year get the same deal, but since the catalog has grown, there is more material for purchase.  We're betting that fans who download free songs month after month will eventually buy older tracks and also tell their friends about a cool band that gives away new music every month.  We're taking a 'pay it forward' approach."

We have the luxury of recording as we go, but the system works as long as you are creating new music. Give away your album (or single) #2 but charge for album #1. When album #3 comes out, never give away album #2 again.

I'm all about free downloads, but there needs to be a system .  This is a way to continually reward your faithful fans with free stuff.  Hopefully, fans will return the favor with back catalog purchases, merch sales or concert tickets. If this actually catches on, maybe we can change the public's perception of the value of independent musicians.

Thanks for reading,

Eric
Cancer Killing Gemini
-distorting your mainstream-
http://www.cancerkillinggemini.com
Boston, MA

a minute and a half of roadkill music

So we're out with Andrew for dinner one night and he starts to describe how he found a dead coyote on the side of the road. He takes it home and then over the next few months buries it in the ground, digs it up, skins it, guts it and boils the bones in a pot on the kitchen stove. Had it been anyone other than Andrew, I might have lost my appetite, but his suave, clever style somehow made this acceptable dinner conversation. The images of this process stayed in my head. Later that week, "Taxidermy Song" started to take shape.

We left the electronics behind for this one. Back to straight-ahead rock. Guitar, bass, drums, vocals and of course, Max's dirty clav.

I hope you enjoy Cancer Killing Gemini's free song for June: "Taxidermy Song"

JUN - Taxidermy Song by Cancer Killing Gemini 

Found you by the side of the road

Your body still warm but your heart was cold
Not looking too good all that red white and goo
Gonna put my hands deep inside of you

Maybe you think it's wrong
Gonna mess with the flesh now that life is gone
Blow it off and just sing along
To the homemade taxidermy song

I think you once were a fox
Now you're in my garage in a cardboard box
Should I take off your skin and poke out your eyes
Since you're already dead I feel justified

Next month: "Vaseline for the Vomit Queen"

Shows:

-Saturday June 18th - Copperfield's (downstairs) 98 Brookline Ave Boston, MA
-Saturday July 2nd - Ground Zero Allenstown, NH - ALL AGES SHOW
-Friday July 8th - Club Gallery Providence, RI w/Era Nocturna
-Saturday August 6th - NYC w/ Ex Machinae

Just to recap on the free thing, we record and release one song a month for free, for ever. Stay in contact (the mailing list or facebook are good ways to do that) and all of our new music will be free to you.

60 days after release, the song will enter our back catalog and will no longer be free, but if you've downloaded it, no big deal, you already own it.

 

Cheers,

Eric

www.cancerkillinggemini.com 

p.s. - Thanks again to Chuck Pukmel for mix consultation