Free Music - Why would you give your music away for free?

[craven]

I just read this article on the Kickstarter magazin Happening:
https://www.kickstarter.com/stories/freemusic

Kevin MacLeod gives his creations away for free and became quite popular by doing so!
Well, a lot of us do the same, so what makes him special? I won't spoil the article, though - it's a good read!

[selig]

Well, as he says in the article he doesn't give all of his music away for free! And I'm pretty sure when those royalty checks come in, he cashes them (despite not being happy with the copyright system!).

To answer your question, "for promotion". But you have to ask yourself what are you promoting, more free music? Because unless you are independently wealth and have loads of free time to donate to the community, you have to pay the bills some how. And I'd much rather do that making music than anything else!

[Last Alternative]

I would only do it for promotional reasons. Maybe a few songs tops. My album will never be free accept for loved ones and I would hope they would rather support me and buy my album. It is my art and hard work and like most rational people, I'd like to at least get by on it as my only "job" recording and playing live. Unrealistic? Maybe but it's a goal. I'll work in the meantime until then.
I actually found it amusing when Adam Fielding came at me acting like it's shallow or something to want to make money making music. I respect the guy but whatev.

[Gaja]

I would only do it for promotional reasons. Maybe a few songs tops. My album will never be free accept for loved ones and I would hope they would rather support me and buy my album. It is my art and hard work and like most rational people, I'd like to at least get by on it as my only "job" recording and playing live. Unrealistic? Maybe but it's a goal. I'll work in the meantime until then.
I actually found it amusing when Adam Fielding came at me acting like it's shallow or something to want to make money making music. I respect the guy but whatev.

I thtink it's totally fine to want to make money making music, but it can distort your focus.
First and foremost you will have to want to make good music. Then at some point you might be able to actually make money from it. Until then focus on learning and improving your songwriting/composing/mixing/etc skills until you have reached a point where you're able to reach a density in production (meaning no redundant elements, every line means something and makes sense in the context of the song, and the content of your lines would be more than te sum of its words) that is appealing to "the masses".
It is very important to promote your stuff all over the place, but carefully and intelligently placed and timed. When I was working for producer Marc Mozart, he had sold non exclusive rights to a song, to a band in Japan, who was charting #1 for some time, (song called one in a million) because the promotion was right. Then he sold non exclusive rights to the same song to a billionaires daughter, who would then perform the song and fail to ever reach any charts, because rich mommy and daddy wouldn't spend money on promotion, because that should be somebody else's job...
I understand you're probably not so much into charting dance pop stuff, but still, if you want to make money with your music you have to get it out there very much.

[Benedict]

The rules that seem to work for someone who is someone are not relevant to nobodies. U2 can give away records as a successful sales/promotion model (well generally speaking anyway). I can't. Successful people can self-mythologize about how being free made them successful but it isn't true. It is just another marketing ploy. Like taking the horse and carriage to market, getting there and putting the horse in front of the cart and saying you got there that way. Self-mythologizing. Assuming it will actually work for me is just fallout.

The thing is that people who are successful are successful. People who aren't anyone aren't. These days people are more impressed by celebrity than ever so they don't buy from no one just because they like the art, they buy the story, the myth, the hope of being part of it. Then they say they like the art. I guess free lowers the price of entry to the tribe but it lowers the price of exit too (as U2 found).

[pushedbutton]

My music is free until i find a market for it. Wanna buy a tune?

[Ronin]

Its hard to make money selling easily copied and shared digital music nowadays, if that is your only revenue stream.
You have to make it more of a collectors item of some sort, because its almost a given people will expect to get your music for free as an mp3 easily from somewhere on the web.
If so, then you need to accept that, and make money from merchandise, touring, collectors editions, youtube monetizing etc etc.

[craven]

Thank you all for your insightful contributions and opinions! I still have to think about it for myself. I guess, that I'm just realistic about my skills and that my work is not meant to be sold, since it was made for myself and for the sake of making music. It can also mean, that I know the limitations of my work and don't feel like charging for something I would not pay for myself
This might change someday. Who knows.
Edit: I feel like I lack commitment to actively make music these days, even during the last months. It feels like work and I'm sometimes afraid of judging myself (e.g. for being too lazy, unskilled, uncommitted etc.). Often, I'm not happy with the results and there are too many unfinished ideas, because I'd rather start a fresh track than to re-work older ideas. I had these phases before (and can be still creative with other stuff like writing or photography), so I don't try to force anything. 

[Tincture]

The rules that seem to work for someone who is someone are not relevant to nobodies. U2 can give away records as a successful sales/promotion model (well generally speaking anyway). I can't. Successful people can self-mythologize about how being free made them successful but it isn't true. It is just another marketing ploy. Like taking the horse and carriage to market, getting there and putting the horse in front of the cart and saying you got there that way. Self-mythologizing. Assuming it will actually work for me is just fallout.

The thing is that people who are successful are successful. People who aren't anyone aren't. These days people are more impressed by celebrity than ever so they don't buy from no one just because they like the art, they buy the story, the myth, the hope of being part of it. Then they say they like the art. I guess free lowers the price of entry to the tribe but it lowers the price of exit too (as U2 found).

Hi Benedict, perhaps you can help somebody like me or one of the the above?

I plan on releasing an album of my stuff on the same channels as you do... only I'd make it PWYW, as I'm a new artist... I'd love to know some of your sales figures at the rates you charge. I know it won't be bazillions but maybe it'd make me change my mind?

[Ninjadog]

Well, as he says in the article he doesn't give all of his music away for free! And I'm pretty sure when those royalty checks come in, he cashes them (despite not being happy with the copyright system!).

To answer your question, "for promotion". But you have to ask yourself what are you promoting, more free music? Because unless you are independently wealth and have loads of free time to donate to the community, you have to pay the bills some how. And I'd much rather do that making music than anything else!

Well your promoting your self so when you play live shows and tour you have a better chance of making money.

[Benedict]

The rules that seem to work for someone who is someone are not relevant to nobodies. U2 can give away records as a successful sales/promotion model (well generally speaking anyway). I can't. Successful people can self-mythologize about how being free made them successful but it isn't true. It is just another marketing ploy. Like taking the horse and carriage to market, getting there and putting the horse in front of the cart and saying you got there that way. Self-mythologizing. Assuming it will actually work for me is just fallout.

The thing is that people who are successful are successful. People who aren't anyone aren't. These days people are more impressed by celebrity than ever so they don't buy from no one just because they like the art, they buy the story, the myth, the hope of being part of it. Then they say they like the art. I guess free lowers the price of entry to the tribe but it lowers the price of exit too (as U2 found).

Hi Benedict, perhaps you can help somebody like me or one of the the above?

I plan on releasing an album of my stuff on the same channels as you do... only I'd make it PWYW, as I'm a new artist... I'd love to know some of your sales figures at the rates you charge. I know it won't be bazillions but maybe it'd make me change my mind?

Hi

Congrats on deciding to release an album. That is a thing in itself. I generally price at $5 min + open to any higher amount. It used to be common to get $7 just like Bandcamp say.

I'll be honest and say my last few releases have only had 1-2 sales in total at the min $5. It used to be about ten times that so either I have gotten worse or people are less likely to buy. Hard to say as no one says I almost purchased but didn't because...

I'd say stick with the traditional by working out who your special audience is and making the record they want. Then making sure you let them find you on YouTube etc. If you are into Goth then get yourself in the same rooms as Sisters of Mercy, Mission and other similar acts that others are talking about. You must make sure your product is unique and special in some way to make the kids want to own it (not just steal it). The more specialist you are the better as a rule. Go global only after you have a fanbase.

Hope that helps some (no matter how depressing the numbers).

[Kov]

I'm giving all my electronic stuff away for free. But only if it's going to be played from vinyl. Since i cannot control that, nobody besides 1-2 friends gets anything in the end