I recently purchased a new album release from one of my favourite artists which caused me to think about how physical album purchases sit in 2018. Since delivery, I’ve listened to to this album on Spotify but I haven’t got round to playing the disc.  So, why did I buy the CD when I rarely play CDs these days? Well let’s find out.

The CD was signed (at no extra cost!) and that scribed tangible artifact gets me closer to my favourite artist which I like, it’s a reason for me to buy.  In addition, being a musician I can appreciate the extra revenue a physical sale benefits an artist over and above streaming, I like them so I want to give them some money!  I bought the two disc special edition because of this very fact.

What’s important here is that you should stress to your fans that ‘buying’ rather than streaming your music is a means of support, it’s an investment to your career and your future music making.  Let them know that buying the album is a ‘down payment’ for the next one.

Takeaway Tips

Make your physical product attractive.  Sign it, add in stuff either as a freebie (some album stickers based on the themes or titles of songs on the album), upsell an extra CD (your last one?) or a t-shirt to maximize each sale. Stress that a purchase is a pledge of support (not just a way of gaining access to the music).

Got any questions about this post or how you can better market yourself?

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