Digital Audio Insider -- the economics of music and other digital content

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Digital Audio Insider is David Harrell's blog about the economics of music and other digital content. I write from the perspective of a musican who has self-released four albums with the indie rock band the Layaways.

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August 23, 2007

Second-Run Movies
by David Harrell

A friend just e-mailed, wondering why the new New Pornographers album, released on Tuesday, isn't showing up in eMusic. It's on Matador and -- as far as I can tell -- the Matador catalog is available in eMusic.

This is pure speculation on my part, but I wonder if Matador has been thinking that eMusic downloads cut into the more-profitable sales at iTunes and of the physical CD. (It's currently #16 on the iTunes chart and it's the #6 best seller at Amazon.com -- $9.99 for the CD or the iTunes album.)

One workaround for labels would be to treat eMusic as a "second-run" movie theatre, where albums wouldn't be available until several weeks or months after the official release date. That strategy would maximize the revenues from the fans who want an album enough to purchase it on or near its release date, while still allow capturing sales from casual fans who are unwilling to pay the full album price. (On the other hand, it could be viewed in a negative light, that it gouges the real fans of an act...)

As it turns out, an eMusic employee gave subscribers the heads up about this album in a forum post last week, and Matador did the same thing with the last Blonde Redhead album. And I wasn't so original with the second-run theatre analogy, as some subscribers already posted about that as well:

It's like those $2 movie theaters, where movies that are weeks or months past their premiere date play for a reduced price. I love those places! If eMusic became the vast $2 theater of the indie music world, I would still pay the same fees for it. I may be in the minority on that, however.

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THE LAYAWAYS

Out Now -- "Maybe Next Year" -- The New Holiday Album:

"This is a sweet treat, deliciously musical without being overbaked for mass media consumption." -- Hyperbolium

"Perfect listening to accompany whatever holiday preparations you may be making today." -- Bag of Songs

O Christmas Tree - free mp3 lyrics and song details
Away In A Manger - free mp3

Download from eMusic, iTunes, Amazon MP3, or Bandcamp. Listen to free streams at Last.fm.

"...about as melodic and hooky as indie pop can get." -- Absolute Powerpop

"Their laid-back, '60s era sounds are absolutely delightening." -- 3hive

"...melodic, garage-influenced shoegaze." -- RCRD LBL

Where The Conversation Ends - free mp3
January - free mp3
Keep It To Yourself - free mp3

Download from eMusic, iTunes, Amazon MP3, or CD Baby, stream it at Last.fm or Napster.

"The Layaways make fine indie pop. Hushed vocals interweave with understated buzzing guitars. The whole LP is a revelation from the start." -- Lost Music

"Catchy Guided by Voices-like rockers who lay it on sweetly and sincerely, just like Lionel Richie." -- WRUV Radio

Silence - free mp3 lyrics and song details
The Long Night - free mp3

Download from eMusic, Amazon MP3, or iTunes, stream it at Last.fm, Napster, or Rhapsody.

"These are songs that you want to take home with you, curl up with, hold them close -- and pray that they are still with you when you wake up." -- The Big Takeover

Let Me In - free mp3
Ocean Blue - free mp3

Download from eMusic, Amazon MP3, or iTunes, stream it at Last.fm, Napster, or Rhapsody.

More Layaways downloads:

the layaways website