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October 15, 2009
Big Fish, Small Pondby David Harrell
It's tough to make sales evaluations based on chart rankings alone, without the underlying sales data. But I can't help thinking that an act like the Feelies gets a huge benefit from being a big fish in a relatively smaller pond -- the eMusic catalog. Because the eMusic catalog is smaller than the iTunes catalog, and lacks content from three of the four major label groups, when a critically acclaimed indie act releases new or reissued material, it garners a lot of attention from eMusic's indie-loving subscriber base. And the use-it-or-lose it component of the eMusic subscription model encourages customers to download something now, rather than later.
In this example, the band's recently reissued 1980 debut, Crazy Rhythms, has been one of eMusic's top 10 or 15 albums for the past month, and The Good Earth, from 1986, also makes the top 30. Yet neither album appears in top 100 in the iTunes store or Amazon MP3. (Crazy Rhythms is currently the 923rd best seller in the Amazon MP3 catalog.)
My guess is that the Feelies are moving far more units via eMusic than they're selling in the iTunes store or Amazon MP3. So even with eMusic's smaller per-track payout rate (30 - 35 cents vs. 70 cents for iTunes and Amazon MP3), the band might well earn most of its digital download income for the reissues from eMusic.
tags: digital music the Feelies eMusic iTunes Amazon MP3
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THE LAYAWAYS
Out Now -- "Maybe Next Year" -- The New Holiday Album:
O Christmas Tree - free mp3
Away In A Manger - free mp3
Download from eMusic, iTunes, Amazon MP3, Napster, Rhapsody, Lala.com, Amie Street, 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
Keep It to Yourself - free mp3
All Around the World - free mp3
Come Back Home - free mp3
Download from eMusic, iTunes, Amazon MP3, or CD Baby, listen to free streams at Last.fm, Lala.com, and 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
"A wonderfully crafted recording built around tasteful songwriting and musicianship..." -- PopMatters
Silence - free mp3
The Long Night - free mp3
Download from eMusic, Amazon MP3, or iTunes, listen to free streams 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, listen to free streams at Last.fm, Napster, or Rhapsody.
More Layaways downloads:
the layaways website
Current/Recent Reading and Listening:
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It's written as a how-to guide for those looking to become music supervisors, but I found it to be a good resource for musicians (like me) who are trying to get their music used in movies, TV, etc.