Possible Online Music Store.

[Resonance|ESK]

Hello all.

I've been thinking lately. "Wouldn't it be nice to have a place online where I can actually buy all this music I've been getting to support the scene?"

After throwing this idea around I decided to bounce it off some people to get feedback on it. Some have said it's a cool idea and others have responded with things like "Well... I really wouldn't wanna buy music online." This, being the place that it is seems like a nice place to bounce the idea off to get feedback (and hopefully, enlightening discussion) from more people before really going through with this.

Now, the first question that comes to people's mind is "Soo... don't I have iTunes if I wanna buy music?" That is true but last time I checked, which was a long time ago, you couldn't exactly buy the latest Killingscum CD on iTunes. This brings me to the point of the store. A place to buy MP3s of J-Core and all the other kinds of -cores out there. Among select other types of music as they present themselves.

Most people I know would like to be able to support the techno scene in Japan and other places but the concept of risking hard earned cash on some tiny store in Japan is a daunting one. This is one reason why I believe this kind of store is needed. With this you would just have to pay and you would then be allowed to download the music (at as high of bitrates as possible of course) directly off the site and have your music that day instead of sometime in the next couple weeks.

All money aside from what it takes to maintain the site would go DIRECTLY back to the artists themselves. Not the record labels (even though most of them own their own labels and such), not me, the artists themselves. That way no money is lost on unnecessary fees and other such things.

Pricing for the music is still being though of but I don't think anything above $10 for an entire CD is worth it. One of the major gripes I've heard about the music industry is the overcharging for CDs. I too would buy more if they didn't cost so much but I am willing to pay for music I wouldn't otherwise have. Pricing may also be dependent on how much the artist wants although I'm not exactly sure how this may work out.

So, please think about this and reply back with ideas, questions, support, or whatever.

P.S. I brought up the idea of the store to C-Type so that may show as proof that this isn't all just hopeful talk. I'm waiting for a reply on it and if requested I can post his thoughts on it here. I should be interesting to see how someone directly involved in the scene will react to such a concept...

Thanks for reading. Any thoughts?

[Beer Can]

Originally Posted by Xakun

Hello all.

I've been thinking lately. "Wouldn't it be nice to have a place online where I can actually buy all this music I've been getting to support the scene?"

After throwing this idea around I decided to bounce it off some people to get feedback on it. Some have said it's a cool idea and others have responded with things like "Well... I really wouldn't wanna buy music online." This, being the place that it is seems like a nice place to bounce the idea off to get feedback (and hopefully, enlightening discussion) from more people before really going through with this.

Now, the first question that comes to people's mind is "Soo... don't I have iTunes if I wanna buy music?" That is true but last time I checked, which was a long time ago, you couldn't exactly buy the latest Killingscum CD on iTunes. This brings me to the point of the store. A place to buy MP3s of J-Core and all the other kinds of -cores out there. Among select other types of music as they present themselves.

Most people I know would like to be able to support the techno scene in Japan and other places but the concept of risking hard earned cash on some tiny store in Japan is a daunting one. This is one reason why I believe this kind of store is needed. With this you would just have to pay and you would then be allowed to download the music (at as high of bitrates as possible of course) directly off the site and have your music that day instead of sometime in the next couple weeks.

All money aside from what it takes to maintain the site would go DIRECTLY back to the artists themselves. Not the record labels (even though most of them own their own labels and such), not me, the artists themselves. That way no money is lost on unnecessary fees and other such things.

Pricing for the music is still being though of but I don't think anything above $10 for an entire CD is worth it. One of the major gripes I've heard about the music industry is the overcharging for CDs. I too would buy more if they didn't cost so much but I am willing to pay for music I wouldn't otherwise have. Pricing may also be dependent on how much the artist wants although I'm not exactly sure how this may work out.

So, please think about this and reply back with ideas, questions, support, or whatever.

P.S. I brought up the idea of the store to C-Type so that may show as proof that this isn't all just hopeful talk. I'm waiting for a reply on it and if requested I can post his thoughts on it here. I should be interesting to see how someone directly involved in the scene will react to such a concept...

Thanks for reading. Any thoughts?

It ain't gonna work. Primarily because there are generally these contracts the artists have signed with the record labels that will prevent the distribution of these mp3s without the label getting some of the money back. The label usually holds the rights to the distribution of the music. In the event that the band is unsigned, or the band owns its label (i.e. one of the members of SunnO))) owns Southern Lord, etc.), sure, it'll work, assuming you can get the band's permission. Otherwise, you'll need to strike a deal with the label.

Nonetheless, I support you in your endeavor, even if I don't like the music involved, and I wish you the best of luck.

[Mystic]

It's a great idea... but probably fruitless. Even if you could get it set up, I'm sure most of the people would go to sows anyway =/

[Resonance|ESK]

Originally Posted by Ribos

It ain't gonna work. Primarily because there are generally these contracts the artists have signed with the record labels that will prevent the distribution of these mp3s without the label getting some of the money back. The label usually holds the rights to the distribution of the music. In the event that the band is unsigned, or the band owns its label (i.e. one of the members of SunnO))) owns Southern Lord, etc.), sure, it'll work, assuming you can get the band's permission. Otherwise, you'll need to strike a deal with the label.

Nonetheless, I support you in your endeavor, even if I don't like the music involved, and I wish you the best of luck.

Most of the artists who do J-Core are self signed and all so it's not like I'd have to worry about that too much I don't think.

Unless I wanna go big and get someone like DJ Technorch onboard I don't think I'll be talking to many labels. Thanks for your support.

Originally Posted by Mystic

It's a great idea... but probably fruitless. Even if you could get it set up, I'm sure most of the people would go to sows anyway =/

Well since I'm doing it for other people's enjoyment and to get the sound out there yes, by most standards, it would be fruitless to me. After a while I may consider grabbing a dollar or so then it'll be nice but till then I'm far more worried about getting the site off the ground if I do decide to go through with this.

If I'm not mistaken, the same rules that apply to fight club apply to our dear sows. :P Nonetheless, I'm thinking about bringing this idea up with some people who deal with that kind of thing there.


Now, after talking to someone about this they brought up a possible alternative. That would involve a talk with DJ Chucky of the GUROOVY store about becoming a US division of the store. I haven't given that idea as much thought as this but I intend to.

So, as such, any thoughts on that approach as a potential for the store?

[eddie]

Originally Posted by Xakun

Most of the artists who do J-Core are self signed and all so it's not like I'd have to worry about that too much I don't think.

Unless I wanna go big and get someone like DJ Technorch onboard I don't think I'll be talking to many labels. Thanks for your support.



Well since I'm doing it for other people's enjoyment and to get the sound out there yes, by most standards, it would be fruitless to me. After a while I may consider grabbing a dollar or so then it'll be nice but till then I'm far more worried about getting the site off the ground if I do decide to go through with this.

If I'm not mistaken, the same rules that apply to fight club apply to our dear sows. :P Nonetheless, I'm thinking about bringing this idea up with some people who deal with that kind of thing there.


Now, after talking to someone about this they brought up a possible alternative. That would involve a talk with DJ Chucky of the GUROOVY store about becoming a US division of the store. I haven't given that idea as much thought as this but I intend to.

So, as such, any thoughts on that approach as a potential for the store?

Guhroovy sells to the U.S. through J-Core.biz, and I know of at least one site that already carries J-Core CDs online (although a bit overpriced), and we're working with them on an english language store as well. So there's potential, but it's already being tapped. Not to say you shouldn't try for it, but I don't think it'd be worth your time since there's already stuff going on.

Expect an announcement regarding what we're working on with them within the week.