Not from what I've heard - I know for a fact that to get in the top 10 on trackitdown you only need to sell about 20 MP3s of a track! 20 x £1.15 (minus their 40% cut) isn't exactly the way forward IMOBeagle wrote:It hurts me to say it, but digital labels (with the occasional 'special' on wax) are the way forward.
dj jedi wrote:Not from what I've heard - I know for a fact that to get in the top 10 on trackitdown you only need to sell about 20 MP3s of a track! 20 x £1.15 (minus their 40% cut) isn't exactly the way forward IMOBeagle wrote:It hurts me to say it, but digital labels (with the occasional 'special' on wax) are the way forward.
ah, well that's good news!dj jedi wrote:You're absolutely right in other genres, but most people into old skool or hardcore breaks definitely prefer to have the tunes on vinyl. Vinyl is on the up, the pressing plant I use say they are the busiest they've been in years :)
dj jedi wrote: I totally appreciate this is a labour of love rather than a money making scheme. But that's not why I want to do it. I've really enjoyed putting out a few records and having good feedback about them, worth more to me than money.
I think this is it really - the reality is that, outside the niche oldskool market (where people are still interested in the original vinyls, and therefore represses and oldskool style HCB tunes to play alongside them), dance music doesn't really exist on vinyl any more. Sure there are a few exceptions, a few novelty releases and a few examples you can point to of a tune that's randomly sold a hundred or a few hundred copies on vinyl, but for 99% of people buying, playing out and listening at home to dance music, digital is the only format. There are very few vinyl shops, distributors, djs, etc etc. The infrastructure just isn't there in the way it used to be.Beagle wrote: When i say 'way forward' I mean as a way to run a label and release loads of music without bankrupting yourself and ending up with a garage full of wax you can't sell. nobody expects to make money from it these days! :-D
The majority of dance music IS digital these days. The majority of DJs play CDs or use Serato (from what I can gather).
That seems to be the general consensus. Everytime I look on Facebook you see people scrounging for MP3's or bragging about however many gigs of ''MPFREEs' they've bagged off Limewire etc. Theres no pride anymore. Its different if your sharing old whites that were limited to a few hundred copies and sold out of a car boot in 91. But people are doing it with new music. Plus there is more shit floating about now whereas when people had to put their hands in their pockets and press it themselves if they couldn't get signed so there was a bit more quality control/ pride.Elusive9T2 wrote:Do labels actually sell any of their music though? I'd be interested to see the numbers
My understanding of most digital DJ's is they don't buy any music & they want it all for free
Glad to hear it matey :)Elusive9T2 wrote:Ninety Two isn't dead BTW, I'm working on some new stuff right now
and Retro will still be releasing something in the future
no offence taken dude!
Dunno where my post went?!?soopaslooth wrote:I think this is it really - the reality is that, outside the niche oldskool market (where people are still interested in the original vinyls, and therefore represses and oldskool style HCB tunes to play alongside them), dance music doesn't really exist on vinyl any more. Sure there are a few exceptions, a few novelty releases and a few examples you can point to of a tune that's randomly sold a hundred or a few hundred copies on vinyl, but for 99% of people buying, playing out and listening at home to dance music, digital is the only format. There are very few vinyl shops, distributors, djs, etc etc. The infrastructure just isn't there in the way it used to be.Beagle wrote: When i say 'way forward' I mean as a way to run a label and release loads of music without bankrupting yourself and ending up with a garage full of wax you can't sell. nobody expects to make money from it these days! :-D
The majority of dance music IS digital these days. The majority of DJs play CDs or use Serato (from what I can gather).
Its a real shame but its just the way things are. Of course, as has been pointed out, digital sales haven't exactly filled the gap left by vinyl, in fact they're completely pathetic for your average independent release. But it doesn't change the fact that the vinyl thing just doesn't really work anymore from the point of view of a label. The one exception I guess is if you are looking to put out music that is 100% orientated at the oldskool market, and that will be bought by people who buy original oldskool vinyl. Which I guess is what a lot of the guys on here would do, and is why the Sublogic/Fantazia etc release do ok.
But in terms of "giving HCB another go", the only way we could really do that would be to tap into the big buzz currently around ravey/oldskool influences in modern music. By that I mean the future jungle stuff, the tearout breaks with rave sounds, etc. Otherwise it might just be people on this forum selling 30 copies of a release to other people on this forum. But this new music is all stuff that definitely does not exist on vinyl as far as I know, and a lot of the people listening to it and playing it outside our little scene just don't do vinyl. Which to me suggests that the way forward for hcb labels has to be digital, if only in terms of getting the music to a place where it might be heard more widely.
seconded, we miss you neeeee!!DJ ABO wrote:Good read that nee! Get back on it mate!
