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Kate -> RE: Rafael Riqueni (Jan. 29 2006 15:15:18)
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quote:
ORIGINAL: nealf
Just wondering how expensive is it to produce a CD and then try to market it?
When you are an "independent label" does that mean that the big stores (HMV, Virgin etc) will not take your CD's to sell??
This is all new to me but I am surprised that in Spain (home of Flamenco) it is so difficult to get new guitarists exposure.
These days it is much cheaper to make a recording, wih so many good computer programmes you no longer need expensive 24 track studios etc. However it is still an expense that many musicians, at least here in Spain, without recording contracts cannot afford. Also just because you are a musician does not mean you can produce a good recording so you also need a good engineer or producer. Often the producer will put up the money and so take control. The results are not always what teh artost had in mind. A scenario I have heard so many timesni flamenco.
Anyway once you have your recording you have to get artwork and print up the CD covers. Then you have to have the CD duplicated. Already you have spent thousands of euros and you have maybe a thousand CDs sitting in a box in your house. Next comes promotion which means postage and packing, photos etc, more expense. Meanwhile you try selling the CDs at your concerts, and get back some of your investment while you hope to get a record company or distributor interested in your product and your career. One of the first distribution deals we were offered for one of our productions stipulated that we provide (and pay for) the CDs and in return we would get a 2% return however this would not actually cover the duplication costs [&:]
Without distribution you cant get your product in the big stores. Distributors work closely with and sometimes are even owned by the big labels and that will always be where their loyalty lies, with the big money. This is changing as more and more music is made available digitally so doing away with the role of a distributor.
Spain may be the home of flamenco but that does not mean to say it values its own musicians. I understand previously France has done far more to make recordings available than their Spanish counterparts. Record labels are not cultural guardians, they are there to make money and most flamenco CDs do not sell in large quantities and so are of little interest to the big boys. This is made even more difficult since there are now only four major record companies in the world; Sony, BMG, Universal and Virgin.
It's tough.
Kate
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